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," Guy Raz, the weekend host of NPR's All Things Considered, says of that magical voice: "There is something celestial about it, as if it comes from another world, a fantastic and colorful and utopian world."

In an interview with Raz, Björk explains that much of the ethereal elements of her voice can be traced back to Iceland, where she is from, and the unique characteristics of its landscape and people.

For his part, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross tells NPR: "I cannot think of another voice like it in pop music, in classical music. It's instantly recognizable. I think you just hear one or two notes, and you know it's Björk."

Raz goes on to explain: "A voice, a distinctive voice, is like an instrument that can't be invented. Think the gravel of Tom Waits, or the heartbreaking fragility of Billie Holiday. Bjork's voice is also an instrument."

Hear more about this Great Voice and what Björk has to say about it all on the latest 50 Great Voices at npr.org. To pick up a copy of her debut Nonesuch album, 2009's Voltaic: Songs from the Volta Tour, on CD, vinyl, and in a deluxe package with DVD, head to the Nonesuch Store.