On Take Care of Yourself, in a sweet and sensitive voice, Jenny Hval chucks out lyrics about ‘your soft dick’ and ‘I grab my cunt,’ stating that ‘we don’t have to fuck.’ It’s confused and shocked some, but her power does not lie in words that have the ability to raise eyebrows, but the slow burning flutter of her glacial and hypnotic meanders, the impenetrable but open articulation, and simmering ambiance with which she crafts her work. You won’t be surprised to learn that her academic career had a heavy focus on gender, sexuality and feminism, and her CV features art and work on the subject. This is a persistent and provocative tune in that it’s pushing buttons that make people feel uncomfortable. It’s not the swear words above but the question ‘Am I loving myself now? Am I mothering myself? Am I taking care of myself now?’ that is really the most uneasy and troubling. She’s a brave woman for asking.
And So She Thinks 