Florence + the Machine summon chaos with haunting new single ‘Everybody Scream’

Florence + the Machine have unveiled their latest single ‘Everybody Scream’, the title track from their forthcoming sixth studio album. The release marks a strikingly darker direction for Florence Welch, one that blends theatrical chaos with unnerving mysticism.

Driven by a brooding rhythm, Welch sings about the physical and emotional toll of performance, confessing to blood on stage yet being unable to leave the audience’s demand for her presence. Her repeated commands for listeners to scream, sing and dance are echoed by a ghostly choir, heightening the track’s sense of ritualistic abandon.

The accompanying video, directed by Autumn de Wilde, who previously worked with Welch on Dance Fever, captures this energy in vivid detail. Set in a countryside plagued by supernatural disturbance, the imagery depicts people shaking uncontrollably, possessed by an unseen force. Among them is Mark Bowen of IDLES, whose inclusion further cements the project’s collaborative edge.

Beyond the single, Welch has revealed that the album itself draws from themes of witchcraft, folk horror, and chaos, while also being informed by her recovery from lifesaving surgery during the 2022 Dance Fever tour. She spent two years shaping the record alongside trusted collaborators, including Bowen, Mitski and Aaron Dessner of The National.

In one teaser shared with fans, Welch posted a notebook page scrawled with the words “Swans vs. Adele”, hinting at a sound both primal and soaring. That cryptic message has already sparked intense speculation online about how far she will stretch the Florence + the Machine identity.

The new album Everybody Scream is set for release on 31 October, aligning its launch with Halloween. Pre-orders are currently live through the band’s official site. Welch had teased its arrival with a dramatic Instagram video of herself digging furiously into the earth before letting out an unrestrained scream, a fitting prelude to this unsettling new chapter.