Gladly. Feels like a blessing to know what we know. A frekin' gift from the otherside. I'll carry the cross whilst smiling, dancing, and belting out from my soul.
King 3:08 Free 9:58 Choreomania 18:56 Back In Town 25:10 Girls Against God 32:18 Dream Girl Evil 41:34 Prayer Factory 48:44 Cassandra 52:30 Heaven is Here 1:00:01 Daffodil 1:05:17 My Love 1:11:07 Restraint 1:16:55 The Bomb 1:19:19 Morning Elvis 1:25:23
You guys need to react/analyze to the rest of her discography. This album was described by Flo herself as "a culmination of the previous albums" and there are songs on here like Morning Elvis, The Bomb, King, and others that reference older songs. I would recommend to listen to her discography in order, just like how Florence writes in Daffodil, "I tried to be mythical, and tried to be real," this lyric references her sound from her debut album Lungs and her sophomore album Ceremonials (my favorite), into her "real" albums How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and High As Hope. Thanks for taking the time to react to Florence
Free= a song she wrote about how she deals with her anxiety issues ( all her life), through music ("I hear the music, I feel the beat/And for a moment, when I'm dancing/ I am free). "A fairy tale in 14 songs" is how she announced in her instagram this album, then we found lyrics about mundane things turned into... characters and poems/fables: kings and evils, anxieties, relationships, being a woman, the pandemic, loneliness, her creative process (Cassandra?), ageing.... and not having a fucking idea if there will be a happy ending but at least you feel free while dancing and spring will arrive. That´s Florence and the Machine in a nut. Their lives? Impressive. Always. Also her videos, little pieces of art (yes, quite easy to understand at the same time).
Also, they have been a big deal in UK and other for quite a long time. She reached fame/success at a very young age. She was trying since 2006 in different bands... it didn´t fit. When Florence and The Machine was created their first album was nº1 in UK and nº2 in Ireland quite quicky. It was 2009 (she is 36 now, she was very young back then). And here we are, 5 albums, tons of colabs, and a bunch of years later.
Also, going to forget, you guys MUST watch their music videos. They are an integral part of Florence and the band's artistic vision. Like deeply integral. Gorgeous cinematography and choreography and art work.
The idea for Dance Fever came from a phenomenon that occurred in Europe in the Middle Ages and consisted of groups of people dancing in an uncontrollable and bizarre way until they reached extreme fatigue (hence the inspiration for Choreomania). All of Florence's songs are autobiographical but very relatable. Girls against God and My Love, for example, talk about Florence's frustration during the lockdown due to the COVID pandemic. "I wrote it I think in one of the first lockdowns, one of the really long ones. The poem I wrote was like 'tell me where to put my love', tell me where to put this feeling that I've had my whole life and if the stage and performance doesn't come back I don't know what I will do with this feeling, this sadness, the alchemy of dance music is turned into something so euphoric, and the release was exactly what I needed". In King, Florence dedicated a good part of her life to music and failed to fulfill her desire to marry and be a mother, while, according to her, she sees her years of youth and fertility passing by. She even said that those feelings are opposite and don't go well together, because she can't see how kids could fit in her lifestyle. Other songs, such as Free and Morning Elvis, talk about Florence's anxiety attacks and her addiction to alcohol.
Absolutely love this reaction! I can only repeat: Please listen to Ceremonials and How Big How Blue How Beautiful. You're in for a journey :D and the album becomes even better when you know all of the other albums because it is very meta. Many sounds and lyrics are clever callbacks to other songs and play with the entire concept that is Florence + The Machine.
So, the albums name, "Dance Fever," does not relate to the danceability of the music. Florence is referencing a "dancing" plague that occurred in the 1500s, which is speculated to have been some sort of Chorea related illness. This is where the song title "Choreamania" is referencing, and the lyric "...dance myself to death..."
This was great, guys! I actually listened to this whole album already once today while doing errands but this felt like I was experiencing it in a whole different way - sharing something you love with a friend, if you will. At the heart, that's what a reaction channel should be and you have both achieved that. Your reactions were obviously genuine and you both complimented each other very well with your different perspectives. I'm glad y'all like one of my favourite artists of all time! Question: Sad that there are only three more videos with her! As the other comments have been saying: The Odyssey (58mins long). Not only is it most of the songs off of 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' (my favourite album of hers - her 3rd album) but it's directed by Vincent Haycock, who is an amazing filmmaker. All shot on 16mm film and certain themes reappear throughout that I'd love to hear your interpretation of. It's an absolutely incredible multisensory piece of art. Has anyone paid you to react to it yet? If not, I can send you the money next month after I get paid from a film gig I'm doing (too close to rent atm to do it now).
Please watch the video for "heaven is here". Its powerfulll. She uses it to start her shows off and i cant put into words how powerful it is live. Also the shorter songs, this is her first time doing that on an album. Like little poems and spells between the songs.
This band is awesome. Just adding that the covid was a massive subject on the album starting on Girls Against God, the shorter songs introduce thematically and musically the next set, Dave Bayley from Glass Animals is athe producer of many titles here, and some lyrics are wrong like in Morning Elvis: If I make it to the stage I'l show you what it means to be sad/sad/spared.
Also you guys keep bringing it up, since her third album how big how blue how beautiful, and the ones after, she writes from her life all the time. Its all very audiobiographical. She really shares her self as an artist. Shes a real one.
Ive read a lot of comments about this, but i agree with them: you would love their album How big, how blue, how beautiful. If you want, although i recommend lostening to the album first, dont leave behind "The Odyssey". Their work is closely related to the visual aspect, and "The Odyssey" is a great example of that!!
This album made it to no. 1 in the UK beating Kendrick Lamar's album. If you guys have time on your own, check out her live performances, specially the Glastonbury 2015 performance where the band had to step up and headline the festival after Dave Grohl broke his leg. Dave actually shed a tear when Florence performed Foo Fighters' Times Like These. Oh and if you want real tear jerker Florence moment, search for Florence and Karinya Chen, Karinya was a 15 year old fan of Florence who wasn't able to make it to her concert because she was stricken with cancer. The hospital staff actually was able to contact Florence and she went and performed for the girl and sang with her too. There are videos online and they are all wonderful. Sadly Karinya has passed on.
I´m still crying inside because I was unable to get a ticket for the London show (the one I could go) not so long go. It´s the second time that happens to me (on different tours). Tickets fly in the UK. I couldn´t either last time she came to Spain. I hope they come soon to Madrid and tickets are... available. For once. Argh.
Florence and the Machine have done spectacular covers of Take Care - Rihanna and Drake, Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos, Tiny Dancer - Elton Johnson just to name a few off the top of my head 😁
If you want a solid EDM track featuring her voice, look up ‘Sweet Nothing’ with Calvin Harris, it came out years ago but it is still as spectacular today.
about morning Elvis from what I understand she was always very sensitive (like all great artists) and had personal traumas she suffers from anxiety and from what I understand this song is about having all these problems in her everyday life but they disappear when she's on stage when she's up there she's sane she functions incredibly well and this has some link with the first song King making music writing and performing are like breathing for her. she's special and that's why we love her.
Hey, this reaction made it to RU-vid! I suggested another Florence album for the month of January's submission. We'll see what's up with that after y'all choose your picks and people vote...
Yeah, apologies guys, I am likely to leave many comments. If I don't comment as I think it, my adhd will absolutely erase whatever I was thinking when I want to comment later 🙈 Yes. In all her music, religious imagery is strong. She grew up going to Catholic schools, but Florence herself doesn't consider herself particularly religious. More generally spiritual. She has said before that her place of worship is on the stage. She often slightly subverts religious themes or characters to humanise them or to give context to the meaning she is trying to capture.
Please please please - do yourself a favour and watch the official video to Free. Such fun and so emotionally powerful. All of the videos to the singles off Dance Fever so far, were filmed in Kyiv not long before Putins invasion and feature Ukrainian dancers and actors. All great videos as well 👍
I’d love to fund a request for another Florence album, how would I do that? I only see subscription packages on your Paterson, is there a place I can purchase a request?
Girls against God is about the pandemic and the shut down of live music and her anger of why this is happening in her carrer.....if they ever let me out I'm gunna really let it out....oh God you're gunna get it.. To your religious theme comment.... Florence has mentioned many times that live music is like her church. It's been a religious experience for her.
Florence is actually a huge fan of Jefferson Airplane's singer, Grace Slick. Also Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, Kate Bush ( Who influenced Annie Lennox's solo music especially ), Mick Jagger. Nick Cave, Annie Lennox ( The Eurythmics who you also mentioned. ) ALSO " Heaven is Here " is a PERFORMANCE piece. It has a dance with it. There is an official video of it. ALSO " Choreomania " was something that happened SEVERAL times in history where people begun dancing in the streets, dancing themselves literally to death and they never found out what caused it. and for some reason I didn't like the " Search and Destroy " cover at first but I liked it a LOT a lot-lot better this second time hearing it. Also since one of you mentioned wanting to hear Florence cover other songs? She has covered quite a few people and does them really well. I highly recommend Florence's covers of Fleetwood Mac's " Silver Springs " and The Beatles " OH Darling " ( It's really good)
