Photo Credit: Autumn de Wilde/Press
Florence + The Machine have just dropped their newest single, “Mermaids,” and it’s a mix between a siren call and a slow, eerie sea shanty.
Florence + The Machine’s ‘Mermaids’
British indie rock band Florence + The Machine are back with their newest single, “Mermaids.” The song feels both like a haunting siren call and a slower, eerier version of a sea shanty. The frontwoman’s lyrics tell of fantastical creatures who live carelessly. Florence Welch’s poignant vocals sing about the mermaids coming on land at night to drink, dance, and break/sacrifice sailors’ hearts. The mermaids seem to go through the streets of England drunk and in love with their way of life.
“Mermaids” is the band’s first new release since their album Dance Fever from last year. The new single, while released on its own, is also included on Florence + The Machine’s new album Dance Fever (Complete Edition).
A Possible Story Behind the Single
Speculation can be found everywhere when new songs are released. Liberty Dunworth at NME suggests that “Mermaids” touches upon Florence Welch’s nine years of sobriety.
For example, several of Welch’s lyrics reference a drunken lifestyle:
“It was not all pain and pavements slick with rain
And shining under lights from shitty clubs and doing shitty drugs
And hugging girls that smelt like Britney Spears and coconuts”
“You only get one night upon the shore
So dance like you’ve never danced before
And the dance floor is filling up with blood
But, oh, Lord, you’ve never been so in love”
Additionally, the chorus in the song is made of the two words “cheerful oblivion.” It could therefore be inferred that Florence + The Machine are referring to a specific kind of oblivion. They might be referring to the oblivion that comes from being consumed by addiction.
Regardless, whether that interpretation is true or not, “Mermaids” is an entrancing new single that Florence + The Machine have clearly put a lot of work and heart into.
Watch the official lyric video for “Mermaids” below and give it the love it deserves.
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