Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department Collab With Florence Welch Was A Long Time Coming
Taylor Swift has collected some amazing collaborations throughout her career, working with other big artists like Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice. Her newest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," releases on April 19, 2024. The tracklist has all eyes on Swift's ex Joe Alwyn, but it also has Swifties buzzing about the collabs it'll include. Swift's eleventh studio album will feature two such partnerships, which she revealed on Instagram in February, when she dropped the tracklist. Post Malone is featured on the first track, "Fortnight," and Florence + the Machine — the musical group helmed by Florence Welch — is featured on track eight, "Florida!!!"
A Swift-Welch collab was a long time coming, as the two musicians are friends. (If you're friends with Swift and have any musical capabilities, it's likely that you'll be called to collaborate one day.) A glimpse into Swift and Welch's friendship was shared in a Billboard interview from 2015. Welch told the outlet that she visits Swift every time she's in New York, and Swift spoke highly of Welch's good energy.
"What sets Florence apart? Everything," Swift said. She called Welch "the most magnetic person in the room" anytime they're together, mentioning how people feel drawn to Welch. Swift continued, "But when she meets people, she pays them a warm compliment and immediately disarms them. There are very few people I've met in my life who are truly electric, and Florence is one of them."
Swift made Welch feel better about writing personal songs
In addition to Taylor Swift raving about the "Dog Days Are Over" singer to Billboard, she also mentioned how spending time with Florence Welch at a party can be a rollercoaster. "She's the most fun person to dance with at a party," Swift said, "but then five minutes later you find yourself sitting on the stairs with her having an in-depth conversation about love and heartbreak."
Welch's "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" album was an exploration of being open and singing more about what she was going through — something Swift has discussed doing herself. "Taylor said that you must sing about what's happening in your life," Welch told Billboard. Welch also explained how it's not for revenge, but for honesty. "This could've been a breakup record," Welch continued. "But it was much more about trying to understand myself."
In an interview with E! News on the Grammys 2016 red carpet, Welch clarified she had already completed her album before speaking to Swift, but she was worried about it. "And you know, [Swift] manages to use elements of her life with such grace," Welch said. "And I don't know, I was just nervous about it and she was like, 'It's gonna be fine!'"
Swift and Welch competed at the Grammys in 2016
Taylor Swift and Florence Welch are both popular singers and they were bound to compete at some point. At the 2016 Grammys, they did when they were both in the category for Best Pop Vocal Album. Welch's "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" was a strong contender, but Swift's "1989" came out on top. The win brought forth an iconic acceptance speech, where Jack Antonoff, music producer and frontman of the musical act Bleachers, called Swift on the phone to share the news (via Grammy Awards).
Although Swift and Welch haven't collaborated before "The Tortured Poets Department," they've worked with some of the same people in the music industry. For instance, Antonoff has worked with both Swift and Welch extensively.
Leading up to the release of "The Tortured Poets Department," little is known about what "Florida!!!" sounds like. Spotify's pop-up event for the album at The Grove included a globe prop with a pushpin placed over Miami, according to a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter. That could be a reference to Swift's Eras Tour, which comes to Miami in October 2024. Or, it could be a reference to the song's lyrics. Is it possible that the lyrics to "Florida!!!" could join the lyrics of the Florence + The Machine song "Shake It Out" as some of the most tattooed song lyrics of all time?