Florence + the Meh-chine

side-blog dedicated to Florence Welch

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WATCH THIS VIDEO!! Florence comforting a crying fan. Florence is a goddess. THIS is why we love her!!!

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Expectations

I haven't posted in a while, but some of the FATM comments I've seen lately have been annoying me. So here we go...

FLORENCE IS NOT GOING TO MAKE CEREMONIALS 2.0. She's not. It's done. That album is in 2011, where it belongs. Stop expecting new songs to be big and bombastic and grand and saturated with metaphors. Not gonna happen. In the Rolling Stone Italian interview she has even said that you can't get any bigger and pompous than Ceremonials, so why would she try?

With HBHBHB y'all were whining about things then when she said she was stripping things back. This is the second album since Ceremonials and AGAIN she's saying the same thing. Like, take a hint. Y'all dragged Marcus Dravs, now y'all dragging Emile Haynie. Honestly, I think this is just her new sound. Its still melodramatic, loud, and quintessentially drama-pop, but its not as overblown.

If you hate the new stuff, thats fair. You don't owe Florence anything, but please stop with the "I was waiting for it to get bigger" or "I want more bombast" or "Ceremonials was better" because y'all did it with HBHBHB and we onto a new album and its happening again. Like, maybe you need to adjust your expectations. Ceremonials is 7 years old. Lungs is 9 years old. Its ok to move on and evolve. And if you dont like the new direction that she's been on for literally 50% of her studio albums, then maybe Florence isn't for you anymore. It happens. Its ok. We all grow and sometimes the things we loved don't make the journey.

Anyways, I'm excited. I think "Big God" is her most daring and experimental song to date. Quiet opening-big chorus-quiet bridge-HUGE outro is overplayed. Gimme more of that weird gurgling/croaking shit with some free jazz saxophone solos now. Saw FATM last month and can't wait to see them again in 3 months. Flo has never looked more free and open; no longer bound to expectations. Some of you should give that a try.

Cheers everyone!

(P.S. Ceremonials is great. I love it. But listening to it from start to finish is exhausting. I feel drained. Its so heavy. Not all of us think its the gold standard)

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Florence Welch posing with a fan after a Björk concert in Los Angeles, May 30, 2017. (via @SilRigote on twitter)

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Florence Welch and Solange Knowles

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Florence Welch on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

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Honestly...

The Gucci soundtrack was/is better than the other songs Florence has recently put out. It was the dark romanticism sound that I love most about Florence and that I wish she’d go back to (like “Blinding” for example ).

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Floence Welch and Kelsey Lu dancing (via hol1803)

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Is nobody going to talk about Florence’s body? Like, I know its all about the music, yada yada yada...but damn. Girl is looking hella fit lately. Probably from all that running she does on stage. Her body in the new instagram post (X) looks insane! Also, in that dark blue dress from the New York shows. Wow. Idk, I just feel her physique is underappreciated haha. Anyways, you go, Flo!

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Working with Florence was incredible...I met her in LA while I was playing with my daughter in the pool. She came up very dramatically, dove in in this beautiful antique bathing suit and my daughter said, ‘It’s Ariel from The Little Mermaid!’ They proceeded to play together and I was like, there’s something about that girl. She is really the most Shakespearean pop star around—in a positive sense.”

Rufus Wainwright confirming Florence is indeed a Shakespearean Ariel (X)

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Florence Welch and Solange at the 2016 Met Gala (X)

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Why are people obsessed with “Which Witch”? It’s not even a real song. It’s a bonus track demo. Like, did some people really expect there to be a “Which Witch” chapter in The Odyssey? If you just bought the album as it was intended it’s not even on it. The album ends at “Mother.” And no, it doesn’t deserve a video. It warrants a video as much as “Strangeness and Charm” or “Remain Nameless” do. It’s a good (not great, IMO) song, but I’m just tired of hearing about it. Can we please leave “Which Witch” in the HBHBHB era and not take it with us to the next era, whenever that is? Thank you.

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I don’t get why Flo cancelled the heavily hyped premiere  over Prince’s death but still  went ahead with the Q&A session

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Probably because the point was to not take away any observance and attention away from Prince over a video premiere that can easily be rescheduled and played anytime. People should use this day(s) to celebrate his life and legacy through music and not focus on her. As far as the Q&A, it was probably the only time available for both Florence and Vincent and since it’s not like they can just choose anytime to sit and answer “live” questions (considering the production costs/set-up and their schedules) they probably had to just do it today.

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I always knew I wanted to work with Florence (Welch)... The minute I looked at her, I was like, ‘Wow, she’s a Shakespearean character in high heels.’ So she was a definite... I wanted people with a lot of attitude and a lot of edge with a theatrical bent.

Rufus Wainwright on working with Florence for “When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men’s Eyes (Sonnet 29)” (X)

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Florence Welch performing in Barcelona, Spain tonight!

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By far the best dress. OMG! Stunning.

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Florence Welch in Gucci for the “How Beautiful” Tour in South America (via Buro 24/7 MiddleEast)

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Soooo...

Oscar winner Sir. Ben Kingsley is a huge fan of Florence + the Machine

If he was stuck in the jungle, Kingsley would want his family (wife, kids and grandchildren) there and...

Florence + The Machine!

"To listen to Florence [Welch]," Kinglsey said. "She doesn't have to be there."

Sir Ben explained, "I've met her a few times at a live concert and my ambition is to be in one of her music videos." (X)

OK, how cool would that be?!?!? Somebody needs to make it happen. I say they re-shoot The Odyssey with Ben Kingsley cameos. Let the man live out his dream!!

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Gucci Muse

Florence Welch with Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, 2011 (top)

Florence Welch with Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele, 2016  (bottom)