We have asked fans to write a short entry about how the album has changed their outlook, or even their lives, since its release. The themes of helping fans deal with pain, its ability to explain the deepest of emotion, but also its moments of strength and happiness shine through in the entries.
Here’s what they had to say…
TRIGGER WARNING: entries contain themes some readers may find distressing, including death, mental health conditions, struggles with sexual orientation and domestic violence.
Felix Brauneis (Germany) — Shake It Out
This whole album for me at least deals with a lot of death and grief and is a desperate try to escape these feelings. It’s loud, it’s grandiose but at the core Flo is dealing with a lot of demons surrounding love, alcohol and destructive behaviour. Shake It Out is a beautiful example. It’s such a big production and Flo is literally trying to shake out all the dead weight that is still clinging onto her. And when I heard it live her message she said to us before she started singing still has stuck with me till this day “take something that is weighing you down, something that is haunting you and let it all go”. And still, I battle my own mental health battles every day but Ceremonials showed me that even in all the dark times you can still find beauty. And whenever is get to stuck in my own thoughts and put on Shake It Out and try to let it all go even if it is just for a moment.
Dean Mobbs (UK) — Never Let Me Go
Ceremonials came to me in a time when I was truly discovering who I was; coming to terms with being gay. My family and friends were there for me (luckily), but most nights I would feel sad, scared and ultimately alone. It was during these nights that I would turn to Florence and to Ceremonials and feel as though I had someone there with me on the journey.
Never Let Me Go became more than just a song - to this day I can play it and feel completely consumed by the ocean in a peacefully chaotic way. I will play it with no other distractions and allow it to take me to another world, free from pain and heartache. The raw emotion evoked by the song has always affected me in ways I don’t truly understand and yet, I feel almost as though the song is speaking my own words. Every time I listen, it is both dauntingly new and beautifully familiar; it is utterly transcendent.
This album truly saved me in many ways, and I don’t think I would be here without it. For that reason, I owe Florence and Ceremonials my life.
“I owe Florence and Ceremonials my life”
Marina Fernandez (Mexico) — No Light, No Light
I was going through some heartbreak — I am not exaggerating when I say that this album was one of the few things that gave me the strength to keep going. It is poetry turned into music and I think what I learned the most from this album is that sometimes it is okay to be in dark places, you learn to love them and they become your strength, your armour. Once you overcome all your demons then they empower you and you can become indestructible, a better version of yourself. Following this album was all about that liberation, resurrection and resilience. I remember a year after Ceremonials came out, she came to Mexico and I cried during the whole performance, it was like a catharsis to me. Florence saved me back then and continues to do it and for that I am forever grateful.
Cameron McCarthy (UK) — Never Let Me Go
The backing tracks, orchestras and Florence's angelic vocals make shivers go all over your body. You feel like you’re in a place of peace and euphoria, away from your pain and worries. It’s a magical feeling, like you’re floating on water.
Sarah Virr (UK) — Only if for a Night
This album was released during ‘the best time in my life’... I was single, having muchos fun with my girlfriends. Singing, dancing and dressing up. You could mainly find us in my house late at night with this album on with me in my mother’s 1970’s wedding dress .. simply being ‘Florence’. Thank you for so much fun. Special times.
Anonymous (Portugal) — Only if for a Night
It was part of my mourning process of my grandad. And it was with my nanna too. Such powerful and yet practical advice from our ghosts.
Arline Saldaña (Panama) — Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go has a soothing effect on my soul and the beautiful lyrics speak to my imperfect self who seeks healing, and I feel the way it’s water and baptism motifs cleanse me of my sins every time I listen to it. The way Florence puts together words and meanings feels as though my heart is transparent and she can see the poetry hidden within. Never have I felt such an instant and profound connection to an artist. Ceremonials was my rite of initiation into the religion that makes me feel seen and understood. I love you Florence, and I thank you for loving all your fans the way you do.
Robbe Dumarey (Belgium) — No Light, No Light
In Ceremonials, you can make the meaning of the songs personally reflect yourself. It's unbelievable that Cermonials is already 10 years old. it's an iconic album that I can't get enough of. My favourite moment was No Light, No Light live at the Brits 2012.
Emily Hussey (Ireland) — Strangeness and Charm
Ceremonials came out when I was 15, and became a huge comfort album to me while I was going through a major friend breakup. This album campaign was also the first time I had really engaged with other fans online and by the end of (the first I ever attended!) the tour, I had made a fanbook to (attempt to) give to Florence at her last gig in Dublin. I'm sure it never ended up in her hands, but I made amazing friends through the project. As Zoe Howe also wrote her biography on Flo, she also gathered quotes from fans at the time, and I was lucky enough to have my quote included in the book. To see my own words written in a book about someone I idolised so much is something I'll never forget. Both the album and the era hold such a special place in my heart and I'll never forget all of the happy memories I've come to associate with it!
Joaquín Gerber (Argentina) — Heartlines
This memory happened on April 27, 2016. The day before taking my last exam to get my degree, a month before I had attended my first FATM show. Still mesmerized by Florence, her music became the soundtrack of that moment in my life. I listened to it every night after a long day of study. The day before the exam, I was very anxious, so i went for a run to relax my nerves, of course listening to FATM. But i could not calm down, my anxiety was growing. Then Heartlines started to play and i heard:
Just keep following the heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following the heartlines on your hand, 'Cause I am
Just a simple "you can do this". Now, every time I listen to that song again, I remember that moment and I am grateful for that boost it gave me. This summarises what their music means to me: messages that arrive when I need them most.
Anonymous (Australia) — Shake It Out
Ceremonials is the one album that sparks an endless well of emotion inside me. My 2nd tattoo was inspired by the album and my tribute for the band. I've struggled with inner demons for many years, Shake It Out reminds me that I'm not alone, my mental health is valid, and there is always room for growth. After all, it's always darkest before the dawn.
Kelly Buruca (US) — Heartlines
I discovered Ceremonials at about 13 years old. I couldn’t relate to the topics being sung, so I found solace in the instrumentals—in the way the crescendoes and big melodies made me feel otherworldly. I would rush home so I could lock myself in my windowless room and twirl around pretending I was the one singing. I didn’t understand my body was hurting as it overflowed with trauma that dancing alone in my room helped me to release. I was too young to understand coping mechanisms and too poor to afford therapy, so I learned to survive creating an imaginary world between four walls and between the heartlines on my hands. Now, at 20 years old, with a much fuller heart and a beautiful partner, the songs carry a different meaning. Things aren’t perfect but I can now twirl alongside a soulmate; I can now continue to find my place in this world; I can now look back with gratitude that I stumbled upon this album.
Genevieve Trombley (USA) — Heartlines
This album Means so much to me. I was married to a very abusive man this album gave me the strength to finally leave him for good and I have never looked back. The song Heartlines gave me hope that I won’t always be alone.
Christine Reynolds (Canada) — Spectrum
The songs are so beautiful and mean a lot to me. I listen to them to pick myself up from my isolation and depression. I love No light No light, Seven Devils, Heartlines, and Spectrum the most. I remember hearing Seven Devils in the movie theater and I didn't know who the singer was but loved the song. I looked into it and went out, bought the album, listened to the songs and LOVED them! That was in 2012. I have been listening to Florence ever since.
John Daly (Canada) — Only if for a Night
I “discovered” Florence with ‘How Big’. As I then went backwards in the catalogue, I became immediately hooked on her presence, voice and spirit. Now in Covid, I am drawn back to Only if for a Night. I have four young granddaughters and every time one of them is upset, I always say “My doe, my dear my darling what is the sighing about”. It’s a great line.
Ophelia Tempest (Philippines) — What The Water Gave Me
When Ceremonials first came out, I was at a very low point. I was struggling to put into words the issues I was facing and trying to drum up the courage to the issues that I did understand. I didn't know Florence + the Machine then but when I heard What the Water Gave Me, its haunting lyrics hooked itself deep into me and hasn't let me go since. Ceremonials is the first album that I purchased for myself and is it also the first album that I listened to with an almost religious fervour, all but falling to sleep with the melodies still suck in my head. I felt a connection to the symbolism, the lyrics and the narrative, and the sheer amount of emotions that were poured into the work. What The Water Gave Me’s mournful contemplation of longing, anxiety and sacrifice just spoke to a girl who was slowly turning into a woman, riddled with fears and temptations. I'm in a much better place these days, older and hopefully wiser. The world is in a different and, I dare say, scarier place than what I faced back then but I think (and I hope on hope) that I can face it head-on now. It'll be Ceremonials that will hold a near and dear place in my graceless heart. It'll be Ceremonials that finally helped me feel set alight. And I hope it'll be Ceremonials that will take me home to the overflow, when it comes.
Ronnie Tucker (US) — Seven Devils
It’s like a flow in motion, life, death, beauty and magic.
Cassandra Koch (US) —Never Let Me Go
This album has been there for me for almost half of my life. No other band comes close to creating such vivid artwork through their compositions, and I even had fun analysing the songs as a music education major. These songs have made appearances at places like my high school graduation party, my dorm room, after hearing about the death of my grandfather (my first great loss), but mostly in my car when I rely on Florence + the Machine's beautiful essence. My favourite track is Never Let Me Go, which made me sob when I heard it. I grew up near the ocean, and to hear such a strong connection between my favourite place and a resounding internal battle made me feel heard. I know that this album will be here for me in the next decade, and every one after that.
Jorge Treviño (Mexico) — Only if for a Night
I was 18 years old when 'Shake It Out' was released - I was so depressed back then, all I had were memories of being lonely, and I remember crying so hard the first time I heard that song, just as I'm tearing up while writing this. That song was a reminder that I deserved love, happiness, and that it wasn't fair for me to carry so much anguish at such a young age. Thank you so much for sharing your songs with us and help us heal.
“I know that this album will be here for me in the next decade, and every one after that.”
Lisette Nicole (Peru) —Landscape (Demo)
Ceremonials really helped me when I was going through a hard time at school with people making fun of me because of my voice, my esoteric beliefs and feeling lonely. I did not have many friends and I had extreme anxiety. The album helped me focus on myself and feel like I was not alone, understood and like I belonged in a safe place and community. I do not know what my life would be like if I didn’t have Ceremonials to escape to when I feel like life is too much. I really appreciate the whole band for the incredible music they make with such special meanings and love.
Aubrie Migliorisi (US) — Breaking Down
This album released when I was 11 years old - Ceremonials was the record that inspired me to not only create my own original music, but to also pursue audio engineering and production so that I may have the creative control to create my own music the way I want to. This record to this day is still such a fount of inspiration, and it continues to remind me why I started my journey in the arts. Ten years later and Shake It Out has become my coping anthem when I relapsed on my eating disorder earlier this year. “And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off.” - this line has so much power and has gotten me through a lot of darkness. This record is a gift.
Taylor Holland (US) — Only if for a Night
'Only If For A Night' was a song I had not truly "heard" until it was included in the setlist for an intimate performance at BAM in Brooklyn. This was just on the heels of High As Hope releasing and obtaining these tickets was luck. The night of the concert, hearing this song performed on such a small stage, encased in the details of an old theatre, brought forth the lyrics with such power; it honestly changed me. I felt singled out, as if this song was for me. From that moment on, the memory of sitting in that balcony overlooking a stage, wild with flowers and floral clouds overhead, whilst hearing the melody melt over the audience forever binds me to that moment. It reminds me that these moments exist "if only for a night".
Charlotte Booth (UK) — Lover to Lover
My parents had Ceremonials playing in their car every day when they dropped me off at school so I naturally grew up knowing and loving every song from this album. It’s stuck with me all throughout growing up and no other album could ever make me feel the same. Thank you, Florence.
Kaleigh Browning (US) — Shake It Out
This album marked the time I fell in love with the band. With this album, I felt seen, validated, and heard. I listened alone on repeat when I was deployed in the southern Indian Ocean. It was a time in my life that I felt a great change was coming. These songs knew me. They knew my trauma. They helped me heal. They were like insights into my past and simultaneously pushing me into the future.
Lydia Taylor (UK) — Spectrum
The album transports you into a crystalline, immersive world and captures everything that music should be. Spectrum is a very special song for me because, no matter how many times I listen to it, it fills me with a sense of euphoric joy and self-confidence, and dancing to it was also when I first fell in love! Unfortunately, I was a bit too young to be aware of it when Ceremonials was first released, but since discovering it more recently, it has become so inspirational to me and encouraged me to have the freedom to write my own music. There is nothing more exciting than spending an evening watching an old Ceremonials-era concert! Lots of love from Lydia, in South London (Forever :))
Thibaut Dujardin (France) — Only if for a Night
"Ceremonials" is my favourite album ever! I randomly discovered the album on Deezer and the first time I listened to "Only If For A Night"... It blew my mind, I knew this was special. This is a dark album, but from it I took only positivity thanks to the amazing writing. I endlessly will be thankful about everything from this perfect album.
Ciaran Douglas (UK) — No Light, No Light
I bought this album when I was 10 years old; it’s perhaps the most influential album of my life, which continues to grow richer. It evoked dark and stunning visuals in my mind which have continued to inspire my own work. I obsess over the sinfully thrilling moments of deadly and demonic catharsis such as Seven Devils or Bedroom Hymns, combined with the moments of hope and/of happiness in Shake it Out or All This and Heaven Too. A playground of daydreams and nightmares, and virtue and sin. The most distinct memory I have was seeing her perform live for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2012; a show that ended with me reaching over the side of the staircase as she headed offstage and sharing a hug with her. Naturally, a moment I won’t ever forget.
“I felt singled out, as if this song was for me... and reminds me that these moments exist if only for a night.”
Madelyn Franklin (US) — Heartlines
I was 15 when this album came out. I was sitting on a park bench buying a bag of weed for the first time and bringing it home and smoking while listening to the album for the first time. My parents weren't home and we had the house to ourselves - freedom that feels like it doesn't exist in the same facet in adulthood. This album will always remind me of kicking my feet up, taking the world in, and feeling free. I became a fan of Florence during the Lungs era, but Ceremonials embraced me in a way I did not know music could. I will always cherish the fond memories I have associated with Ceremonials.
Anonymous (Brazil) — Lover to Lover
I love this album so much, its songs helped me to overcome a very difficult phase that I went through. I love it with passion. I love Florence and the Machine!
Giulia Sisti (Italy) — Shake it Out
This album is like it's the story of my life. I find it extremely important and profound for me.
Anonymous (France) — Never Let Me Go
This LP is amazing!
Cypress Del Rey (Australia) — No Light, No Light
It's strange to think that I thought this period was the toughest time of my life - it wasn't, but I didn't know that yet. It was the second half of high school and I just realised who I thought I was, and a lot of bad things, self inflicted and not, were whirling around me like a tornado. I used to jump on my bed listening to What The Water Gave Me, gazing out of the window as my fingers replicated the piano keys of Only If For A Night, not being able to recommend Shake It Out at the school’s dance, and Lover To Lover being shouted as I walked from home - immediately cut off when I saw two guys from school also walking by looking at me awkwardly. Most importantly, crying to Never Let Me Go every time I needed to cry because it felt like such a healing song. It was a great album and it pulled me through the toughest of my teen years and still, to this day, pulls me through my toughest adult years along with other great artists. Florence and the Machine will always have a place in my heart as my original number one.
Ronda Anderson (US) — Only if for a Night
I don’t know where to start with how much this album means to me. It was this album that truly made me fall in love with Florence’s music. Almost every song on ‘Ceremonials’ holds a special place in my heart but one in particular resonates with me so hard that I got it tattooed. “Only if for a Night’ reduced me to tears the very first time I heard it. I suffer from long term clinical depression and the line, “The only solution was to stand and fight” just clicked. It put words to how I’ve always felt with my depression, that I had to push through the hardest days, never give up, fight for my life. I ended up getting a tattoo of Florence wearing a crown of black roses surrounded by that lyric to remind myself to keep fighting, every day. I look down at my arm as a reminder, anytime I need to. Florence, if you read this, I thank you for every single song you’ve ever written, you’ve gotten me through the hardest days of my life. Thank you for being a kind and loving human, someone we can not just be entertained by, but find hope and peace in too.
Evelyn Lucares (Chile) — What the Water Gave Me
This album reminds me of my trip to Dublin and being at the launch in music stores in Ireland. I listened to it repeatedly as if it were a drug, very powerful, hypnotic, magical. At the same time I was able to be on the Ceremonial Tour in Brazil and see them at Rock in Rio in 2013. An incredible show, unforgettable.
Michael Reiser (US) — Seven Devils
Ceremonials' release coincided with a time where I was starting to flourish as a person. I was getting close to earning my degree, but had been sheltered most of my life up to that point, and likewise had not fully faced the difficulties that held me back. I took small yet important steps during the Ceremonials era, traveling solo for the first time and going to shows with friends I had connected with during Lungs. I vividly remember the day "What the Water Gave Me" and its accompanying video were released ahead of the album announcement, and I'm sure my college neighbours were both thankful and mortified I had something new to blare through the wall that wasn't "Cosmic Love" for the umpteenth time. Burning CD's was still fashionable in 2011, and my copy from the Flotique arrived early, so I made several copies of the album (deluxe version, of course) for school friends as we toiled away on projects.
I was blessed with the good fortune to see many performances during this era, and it was fascinating to see the tour evolve. Many tracks that were being played similarly to their studio incarnations early in the tour ("Leave My Body", "Seven Devils", "Lover to Lover") took on different arrangements later, as the band experimented with effects and instrumentation. Despite the exhaustion from hardly taking a breath following the Lungs era starting to become apparent, Florence herself began opening up more to the audience, running through the barricades and challenging everyone to "Spectrum" dance-offs. I was in the prime of my youth and insisted on being the person who was first in line and who looked over-the-top on every festival webcast. For that moment, I was truly living my life.
The era also had its darker aspects. I was deep in alcoholism at the time, hindered further by an atrocious and emotionally abusive relationship. Showing up intoxicated at one of the shows is amusing in retrospect, but hardly prideful, and I am certainly not the same person anymore, so I suppose Ms. Welch and I both turned a tough corner following those lush days. It felt like a coming-of-age story that was still unfolding. Like the album itself, there was a heightened throbbing of energy; an ebb and flow where those pockets full of stones were becoming gradually heavier.
Alyssa Knights (US) — What the Water Gave Me
I found Florence during a super hard time in my life and Ceremonials was the anthem of my high school years. It helped me feel powerful when I felt hopeless, and the emotions I needed to process. I remember begging my mom to take me to see Florence when Ceremonials came out because I wanted to experience it live. I never managed to sadly, but it's definitely a bucket list thing to do.
James Brady (Australia) — Shake It Out
I still tear up listening to Shake It Out, especially “given half the chance, would I take any of it back”. Florence has done more for me than she’ll ever know. Ceremonials came at a time when I was still finding my identity, and was working at a shitty corporate job in the city. I’d listen to Ceremonials on my way and escape to another world.
Vincent Alasha (US) — Spectrum
I remember waking up, the television turned on to MTV for their morning run of music videos, and hearing Shake it Out for the first time. I sat in awe and listened to the music of a genre I had never heard before. Ceremonials came into my life at a time I felt crazy and chaotic and yet strangely ritualistic with myself and my thoughts. The album felt like it was written for me. Not so much carrying me through tough times, but more so helping me verbalise and clarify the song of my own mind and body. I will always come back to Ceremonials for the nostalgia and to thank it for how it has changed me and helped me grow.
Anonymous (US) — All This and Heaven Too
This album is beyond extraordinary. The soul and love put in each and every song is extremely beautiful. I will never be over my FATM obsession, and I don't know what I would do if i didn't have their music!
Kolton Landreth (US) — Never Let Me Go
One of my dear friends died from cancer. When she was getting her treatments, we would listen to Ceremonials and we would always sing Never Let Me Go. No matter how tired she felt or weak she would always sing like it was her final chance.
Kristina Raynova (Bulgaria) — Never Let Me Go
I discovered Florence when I was 15 and immediately fell in love with her art. It has been "with me" since in all the dark and happy moments of my life, giving me courage to go on. I adore the lyrics, the music, her presence, her performance, the band and everything what Flo is creating. Every time I listen to any of her songs I feel like I'm dissolving, I'm connecting with every single line she sings. While listening to her music I get the feeling of flying or swimming in the broad ocean, I feel the air and it gives me sense of freedom and support.
Yordano Barreda Pino (Cuba) — No Light, No Light
I first received Ceremonials from a friend in England, which was a complete surprise. What can I say... I spent the whole week listening to it non-stop. I felt like I was in heaven. The melody, the lyrics, the choirs, oh the choirs... Ten years later and I still listen to Ceremonials keenly.
Deja Lee (US) — No Light, No Light
This album came out shortly before my first marriage of 10 years completely fell apart. We were already in marriage counselling but it wasn't going anywhere. I spent many a drive home blasting No Light, No Light and crying/screaming/singing at the top of my lungs, pounding the steering wheel while my heart cracked and broke. This album helped me feel less alone in my pain during one of the most difficult times of my life. I love every song on this album (well on every album, really), they are transcendent and magical, full of authentic emotion.
Corey Learmonth (UK) — Only If For A Night
This album was a major part of my childhood, my mum and auntie were huge Florence + The Machine fans and this album was played almost everyday for as long as I can remember. It brings back feelings I can’t explain - a strange sort of nostalgia.
John Cruccio (US) — Seven Devils
The whole album is a masterpiece! From seven devils to shake it out, these song made any day better.
Antonio Marcello (US) — No Light, No Light
Ceremonials was released a week before my 27th birthday. A very delicate moment as I was going through many changes and the beginning of what only years later I would learn to be a depression. The lyrics, the music, everything about this album made me feel embraced, heard, seen. I cried, laughed, felt hope, felt like I belonged, even though I was enduring personal, lonely battles. The album was a friend I could to listen to uplift me. Especially "No Light, No Light" and its powerful lyrics, "You can't choose what stays and what fades away," which became my first tattoo back in 2012 to mark one of the most important events at the time. Florence and her music have changed and shaped my life.
Anonymous (Mexico) — No Light, No Light
I remember graduating from elementary school and thanks to my sister, I remember obsessing over What the Water Gave Me and Shake It Out. After listening to the album every day, I couldn’t avoid falling in love with Florence’s music, and 10 years later I still love this album like the first day.
It is full of mystery, love, pain, loss and faith, and although I was very young at that time I could still understand it. I can say without exaggeration that Ceremonials changed my life forever and that each song accompanied me during very difficult times, and still continues to do so. Ceremonials forever ♥️
Rey Rov (Ukraine) — Breaking Down
I’ve only recently become Florence fan (2020), but through this short time I have experienced understanding, support and mental healing with all four albums. But Ceremonials was special - the emotions Ceremonials give are unique and outstanding. When I felt like being dragged to the bottom of the deepest sea, Shake It out lyrics gave me a glimpse of hope while Breaking Down told me that I was not alone. The instrumental take my hand and with Florence’ voice, lead me from hopelessness to happiness. I’m grateful that this album exists. Thank you with all of my heart.
Lily Schiller Chatwood (UK) — Never Let Me Go
Ceremonials is the quiet in the overwhelming loud. It’s the comfort and relief, that stops the shake of my body and the twist of my stomach. Ceremonials is being held as you howl your heart out. As the world is crushing inwards and you’ve forgotten how to breathe, it fills your lungs. And as Ceremonials embraces me, I can let out that breath of relief.
Candela Romero (Spain) — No Light, No Light
Ceremonials means something divine. It’s grandiosity never ceases to amaze me, as it makes me feel like I’m entering a magical and mystical world. The lyrics seem to refer to a parallel reality, however, they perfectly describe emotions and the chaos it often comes with them.
Ricky Salazar (US) — Only if for a Night
This was the first album I really connected to. I was in high school, struggling with my sexuality, depression, and major anxiety. This album made me feel seen and gave me somewhere to go when real life was too much. I love it so much and always come back to it when I need comfort.
Lewis Wright (UK) — Landscape (demo)
The whole album just takes me to another world. The blaring drums and layers of vocals lifts me off the ground. I was very mentally unwell and was in care for it. I forced the care staff to play Ceremonials until I fell asleep. For such intense songs, it's surprising I slept at all (they decided to leave it on as they decided they quite liked it too). Landscape reminds me of the distance between me and my mum and the generational suffering we both have had handed down to us. Oh, and Strangeness and Charm combines sex and science and I love both of those things very much!
Scarlet Briggs (UK) — What the Water Gave Me
This album was only released when I was 4 years old but it meant a lot to my dad who passed 5 years later. He used to play the songs to me and my sister. Now this album means a lot to me too.
Carina Gomes (Portugal) — Breaking Down
Ceremonials started everything. I was 13 years old when I discovered Florence and the Machine’s music. I adored Calvin Harris' remix of Spectrum so much, that to find out who sang it, I spent an entire afternoon listening to the radio on my computer, hoping both the music would be played, and that they'd say who the singer was. Being that age, and going through what basically every teenager goes through that age, FATM helped me in so many ways: cheering me up, giving my holidays the perfect soundtrack, giving me company on my everyday.... Even though I owe Spectrum everything, Breaking Down has a special place in my heart. No big reason, but this music brings me such good memories, but still has a touch of pain in it. This huge contrast gets me every time. Being a FATM fan is such a big part of me, and to know that 10 years have passed since the most important album came out makes me feel both sad and happy. So sad that that era has passed, that I'm getting older. But so happy that I still shiver to every music, and that they all have such a power to make me feel good.
Aisha Sultan (Egypt) — Never Let Me Go
This album marks the beginning of me falling in love with the band. The first Florence and the machine song I ever heard was Breath of Life and I remember the goosebumps that song gave me.
Anonymous (Georgia) — Spectrum
This album helped me with my inner issues and it made me realise that my mental health is more important than others.
Don John Buensalida (Philippines) — All This and Heaven Too
The album came to me at the very lowest point of my life. I just lost my mother and did not know what to do. Only If For A Night was my own personal burial song to her. Every time I play that song, I dedicate it to her. "Dancing on tiptoes, My own secret ceremonials". I yearn to see her again and with that song, I was able to cope. All This and Heaven Too is my personal favourite and has been the soundtrack to my happiest moments in life. I dedicate this song to all my loved ones and the precious moments that I shared with them. I am out of words on how to fully appreciate this album so I am just going to quote the last lines of my favourite song, "Words were never so useful, so I am screaming out a language that I never knew existed before".
Anonymous (UK) — What the Water Gave Me
This album got me through some of my lowest points. WTWGM is so nostalgic to me as it was the first FATM I heard - its so amazing to be part of this fandom.
Anonymous (US) — Never Let Me Go
Ceremonials has helped me through many truly difficult times & I have taken great solace in. Never Let Me Go was the first track I heard & will forever hold a special place in my heart. I can remember going through each song on the album & being completely infatuated & in awe of the beautiful lyricism & vocals. The songs on this album are associated with some of my best memories, & I couldn’t even begin to put my love for it into words.
Anonymous (France) — Shake It Out
I was at a time in my life where I was looking for a lot of answers to help me move on. I needed to scream out all the evil that was gnawing at me, and Shake It Out especially helped me do that.
Clementine Iris May (UK) — Lover to Lover
There isn’t much anymore that I don’t associate with Florence. Every memory has a song, every colour, every person, every place. Ceremonials is my absolute favourite. The sound, the colours, the themes and the memories speak to and inspire me to do everything. It has the perfect balance of light and dark. Listening to it feels as though I’ve finally stepped into that realm that I’ve been trying to get to for years, and that beautiful feeling of new and of awe every time I listen to it has not left me yet. I am a performer myself. It is because of Florence’s music that I am where I am - in a centre of advanced training, studying it at college, all for my voice. It is because of her I started songwriting, which has given me so much in terms of opportunities and happiness. Only recently was I able to sing in front of my college for the first time, and the song I chose was Heartlines. That song has always been one of my top songs (but really, can you even pick a favourite..?) ever written. For the first time, I was the inspiring rather than the inspired, and none of it would be possible without her.
Ceremonials will forever be an album that changed my life for the better.
Federico M. (Italy) — Only If For A Night
Ceremonials came out in the same year that I did. It was released at a turning point in my life: 2011 has been a year full of changes and personal growth, navigating through the highs and lows of university time. It accompanied in my first experience living abroad and led me to travel around on my own on the other side of the world for the first time, as I headed to Milwaukee to see Florence play live for the first (of many) times in 2012. I love every song on this record and I have so many memories attached to it. My next tattoo will feature lyrics from Only if for a Night. Gosh, it's so weird to think it's been 10 years since those times. It feels like several lifetimes ago, and my love for this music has only been growing. Long live Ceremonials!
Ellie Papakonstantinou (Greece) — Only If For A Night
This album has really helped me during my hardest times. Some lyrics from Only if for a Night and Shake it Out have been so encouraging and life saving. "And the only solution was to stand and fight" "But it's always darkest before the dawn/And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back/So shake him off'. These speak to my soul and I wish I could've seen Florence live during that era.
Anonymous (Egypt) — Shake It Out
First, I want to say thank you. These songs are very personal to me, and they talk about things in myself I don't know how to express. What The Water Gave Me is my anti-suicide song. I think, with things like suicide, I can't really talk about them, not even to myself. Most of my life, even to this day can be described with the word: fear. Or more accurately, cowardice. Notice how I could not even reveal that my life is ruled by cowardice in the first sentence but made you think it was fear. Anyway. I would lie down in the dark living room, 4 am, feeling like the breath has been sucked out of my chest. Feeling like I wanted to kill myself, and now I have a name for it. In a way, this song made me kill myself in my head before I could do the act in real life. I could hold the feeling of death in my hands, my feeling and the song's feeling, and play it to my whims. Only If For A Night is about my grandma so much as it is about yours. I never really knew my grandmother, despite being raised by her. After she passed away, I thought about her face very suddenly, then fell asleep and saw her, and woke up crying. I don't think she liked me much when she was alive, but her late death robbed me of really getting to know her, so I made up all these nice things about her, so I can love her. Seven Devils is the song my sister and I listened to together. We bonded so much over our love of Flo, after I introduced her to the band. Shake It Out. I still listen to it. In the bathroom, after panic attacks, at university, at home, in the bus, before I sleep. The video sends shocks through my veins. I don't want to say this, but I suffer in public. I get anxious and hide behind smiles, and laugh nervously. I hate being afraid. I admire where the band is coming from, when Florence used to say she tricked herself to write songs by convincing herself nobody would see them and when she would drink alcohol before gigs. It was wonderful to feel like I was part of a community when I read the comments under the videos - that we had so much in common. I could write forever about the rest of the songs, and how I used this band to help push through some of my fears. PS: I want to further explain who I am thanking. I am thanking the reader first, because you have followed this string of words to its end. Then, I want to thank anyone who would listen, anyone who is here for this. And my personal thanks to this band, and to Florence.
Yosiel Álvarez (Cuba) — Seven Devils
Florence's vocal performance, instrumentation, lyrics and incredible mastering provide each song of this album with an incredible and magical aura. It simply takes me on a journey to an ancient and magical place of hidden deeps and secrets unknown.
Anonymous (Greece) — No Light, No Light
Ceremonials has been one of the most important, inspiring and vivid albums for me. Ever since its release, this album has followed me, from my house's hi-fi to my iPod shuffle (yeah, there was a time that we used to listen to music in that way), followed me to school, to parties, everywhere. Among the songs, "No light, No light" was a song that I have associated with my first love, because when I used to listen to it, I fell in love with a girl, a love that ended soon. Every time I hear this song, I think of her. No light, no light in her dark blue eyes, long lost lover!
