Florence + The Machine, 646yf4t, and More: The Best New Songs of the Week
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Discover the latest sonic landscapes with our weekly roundup of essential new music, featuring Florence + The MachineS powerful return and a diverse array of emerging artists. from introspective R&B to explosive indie rock, our playlist highlights the tracks defining the current musical moment. Find our new favorites on our Top Songs playlist and explore more rising talent on our New Sounds playlist.
Florence + The Machine Confronts the Cost of Performance in “Everybody Scream”
Florence + The Machine marks its return with “Everybody Scream,” the cathartic title track from her forthcoming album. The song delves into the physical and emotional toll of Welch’s famously energetic performances. As one observer noted, watching Welch onstage reveals a performer who seemingly gives everything to her art, “aching and bellowing” during her now-arena-sized shows. She’s known for her barefoot, rapid movements and unrestrained dancing, even famously breaking her foot a decade ago at Coachella.
However, “Everybody Scream” isn’t a party of abandon, but an interrogation of its consequences. This shift is particularly striking given the sentiment expressed in “Free,” from her previous album Dance Fever, were she confessed, “And for a moment, when I’m dancing, I am free.” That moment of liberation, it turns out, proved more fleeting than hoped. In 2023, Welch underwent life-saving emergency surgery, forcing her to confront her body’s limitations and cancel several shows.
The new track grapples with this duality, exploring the relationship between ecstasy and agony. “Look at me run myself ragged, blood on the stage/ But how can I leave you when you’re screaming my name?,” Welch sings, acknowledging the intense connection with her audience while concurrently recognizing the physical strain. She continues,”Here,I can take up the whole of the sky/ Unfurling,becoming my full size,” hinting at the empowering nature of performance,yet also suggesting a potential unsustainability.
Welch collaborated with Mitski and IDLES’ Mark Bowen on the song, bringing in perspectives deeply familiar with the sacrifices demanded by a career in music. Mitski, in particular, understands the pressures faced by women in the industry and the weight of fan projections. Bowen, known for his work with IDLES, brings a knack for infusing even joyful emotions with underlying doubt. the song also features contributions from James Ford
Purity Ring Explores New sonic Territory in “imanocean”
Purity Ring surprises with “imanocean,” a departure from their signature electronic sound. The duo embraces organic instrumentation, incorporating warm guitars and acoustic drums alongside their otherworldly synths. One reviewer noted that the song maintains the band’s hallmarks – “melodies that ring out like sirens, an atmosphere as thick as fog, and emotions as wide as an ocean” – while simultaneously sounding “eerily familiar and gloriously unknown.”
Shallowater Builds Tension in “Sadie”
Texas slowcore act Shallowater, identified as an artist to watch in 2025, continues to build anticipation for their new LP God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars with the release of “Sadie.” The seven-and-a-half-minute track is a “stunning slow burn” that culminates in a “cacophonous explosion” before returning to its tranquil core. If the album lives up to the promise of its first two singles, fans are in for a treat.
