As Björk's Biophilia residency at the Manchester International Festival continues, so too does the critical acclaim for her. The Guardian says as a pop innovator, "Björk is peerless" and "remains an icon: tiny but titanic, thanks to the size of her voice and the scope of her imagination." The Daily Telegraph gives the performances four stars, citing the music's "transcendent beauty." The Financial Times says "Biophilia’s songs are some of the best Björk has written for a long time." Independent on Sunday calls it "brilliantly original and ambitious." The Quietus calls her "an international treasure." Björk is the guest editor of the entire 200th issue of Dazed & Confused, out Thursday.

Björk gave the world premiere of her Biophilia live show last night, launching the Manchester International Festival. The New York Times says: "The new songs juxtapose hovering textures of choir and organ with sparse pointillism and sudden eruptions of breakbeat drumming, all set against Björk’s idiosyncratic melodies." The Guardian gives the concert four stars: "Bjork's voice still sounded gloriously childlike and otherworldly, a voice from what at times literally felt like a parallel dimension." The Times of London gives four stars as well: "For all the gadgetry and theatricality of this show, the elemental voice at its core was still the most remarkable instrument." The Manchester Evening News calls it "extraordinary."

Björk today announces Biophilia, her most ambitious and interdisciplinary project to date, with the release of the lead single, "Crystalline," on iTunes. Biophilia is a multimedia project, comprising a studio album, apps, a new website, custom-made musical instruments, live shows, and educational workshops. The Biophilia live show will have its world premiere tomorrow as part of the Manchester International Festival, where Björk is in residence for a three-week run.

"The Comet Song," the new song from Björk, is now available exclusively as a digital download from iTunes.  All the artist and record label proceeds from sales of the track sales will be donated to UNICEF to support their efforts to aid children in Pakistan. Björk wrote and performed "The Comet Song" for the new, animated Finnish children's film Moomins and the Comet Chase.

Björk is in Stockholm to receive the 2010 Polar Music Prize in a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall tonight. His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will present her with the prize. The awards ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall includes performances by Sweden's own Robyn and others and will be broadcast live on Swedish TV4 and via TV4 Play at 5:30 PM CEST / 11:30 AM EST.

Björk has co-written a new song with Icelandic poet Sjón for the animated Finnish film Moomins and the Comet Chase, based on the Scandinavian children's book series and TV show. The track, titled "The Comet Song," is coming soon to the iTunes US store, with proceeds from track sales going to support UNICEF's efforts to aid children in Pakistan. You can watch the video for the song now.


    

Björk is the latest artist to be chosen for NPR's 50 Great Voices, the weekly series featuring "awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time." In the segment, titled "Björk: A Celestial Voice," host Guy Raz says of that voice: "There is something celestial about it, as if it comes from another world, a fantastic and colorful and utopian world." The New Yorker's Alex Ross tells NPR: "I cannot think of another voice like it in pop music, in classical music."

Björk is the recipient of the 2010 Polar Music Prize. "With her deeply personal music and lyrics, her precise arrangements and her unique voice," the award citation reads, "Björk has already made an indelible mark on pop music and modern culture at large, despite her relative youth." Also honored is Ennio Morricone. The prize will be awarded by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a televised gala ceremony in Stockholm on August 30.

The world tour that followed the release of Björk's 2007 studio album, Volta, was deemed "as visually spectacular as it is musically innovative" by The Guardian. This summer, Nonesuch released Voltaic, a multimedia celebration of the tour that led NPR to describe Björk as "an artist who inspires those around her to create equal parts music and magic." Now, you can bring the magic of Voltaic home with a visually spectacular poster.

Voltaic, the audio-visual celebration of Björk's Volta tour, is out now on Nonesuch. The Wall Street Journal spoke with the Icelandic songstress who "makes music that melds edgy beats with dreamlike lyrics," about the project. Nashville Scene points to its visual aspect, describing her concerts as "absolutely spellbinding marriages of ethereal sound and astonishing vision," and explaining, "As always, the singer's voice is simply unparalleled in its celestial beauty, her primal stage presence is captivating, the beats are club-stomping, and the visual spectacle of the show is stunning." All About Jazz sees her  "here she's near the top of her game."

Voltaic, the multimedia celebration of Björk's Volta tour, is now available in the US from Nonesuch Records. Yesterday's release day was marked by a guest DJ appearance from the Icelandic songstress on NPR's All Songs Considered. Björk speaks with the show's host, Bob Boilen, about some of her favorite artists, chooses a song from each, featuring music from Syria, Russia, the UK, and Icleand, and explains what she finds appealing in each. You can still listen to the complete Voltaic album as well for NPR's Exclusive First Listen series.