Hyper ballad (song)

«Hyperballad» also known as Hyper-Ballad is the fourth single from the album Post by singer-songwriter Björk.

The song's lyrics talk about Björk and her partner, who live on top of a mountain. Every morning Björk gets up before her lover to go down the hillside collecting rubbish such as bottles, car parts, cutlery, etc., which she later throws off a cliff and watches until they fall to pieces and imagines her body on the Same situation, falling. She thus feels better, coming back to the top knowing that she is safe in the arms of her lover. According to Björk, the song is dedicated to all those couples who are fed up with the routine and are looking for new things.

"Hyperballad" was the song that received the most votes in the popular selection of songs that would appear on the Greatest Hits album.

Video Clip

In the video, directed by Michel Gondry, Björk appears lying on the ground with mountains in the background. The camera pans up and Björk is seen from above with her eyes closed. Other images are superimposed on her image, such as herself singing the song, lights, colors, and Björk herself being a character from a video game who runs through a place full of poles and lampposts and then jumps off a cliff.

The video was shot at the Telecine Cell in London using a motion control system. The entire video was recorded on a single 120 meter long roll of film. The images superimposed on Björk were pre-recorded and a screen was placed over Björk where the images were projected. The lights were created with a board of LEDs. Remarkably, the video was shot in one take and with no post-production except for color enhancement and digitizing. During the filming of the video clip Björk sang live, this recording was later added to CD2 of the Hyper-Ballad single.

Song List

UK CD1

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 4:00
2. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:32
3. "Hyperballad" (The Stomp Mix) - 5:09
4. "Hyperballad" (The Hyperballad Fluke Mix) - 6:38
5. "Hyperballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:56
6. "Hyperballad" (Tee's Freeze Mix) - 7:19

UK CD2

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
2. «Isobel» (The Carcass Remix) - 5:41
3. «Cover Me» (Plaid Mix) - 5:24
4. "Hyperballad" (Towa Tei Remix) - 8:12

UK CD

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 4:00
2. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:31
3. "Hyperballad" (Disco Sync Mix) - 4:23
4. "Hyperballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:53

UK CD Promo

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 3:58

UK Vinyl 12"

Side A

1. Isobel's Lonely Heart (Goldie Remix)

B-side

1. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix)

UK Vinyl 12"
(193TP12TT; Released: 1997)

Side A

1. "Hyperballad" (Towa Tei Remix) - 8:12

B-side

1. "Enjoy" (The Beats Mix) - 7:01

UK Vinyl 12" Promotion

Side A

1. «Hyperballad» (David Morales Classic Mix) - 9:10

B-side

1. «Hyperballad» (Tee's Freeze Mix) - 7:18

EUR CD

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
2. «Cover Me» (Plaid Mix) - 5:24

AUS CD

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 4:01
2. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:31
3. "Hyperballad" (Disco Sync Mix) - 4:24
4. "Hyperballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:54

US CD

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:29
3. "Hyper-Ballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:53
4. "Hyper-Ballad" (Tee's Freeze Mix) - 7:19
5. "Hyper-Ballad" (David Morale's Classic Mix) - 9:10
6. "Hyper-Ballad" (Towa Tei's Choice Mix) - 8:13

USA CD Promo

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (David Morales Radio Edit) - 3:55
3. "Hyper-Ballad" (Tee's Radio Mix) - 3:57
4. «Hyper-Ballad» (David Morales Classic Mix) - 9:09
5. "Hyper-Ballad" (Disco Synch Mix) - 4:20

USA Vinyl 12"

Side A

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (David Morale's Classic Mix) - 9:09
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Tee's Freeze Mix) - 7:18

B-side

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (Disco Synch Mix) - 4:20
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:53

USA Vinyl 12" Promotion (1)

Side A

1. «Hyper-Ballad» (David Morales Classic Mix) - 9:09
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:29

B-side

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (Tee's Freeze Mix) - 7:18
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Towa Tei Mix) - 8:12

USA Vinyl 12" Promotion (2)
Side A

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (David Morales Boss Dub Mix) - 7:53
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:53

B-side

1. "Hyper-Ballad" (Disco Synch Mix) - 4:20
2. "Hyper-Ballad" (The Stomp Mix) - 5:08
3. «Hyper-Ballad» (Tom Apella Mix) - 6:57

USA Vinyl 10" Promotion

Side A

1. "Hyperballad" (Towa Tei Mix) - 8:13

B-side# "Hyberballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:29

USA Vinyl 10" Promotion

Side A

1. "Hyperballad" (Disco Sync Mix) - 4:20

B-side

1. "Hyperballad" (The Stomp Mix) - 5:10

USA Vinyl 10" Promotion

Side A

1. "Hyperballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:53

B-side

1. "Hyperballad" (Over The Edge Mix)

JPN CD

1. "Hyperballad" (Radio Edit) - 4:01
2. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen Mix) - 6:31
3. "Hyperballad" (Disco Sync Mix) - 4:24
4. "Hyperballad" (Subtle Abuse Mix) - 6:54

Lists

Lists (1996)	Better. position
United States U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	1
United States U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	11
United KingdomUK UK Singles Chart	8
FinlandFinland Finnish Singles Chart	18
Australia (ARIA Singles Chart)	31
Sweden Sweden Swedish Singles Chart	34

Versions

• The Peruvian group Ni Voz Ni Voto made the version in his album Acustico engraved in 2002 and edited in 2003.
• Greg Dulli and the band The Twilight Singers made another cover on the album She Loves You2004.
• John Nolan and Kevin Devine made another cover in 2005 on the album Record Release Party that year.
• The Indonesian group Mocca made another cover in 2007, from his album Colors.
• The Spanish group Celtas Cortos made a Spanish version of Hyperballad, under the name of Abismo, of the album 40 April of 2008.
• Swedish singer Robyn versioned the song in the presentation of the Polar Music Prize 2010 in front of the Icelandic singer.