5 Reasons Why You Should Love Florence Welch As Much As I Do

Florence Welch is the redhead fire-cracker lead vocalist of the indie rock band, Florence + The Machine. Her career began nine years ago when she was discovered by singing an Etta James song in a club bathroom by Mairead Nash, who is now Welch’s manager. Welch has been compared to artists such as Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks because of her unique fashion sense, story-telling lyrics and sensational vocals. Florence + The Machine's first album, "Lungs," was released in the United Kingdom in 2009 and sold over 100,000 copies in less than a month. When the album was released in the United States shortly after, it expeditiously debuted at top 20 on the Billboard Heatseekers Alums chart. I was first introduced to the song "Cosmic Love" in the "Water For Elephants" film trailer—I thought it was so incredibly moving, I had to do some research to find out more. After reading through multiple lyrics, I discovered a writing connection between Florence and I: her creative writing style is very similar to my own. Ever since then, Florence Welch has been one of my favorite artists. Here's why you should love her as much as I do:

1. Not only does she write music, she writes stories.

Many mainstream artists rely on song lyrics relating to sex, drugs or other degrees of miscellaneous and nonsense. I think of Florence Welch's lyrics as pure poetry—this woman knows how to tap in to the most vulnerable parts of your soul. She uses the most heavenly metaphors to depict exactly what she is feeling throughout every single one of her lyrics. Her newest album, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful," is in my opinion the most riveting of them all. This album is incredibly diverse and it synthesizes the beauty of the world that is often forgotten.

Welch always graces us with her utterly compelling and mystical words. "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" opens with the song "What Kind of Man" which evokes an image:

I was on a heavy tip
Tryna cross a canyon with a broken limb
You were on the other side
Like always, wondering what to do with life
I'd already had a sip
So I'd reasoned I was drunk enough to deal with it

The title in itself, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" can be interpreted in many different ways—but in Florence's mind, that title is how she views the world.

My personal favorite song is "Never Let Me Go" which debuted in the album, "Ceremonials." This song is powerful enough to part the seas.

2. She is aesthetically pleasing.

Her beauty radiates through any barrier. Her fiery red hair and piercing green eyes are enough to hypnotize any human being. What I love about her look is that she is so unique. She has one of those faces where it's hard to compare her with anyone else because her features are so distinct. Florence possesses a natural beauty not many people are lucky enough to have. Her style emulates a modern-day Stevie Nicks—their styles are similar, but Florence definitely has her own unique twist. When discussing her fashion style, Welch said that, "for the stage, it's The Lady of Shalott meets Ophelia, mixed with scary Gothic bat lady. But in real life I'm kind of prim."

Her music videos are also aesthetically pleasing—they're all works of art.

3. She is a jaw-dropping live performer.

If you have had the privilege to see her live, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You know the phrase, "break a leg?" Well, at Coachella, Florence was performing so hard she leaped off the stage and literally broke a leg; well...foot. She is so passionate about what she does, and that is undeniably apparent when seeing her perform.

She really knows how to connect with her audience.

And if you don't believe me, watch this clip.

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4. She is a genuine human being.

I have watched numerous talk-show interviews with Florence, and she is the sweetest person. She doesn't try to be anyone she isn't—she's just a silly, corky and genuine soul. To me, her smile says everything:

In her life, she has gone through a lot. She witnessed the deaths of both of her grandparents—her grandmother was bipolar and committed suicide right in front of her. In "Ceremonials," you can tell this tragedy was on her mind when constructing the album, but in her newest album, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful," it seems as if she has overcome her suffering and loss and is ready to embrace the world in it's entirety.

5. She's inspiring.

Florence has not only inspired me as a writer, but also as a human being. She has taught me I can "shake off" anything and that the world is bigger, bluer, and more beautiful than we may think.

Also, I'm pretty sure Florence Welch knows the meaning of life.

Side note: it just so happens tickets for the "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" tour are now on sale. It is more than likely she will be coming to the city nearest to you. Don't miss out on the experience of a lifetime!