Florence + The Machine is THE moment. I mean, she always has been, but the British singer-songwriter has yet again brought an ethereal song into our lives that we will be obsessed with for the foreseeable future. It’s been four years since she released her fourth studio album ‘High As Hope’, and her new single ‘King’ welcomes back the rich and lush sound that has defined her material to date.
Questioning the gender-roles that are have been so present and forced into her life, she re-defines what it means to be a woman, and what that means to her. Opening with a conversation she had with her partner about the expectations in her life, along with her demanding work schedule, she sets the tone for some honest revelations to follow. “We argue in the kitchen about whether to have children. About the world ending and the scale of my ambition. And how much is art really worth. The very thing you’re best at is the thing that hurts the most” she sings before proclaiming. “I am no mother. I am no bride. I am king”.
The powerful song has this ethereal feeling to it which is empowering, strong, and comforting. Playing with a contrast of lightness and heaviness throughout the production, she commands your attention for the full 4:40 minute duration. She IS a king.