More about: Florence and the Machine

Florence + The Machine are seething and brilliant on their surprise new single 'King', which sees Florence Welch rail against gender norms with extraordinary power.

After having teased the release on socials (and leading us to hope there'll be more to come), 'King' lives up to—and exceeds—our expectations. "I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king," Welch sings atop relentless percussion and howling guitars.

Florence had some things to say about 'King':

“As an artist, I never actually thought about my gender that much. I just got on with it. I was as good as the men and I just went out there and matched them every time. But now, thinking about being a woman in my 30s and the future… I suddenly feel this tearing of my identity and my desires. That to be a performer, but also to want a family might not be as simple for me as it is for my male counterparts. I had modelled myself almost exclusively on male performers, and for the first time I felt a wall come down between me and my idols as I have to make decisions they did not.”

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More about: Florence and the Machine