Florence Welch Didn't Think How Big 'Florida!!!' Could Get When Writing With Taylor Swift

Florence Welch
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for MRC

Taylor Swift released the lyrical masterpiece The Tortured Poets Department on April 19, 2024, perhaps her most vulnerable body of work yet.

While many Swifties clamored for the global pop star to feature more artists on her new album, Swift only featured two artists: Post Malone and Florence Welch.

Welch, the vocalist of Florence + The Machine, hopped on Swift's eighth track of the album, "Florida!!!"

Florence Welch Recalls Songwriting Session With Taylor Swift

Speaking to Vogue UK, Welch opened up about co-writing "Florida!!!" with Swift for The Tortured Poets Department.

"I almost didn't think of the scale of it," she laughingly recalled to the publication. "There's the sort of bigness of [Taylor Swift the phenomenon], and then there's the Taylor I spend time with in the studio, who is just the sweetest and most down to earth."

According to the vocalist, Swift came to her with a "concept and a story" for "Florida!!!" Welch explained that the song was "about the desire to reinvent yourself after heartbreak," which she claims to be her "favorite wat to start songwriting."

"We had such a fun time. And then when it came out I was like, 'Oh, shit!'" Welch admitted.

As of this writing, Swift and Welch's collaboration has been streamed more than 59.443 million times on Spotify, the seventh most streamed song from her album.

Taylor Swift Explains' Florida!!!' Inspiration

In an iHeartRadio interview, Swift explained the inspiration behind "Florida!!!" with Welch.

"'Florida!!!' is a song I wrote with Florence and the Machine, and I think I was coming up with this idea of like, what happens when your life doesn't fit, or your choices you've made catch up to you," Swift revealed.

Apparently, the song was rooted in her fascination with watching the American television news magazine reality legal show Dateline. She said that she noticed that after people commit crimes, they immediately skip town and go to Florida.

Swift's explanation seemingly echoed Welch's explanation about one's desire to reinvent oneself after a heartbreak.

Stream Swift's and Welch's "Florida!!!" below.

Tags
Florence + The Machine, Florence Welch, Taylor Swift
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