Surprise: Björk's new album Vulnicura, the follow-up to 2011's Biophilia, is being released on iTunes worldwide over the course of the next 24 hours via One Little Indian. When it was announced last week, she said the release was initially planned for March. The CD and vinyl versions will come out then. Update: It's available on iTunes in the U.S. now.

Arca and The Haxan Cloak contributed to the album, as did Antony.

Björk has also announced a series of shows in New York City.

Stay tuned for our new interview with Björk coming later this week.

Update: Björk has posted "the tale of making of this album". It begins:

i guess i found in my lap one year into writing it a complete heartbreak album . kinda surprised how thoroughly i had documented this in pretty much accurate emotional chronology .... like 3 songs before a break up and three after . so the anthropologist in me sneaked in and i decided to share them as such . first i was worried it would be too self indulgent but then i felt it might make it even more universal . and hopefully the songs could be a help , a crutch to others and prove how biological this process is : the wound and the healing of the wound . psychologically and physically . it has a stubborn clock attached to it . there is a way out

Vulnicura:

01 Stonemilker

02 Lionsong

03 History of Touches

04 Black Lake

05 Family

06 Notget

07 Atom Dance [ft. Antony]

08 Mouth Mantra

09 Quicksand