THE LATEST UPDATES
Take a look below for all the latest news, features, interviews, photos and more
Everybody Scream - music video analysis
Everybody Scream - what a video! In our almost ritualistic fashion, here’s our interpretation of the video for your perusal, as we try to unpick some of the creative processes and analyse deeper beyond what are simply stunning visuals and colours. Feel free to comment your own thoughts too!
The video begins with Florence wandering a barren land alone. It’s vast, scary, daunting and very raw. This symbolises her day-to-day life outside of her career. There’s a well-trodden path. Perhaps this symbolises the ‘path of life’; one walked many times, although somehow it still feels aimless. In her bold red dress, Florence stands out against the green landscape. In the tension between the pull of being a performer and the pull of wanting to live a quiet life out of the public eye, Florence feels alone, strange, and a lack of belonging in the world.
The shot cuts to Florence standing in a room, opulent and structured. She’s waving her arms; conducting. She’s at home here. It appears she is practising - preparing for a show. In contrast, the red dress is something that adds to the performance in this context, rather than something that makes her stand out. It highlights the duality of her image in day-to-day life, and as a performer on stage.
Florence is back to navigating the vast landscape alone. A man rides a horse in the distance along the same track Florence is following. Perhaps this is a symbolism for a multitude of things: a patriarchy, carving out a life for a woman who feels she does not conform yet is obliged to follow; a representation of always feeling behind when others charge ahead (she is on foot, after all). The man sits straddling the horse in the wrong direction, adding to the feeling of unease and wrongness of the dynamic. Perhaps the person carving out Florence’s life is doing so under the illusion that they know what is best for her future, but in fact hypocritically, they cannot even face it themselves.
Suddenly, Florence unleashes her support: a coven of witches - her songs, artistry, performance - that continues to guide her and give her newfound power beyond what she is able to reach in the day-to-day. They cast spells of illusion and influence. Her expression turns from one of unease to confidence, and her stride becomes such too: she is taking back power, using her artistry. It’s unhinged, feral, untamed, but that’s exactly what lends her the upper hand. The authority strikes a match and immediately extinguishes it. Again, this can be interpreted in many ways. Fire and ignition can signify the start of a spell. The fact it is blown out immediately could highlight the ways people in her life attempt to blow out the flame in her artistry, thus removing her power. It could also signify loss of something she almost had - a relationship, a project, or anything else she desires but feels out of reach.
The next shot shows burning candles. Florence has taken control in a room (the stage) where she feels most powerful. Here, she has the authority. The candles are lit and the fire-fuelled spell she is casting over her audience is very much in full flow. They are possessed by her energy as she and her songs command the audience to move, scream, shake. Note their positions - Florence and her coven are all mounted on some sort of stage, and everyone else is subordinate to this. Her power is visceral - running her hands from legs to her head to embody the way her energy flows in performance towards her mouth (singing) and out into the venue.
The man who was riding the horse is also here, and he does not look impressed. He is yet to be taken by the spell; the patriarch resisting the pull of her influence, always present and attempting to bring Florence back down to earth in a place where performance allows her to fly. She physically commands him, pushing him down and mounting him, exerting her femininity to remove his power. In her mouth, she holds purple pansies; associated with reflection, thought, and admiration. She showers these on him from her mouth. Metaphorically speaking, she is singing songs that spill from her mouth to command admiration from those who might otherwise not do so.
The scene cuts outdoors again into the vast landscape - a symbolism of the real world away from her career. A new stage is set here. The tone shifts - Florence is no longer in power. She is isolated. She attempts to use what she has learnt on stage but it does not work. Instead, her creativity and art act as a restraint, suffocating her. What had previously been at her side in aid - her art - in fact has damaged (see Florence cutting her foot on stage, breaking her foot twice during performances, sacrificing relationships, and previously self-destructing through partying and substances).
Florence has often talked of her art as a double-edged sword. On one hand it is a space for her to become someone she otherwise could not; to transcend her being. She is larger than life on stage, mythical, and becomes someone sometimes she cannot even recognise within her ferocious performances. But on the stage of life, this very creativity holds her back, reiterating the tension that she explored on ‘Dance Fever’ of being torn between living in aspiration of what women are told they should want (see ‘King’, ‘Dream Girl Evil’), and living as a performer where life often is on pause. This video underscores that dichotomy: her art offers her power, command and freedom on one hand, but suffocates on the other.
And those are our thoughts! What do you think? Let us know on our social channels or in the comments.
FAN ANALYSES
“Autumn loves to put Florence in red (see the Free music video). I see parallels to the classic Kate Bush music video for Wuthering Heights. Also, the fan event “The most Wuthering Heights day ever” has been around for a while, where Kate Bush fans gather in parks while wearing dreamy red dresses and dance to the song.” — Julia Dickinson
“My first impression was the striking contrast between the lush green landscape and the deep crimson of the dress and heels. The red immediately evokes layered symbolism: echoes of The Scarlet Letter, where red signifies both shame and defiance, and The Handmaid’s Tale, where it represents fertility, control, and the blood of conception. In religious art, a red dress often stands for sacrifice, martyrdom, and the blood of Christ. Together, the imagery suggests a powerful tension; between oppression and resilience, between being marked and choosing to wear the mark as a form of strength. Put together, the imagery to me suggests a she’s standing apart from her environment, cloaked in sacrifice, power, and the burden of expectation. The crimson makes her impossible to ignore, she’s either being marked (by society/religion) or she’s claiming that mark as her own.” — Kate OBrien
“Red in witchcraft often symbolizes passion, strength, lust, action, and new beginnings as well.” — Markie Spears Hebert
“There’s also a moment where she pulls a man to the stage, throws him down, and shoves her heel down his throat. It’s a powerful symbol of establishing her dominance over what patriarchy wants and says she should be” — Alanna Seymore
“The horse at the start of the music video seems to mirror Macbeth's arrival at the start of the play and the relation between man on the horse in the music video and Florence seems to mirror Macbeth and lady Macbeth. The witches are also interesting in Florence's music video they seem to be causing mania (much like the plot of Macbeth) and similarly nearer the end of the music video cause mania around Florence. (Lady Macbeth goes crazy at the end of the play).” — @izzywiz.jpg
“I think its worth looking to primary sources of historic witchcraft, of Old England, and Early Modern English architecture and fashion, which dominates this video. The shooting location is a famous English house of Royalists that was besieged by Cromwellian Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War - while i doubt that was a conscious choice, it is worthwhile to note that the Royalists are associated more with kingship, divine right, romanticism and "the old ways" of feudalism. The Cromwellians were Puritans, Protestants, democratic and viscously modern, and loved killing witches. This is the house - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wythenshawe_Hall Meanwhile, the outdoors are on the Pennines, well known for their treasury of folklore, of boggarts and witches and ghosts. The two locations are also both Northern English locations, swinging away from London, New York and LA that we saw in the preceding albums - a move to the high moors of the North.” — @_ciotog
Florence + the Machine release new single ‘Everybody Scream’
Florence + the Machine have kicked off the new era with the release of their new single ‘Everybody Scream’.
The video, directed in Castle Starr and Wythenshawe Hall in England by Autumn De Wilde, was filmed between May and June 2025, showcasing the witchy vibes we are expecting from the new album.
Speaking about the song to Zane Lowe on Apple Music Radio after its release, Florence Welch stated she really wanted to make an album with a song of the same name, which also rhymed with ‘Florence + the Machine’. She described the song as reflecting the pull that her fans and live performance have on her life, and the stage being a place of catharsis and performance in ways her day-to-day life cannot fulfil.
Florence also stated how she had the name before the song - and it was only once showing it to Mitski that the track really took on form.
‘Everybody Scream’ was produced by Florence Welch, Mark Bowen of Idles, Aaron Dessner and James Ford, and written by Florence Welch, Mitski, and Mark Bowen.
‘Everybody Scream’: the new album and single from Florence + the Machine
Today (19th August 2025), Florence + the Machine announced the release date, name, and first single for their 6th studio album. Titled ‘Everybody Scream’, the LP is set to have 12 songs with 4 bonus tracks featuring chamber versions of four of the songs, only available on exclusive CD or vinyl copies via the Florence + the Machine store.
The first single, of the same name, will be released on Wednesday 20th August 2025. The music video is directed by Autumn De Wilde (who also directed all of the ‘Dance Fever’ music videos as well as the album cover shoot).
Speaking of the album, Florence stated how the life-saving surgery she underwent during the "Dance Fever Tour," led to a period of reflection on the meaning of ‘healing’, relationships, femininity, and the limits of the human body. The first single, ‘Everybody Scream’, mirrors this theme by establishing what her bodily limits are, and how performance allows transcendence beyond that.
Everybody Scream - the album cover. Shot by Autumn De Wilde
Take a look at the provocative album shoot on our gallery page.
You can also pre-order the album at www.store.florenceandthemachine.net, including some limited edition versions by HHV, HMV, and more (see below for variants).
Florence + the Machine’s 6th studio album is upon us…
After weeks of teasing content via Florence Welch’s Instagram (including hints to medieval and witchy themes, as well as potentially new lyrics - see below), Florence + the Machine have begun the process of showcasing new visuals for the band’s 6th studio album.
We do not yet know the title of the first single or the album, but the first single has been teased with a powerful music video snippet of Florence digging and screaming into the ground.
Earlier this month, Florence shared a series of photos including an allusion that the new album may be coming in October 2025, and lyrics:
I came to a clearing full of wailing and keening
A well of tears that never runs dry
The women said we’ve been waiting
Waiting to meet you
It’s only a matter of time
Thrust my fists in the ground
And the earth made a moaning sound
I could feel something shudder
Deeper
Deeper down
Florence + the Machine join the Maccabees at Glastonbury 2025
Fans seeing the Maccabees headline slot at the Park Stage at Glastonbury 2025 received a little extra surprise. Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine joined the band on-stage for a duet of ‘Love You Better, followed by Florence’s ‘Dog Days Are Over’.
This is not the first time the two bands have collaborated. Their earliest performances together included songs like ‘Midnight’ from the Cosmo project, and duetting ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ at the Hollywood Bowl in 2012.
You can watch the full performance from the Maccabee’s set at Glastonbury 2025 on BBC iPlayer now.
Florence + the Machine release 10-year anniversary 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' vinyl
‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’, Florence + the Machine’s 3rd studio album, turns a decade old today - yes - 10 years old!
It marked Florence + the Machine’s first US Billboard number 1, rocketed to the top spot in 8 other countries, and has been certified platinum in the UK.
In celebration of its release 10 years ago today, Florence + the Machine have released a limited edition, blue marble version of the LP. You can purchase it using this link.
We’re also running our own little project to celebrate the occasion by compiling videos of fans around the world dancing to the iconic brass outro to ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’. You can find out how to participate at this link.
Florence Welch features on the new 'Everything Is Recorded' album ‘Richard Russell Is Temporary’
Whilst we aren’t alone in hoping for new music by Florence + the Machine in 2025, Florence Welch is keeping us at least partially satisfied until that moment. Her vocals feature on the new ‘Everything Is Recorded’ project, in the album titled ‘‘Richard Russell Is Temporary”.
Florence last featured on the ‘Everything Is Recorded’ project last year, with their album ‘Winter Solstice’. This year, the collaborative project features Florence’s vocals alongside Sampha’s on ‘Never Felt Better’ (the lead single from the album), and with Berwyn and Alabaster DePlume on ‘Firelight’.
You can watch the music video for ‘Never Felt Better’ here:
Florence Welch covers 'New York Times' Magazine
The New York times has featured Florence Welch in their latest (17th October 2024) issue, highlighting ‘The Greats’: influential people in music, fashion and art who have influenced their respective industries.
Interviewed by prolific writer Lauren Groff in Florence’s South London home, the article explores Florence’s past struggles with alcohol, her ‘internal monster’ which is both destructive and creative, and the boundaries and tensions between normal life and performance. This is, possibly, one of Florence’s most intimate and candid interviews to date. As Groff concludes: Oh, you gods who power her, oh, you humans who make her life hum, just let the woman sing.
Gallery below:
Photography by Luis Alberto Rodriguez.
Hair by Anthony Turner at Jolly Collective. Makeup by Thom Walker at Art + Commerce. Set design by Afra Zamara at Second Name. Production: Farago Projects. Lighting technician: Jack Symes. Digital tech: Sam Hearn. Photo assistants: Daiki Tajima, Federico Covarelli. Manicurist: Emily Rose Lansley at The Wall Group. Hairstylist’s assistant: John Allan. Makeup assistant: Samanta Falcone. Set designer’s assistant: Ollie Kariel. Tailor: Pip Long at Karen Avenell. Styling assistants: Andreea Georgiana Rădoi, Sam Wright
'Symphony of Lungs' to be released digitally and on vinyl
Florence + the Machine have announced the upcoming release of a stunning vinyl, a physical album, and digital tracks from their remarkable performance, titled ‘Symphony of Lungs,’ at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms in September 2024. This performance features exquisite orchestration by the talented Jules Buckley, enhancing the already captivating sound of their debut album ‘Lungs’.
Notably, one of the vinyl editions will come in an exclusive red colour, which will be available for purchase through the official Florence + the Machine Store. Make sure to mark your calendars and secure your copy for this unique musical experience. Digital release will be on 25th October 2024, with physical editions on 14th March 2025.
You can preorder here.
![Florence + the Machine stun at the BBC Proms with orchestral 'Symphony of Lungs' [Review and Gallery]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cae446dda0f6000019a5769/1726151493368-4X57WGF6O6C9FVTDL4FD/Florence1%402000x1270.jpg)
Florence + the Machine stun at the BBC Proms with orchestral 'Symphony of Lungs' [Review and Gallery]
When The BBC announced that Florence + the Machine would be returning to the stage for their one and only live performance in 2024 at the BBC Proms (69), we knew it would be something unmissable. Last night’s spectacle proved us right, and a whole lot more!
Photo: Andy Paradise / BBC
Set at the Royal Albert Hall (a venue Florence + the Machine have played twice before for the Teenage Cancer Trust, last in 2012), the band took the audience - both in-person and on BBC Radio 3’s live stream - on a whirlwind of nostalgia.
Florence herself noted the throwbacks the band had lined up for the gobsmacked audience:
“So many of these songs were written when I was a teenager or in my very early 20s… we threw so many good songs off the album and they became bonus tracks!”
She also stated the incredible range of the album, and we witnessed this first hand through the gentle plucking of an acoustic abridged version of ‘Hurricane Drunk’, to the swelling violin and organ of ‘Blinding’, and power of ‘Howl’.
Photo: Andy Paradise / BBC
At many occasions, the audience just couldn’t stay seated any longer - ‘Rabbit Heart’ saw most of the hall leap to their feet, ready to receive Florence’s offering as she raised it (and the roof) up. ‘Dog Days’ and ‘You’ve Got the Love’ received equally energetic receptions. Even as songs came to their close, there were several standing ovations as tears were brought to the eyes of many of the onlookers; the gentle ebbs and powerful flows of Jules Buckley’s orchestral arrangements heightening an already hard-hitting album.
Not only did Buckley’s orchestra so poignantly and carefully reimagine the entirety of ‘Lungs’ with medieval undertones, they also stepped up to the challenge of some special treats, including ‘Bird Song’, ‘Hardest of Hearts’, ‘Swimming’ and ‘Falling’ - many of which Florence had not played since 2010. A treat to behold.
You can listen to the full performance now on BBC Sounds.
The video version will be available to watch at the conclusion of the Proms on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two, available for 1 year.
-
'Drumming Song’
‘My Boy Builds Coffins’
‘You Got the Love’
‘Bird Song Intro’
‘Bird Song’
‘Swimming’
‘I’m Not Calling You a Liar’
‘Kiss With a Fist’
‘Howl’
‘Girl With One Eye’
‘Hardest of Hearts’
‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’
‘Blinding’
‘Hurricane Drunk’
‘Cosmic Love’
‘Between Two Lungs’
‘Dog Days Are Over’
‘Falling’
