“Free” is an euphoric new song by Florence + the Machine
Dance Fever, Florence + The Machine’s long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s High As Hope, will be released next month. In the midst of the pandemic, Florence Welch began writing the album’s tracks, which she then recorded in New York with co-producer Jack Antonoff. Dave Bayley, the leader of the Glass Animals, also lent a hand on the album. The early tracks “King,” “Heaven Is Here,” and “My Love” have all been shared, and now Florence has shared another another early single.
Florence’s current single, “Free,” is a big, soaring, ecstatic rocker about overcoming anxiety and the fleeting moments when that tension fades away thanks to the magic of music and community catharsis. “Free” sits neatly alongside Florence classics like “Dog Days Are Over” and “Shake It Out” in terms of majestic release. Florence and Jack Antonoff collaborated on the song’s writing and production. She sang the song for the first time at the start of her tour in Newcastle a few nights ago, and she was completely enthralled by it. It’s not often that I get to say this about an album’s fourth single, but “Free” has the potential to become an anthem in the future.
“Free,” like the other Dance Fever singles, includes a video directed by Autumn de Wilde, the former rock photographer behind the upcoming film Emma in 2020. Bill Nighy, the iconic British character actor known for roles in Love Actually and the Pirates Of The Caribbean films, stars in the “Free” video. Nighy previously worked with de Wilde on Emma, and he portrays Florence’s uneasiness in the “Free” clip. Take a look at the video below.
Dance Fever is out 5/13 on Polydor.
