Florence + the Machine have unveiled their latest single, “One of the Greats,” a haunting and expansive track that wrestles with the burdens of ambition and fame. It arrives as the second release from their forthcoming sixth album, Everybody Scream, set to drop October 31.
Frontwoman Florence Welch described the song as “a long poem about the cost of greatness,” reflecting on questions like “Who gets to decide what that is?” and “Why do I even want it?” The track leans into atmospheric instrumentation, swelling dynamics, and emotional vulnerability. Written in collaboration with Idles’ Mark Bowen and produced with Aaron Dessner, the song fuses indie rock textures with art-pop sensibilities.
Lyrically, it embraces paradox—the glamour and weight of expectation, the ecstasy and exhaustion that often live side by side. As Everybody Scream approaches, “One of the Greats” gives listeners a bold preview of where Florence + the Machine are heading: defiantly introspective, richly cinematic, and no stranger to the shadows that accompany shining lights.
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