Florence + the Machine, the band best known for songs like “Dog Days Are Over” and their collaboration with Taylor Swift on “Florida!!!,” announced in August that they’d be releasing a new album titled Everybody Scream.
The album is said to include themes of mysticism, mythology, death, healing, and womanhood. With a release date set for Oct. 31, this album might just become an essential part of every Halloween playlist.
Since the album’s announcement, Florence + the Machine has released two new singles and accompanying music videos that solidify the album’s spooky aesthetic. The title track, “Everybody Scream,” explores how lead singer, Florence Welch, has healed and grown, stepping into her independence following a life-altering surgery in 2023.
Welch opened up recently about the life-saving surgery after she suffered severe internal bleeding during a performance. The singer had an ectopic pregnancy resulting in a ruptured fallopian tube, which ultimately needed to be removed to save her life. Following this devastating event, she was torn between her health and her career, although she eventually returned to the stage in 10 days.
Welch stated, “The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death. And I felt like I’d stepped through this door, and it was just full of women, screaming.”
The event greatly altered Welch’s perspective on womanhood and healthcare, and she moved through many of her emotions following her miscarriage by making this album. It’s no surprise that a large theme of “Everybody Scream,” and the album as a whole, is pushing through the discomfort of vulnerability to work through pain and step out stronger on the other side.
Despite the heavy emotional themes in “Everybody Scream,” the song is uplifting, as it describes Welch’s return to the stage and to her own power. While the lyrics “everybody scream” perfectly encapsulate the Halloween theme that runs throughout the album, they also describe her relationship with her fans, screaming along with her at her concerts.
On Sept. 24, Florence + the Machine released a second song from the album, titled “One of the Greats,” which highlights the harsh realities of being a woman in the music industry. Welch uses the song to detail the sacrifices she’s had to make to build a successful career. From ruined relationships to addiction, Welch shows how, despite all she’s given to music, it’s still not as easy for her to succeed as it is for a man.
Despite the darker theme of this album, many of the topics Welch covers in her songs have remained similar to her past work. Before “One of the Greats,” Welch has touched on being a woman in the music industry in many of her other songs, like “Delilah,” “Choreomania,” and “Queen of Peace.” This message is only solidified in “One of the Greats,” with Welch singing about crawling from her grave to make it in the industry.
With this album, Florence + the Machine is moving away from the themes of their 2022 album, Dance Fever. While Dance Fever was rooted in fairytales, Everybody Scream will carry a darker, more frightening tone, though the singer is still clearly raising her voice about the issues that have always been important to her.
Both of the songs released so far heavily lean on imagery of witchcraft and folklore. It’s no surprise that Welch said she took a lot of inspiration for the album from horror movies, often binge-watching them throughout the album-making process.
Welch has also called this album a “seasonal record.” In addition to the strong horror elements and themes of death, she’s incorporated nature into the album. Being around plants and animals was a large part of Welch’s healing process following her miscarriage, causing them to make their way into the album. These themes of nature are said to create an autumnal vibe, so the Oct. 31 release date makes perfect sense.
Everybody Scream is sure to be the perfect blend of feminine fury, emotional catharsis, and horror, likely making it the ideal album to listen to when it releases on the scariest day of the year. Be sure to check out the album on Halloween to get in the mood for the holiday!
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