– Fenton Wright, Web Services Coordinator
As we said in our last Pick of the Week on Florence + The Machine, the stage has always called to lead singer Florence Welch. On “Sympathy Magic,” we see a continuation of that vulnerability that Welch exudes throughout Everybody Screams.
It’s Ok to Not Be Ok
The foundation of this song is the desire to express that you are “not ok.” Welch opens up to her audience about not feeling or looking the same after going through traumatic experiences. In the line, “I do not recognize my face/ The scar fades,” we hear Welch reflect on her own experience with an ectopic pregnancy and the surgery that followed. This line is at the crux of the album. This trauma is what drew her back to music.
Also on this song, she goes on to again talk about the cost of fame and the toll it takes on people. It leaves her anxious and humiliated in the public sphere. However, through these experiences in her life, Welch no longer needs to be “good” as she puts it. She no longer feels like she has to be perfect, despite the focus that is put on her through the public eye.
Freedom
As the section title would suggest, the music video is completely about “freedom.” The freedom to be who you want, and the freedom to not be perfect.
There is a sympathetic component to the video as well. The other “witches” in the video surround Welch, holding her as a form of comfort. She lies in the grass, yells into the countryside air, things that would be considered weird by society. But she has broken free from those restrictions and that is what defines freedom and this song.
Not Quite Rock, Not Quite Folk
What this song does best is not confine itself into a genre. In fact, that is what Florence + The Machine do best. When you listen to this song, you can hear these two different genres clashing with each other. I think that this is intentional, because it could be indicative of the internal conflict that Welch feels between her private self and her life in the public eye.
What’s Next?
Following the release of Everybody Scream, Florence + The Machine are going on tour in Europe. After that, they will be making their way to the States! There are several shows close to Boston, so be sure to check it out!
