King (Florence and the Machine song)
"King" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released as the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album, "Dance Fever" (2022). It was written and produced by Florence Welch and Jack Antonoff. The song was released on 23 February 2022. Background. On 21 February 2022, fans of the band received a medieval-styled tarot card in the mail that featured a photo of Florence Welch dressed in period clothing. The card had the word "King" on it, and each envelope was inscribed with the wording "Florence + the  Machine - Chapter 1" along its back. That same day, digital billboards began popping up around London that featured the same picture of Welch that was printed on the card. The band's website was also updated with fifteen tarot cards, the first of which featuring the mailer's design. Composition. The track begins with restrained vocals, and minimal instrumentation over a strong bassline. At the three-minute mark, the song reaches an orchestral crescendo. The song's lyrics focus on Welch's examination of her inner conflict between art and starting a family. It deals with the more universal theme  of gender expectations, specifically societal expectations of womanhood. The sacrifices which women have to make when choosing between families and their careers is a core theme of the track. On the song's hook, Welch repeats the refrain "I am no mother. I am no bride. I am king." Music video. The music video for "King" was directed by Autumn de Wilde and choreographed by Ryan Heffington, both of whom have collaborated with Florence and the Machine for their past music video releases. It was released on the same day as the single on the band's YouTube channel. The  video was partially shot on location in Ukraine, with production being handled by Anonymous Content and Radioaktive Film. Jamie Feliu-Torres served as the music video's cinematographer, while visual effects were produced by Denis Reva and Framestore. The video depicts Welch floating around "draped in royal purple robes, as she unseats and cracks the neck of a J. Crew-looking king", played by English actor Jack Riddiford. Welch's character is flanked by courtiers, billed as "Lace Monsters", that "dance behind her and whirl in jubilation while the orchestra [credited as the "Ghost Orchestra"] floats in suspended animation." Alexander  Antofiy also stars as "The Henchman", a mysterious character who seemingly facilitates some of the actions taken by Welch's character. Critical reception. Both the song and its music video were well received by critics, who praised its themes and composition. Tyler Golsen of "Far Out Magazine" praised its instrumental arrangement and musical composition, describing it as "anthemic and operatic". Elise Soutar, in a review for "Paste", favorably compared the song's gradual build-up to Florence + the Machine's output on "High as Hope". Hannah Dailey of "Billboard" said that "the video is as dynamic as the song , which moves between soft, pensive moments and roaring, anthemic releases." Matt Moen, writing for "Paper", described the video as " mixed-with-"The Craft"". Writing for "The Guardian", Michael Cragg ranked "King" as the band's twelfth best song. "Grazia" magazine called the song "the feminist anthem of 2022."