Feminism, vulnerability, and a toxic relationship with the stage. Florence + The Machine‘s Everybody Scream - a modern masterpiece.
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- Category: news
- Updated: 06th November 2025
- Written by Bryony Mezzatesta
‘One of the Greats’ surely must sit Florence Welch and her band in the running for induction into Ohio’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? The second single from her sixth studio album Everybody Scream darkly, yet playfully, demonstrates the treacherous ebb and flow of life in the limelight. Exposing her vulnerable side once again, in direct contrast with an evident break away from the constraints of femininity in a man’s world. “And my dresses and my flowering sadness, so like a woman to profit from her madness I was only beautiful under the lights, only powerful there” touching on personal destruction and disparaging self-criticism, followed by “But I've really done it this time, this one is all mine I'll be up there with the man and the ten other women… And the hundred greatest records of all time” as she finds strength in being, conquering inner demons before our eyes.
To call Welch graceful is somewhat of a contradiction to her gut-wrenching, emotive outbursts, violent despair, and raw, cathartic performance style. Underneath all of this, however, she remains graceful. Autumn De Wilde’s spectacular direction of the visuals for the band’s most recent single, ‘Sympathy Magic’, with its rugged depiction of the bleak rural North, sees Florence, flanked by her loyal witch choir, giving a strong performance without limitation. A description that feels fitting for the album as a whole. This is Florence in her maturity, venturing further from the commercial pop sound that kept trying to push its way in during those earlier records. It feels as authentic as she gets.
She battles with personal turmoil in ‘The Old Religion’, struggling to resist primal urges, as she uses metaphorical references to the power the natural world has over humans, portraying us as mere pawns in its malevolent game. An easy contender for the tour set list.
Patti Smith’s poetic spoken word a clear influence on tracks such as ‘Buckle’ and The Velvet Underground’s abrasive riffs channeled by Idles’ guitarist Mark Bowen, who worked with Florence on a number of the record’s more noteworthy songs.
The greats have a way of getting intimate. Usually, the folklore imagery and mythology take centre stage when it comes to Welch, but it feels as though the complex personal narrative shines through stronger. Tales of loss, anguish, and indecisiveness are punchy and bold. Speaking true after her recovery from lifesaving surgery a few years back, questioning her position as a female musician in the traditionally male-dominated alternative rock sphere, holding space for those equally lost, equally bruised, and battered. A relatable storytelling that comes with a hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride. Coupled with some of the most powerful vocals this century has seen, Florence has, without a doubt, pulled off a five-star record here. One that won't be forgotten in a hurry.