vocal analysis of florence and the machine's cosmic love
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2020
- I hope this observation on how Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine sings Cosmic Love helps you figure out how the voice works better, so you can learn how to make smart choices in your own voice.
Original Video: • Florence and the Machi...
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omg this song took me back to 2010 when I still had hopes and dreams, what a throwback
What a time of life
Lol
2005 - when I still believed the lie "You can do or be anything" No. No you can't. Gotta fit in that system!
Omg me
You had hopes and dreams in 2010? Lucky
Florence is such an unstopabble force when she's performing live. I saw her a couple years ago and I was amazed by how gentle and soft her voice was when she was just speaking to the audience, and in the flip of a switch she would literally take over the whole stage when she was performing, as if possessed by a demon. Such a hurricane, she's amazing
Honestly no one in modern day for me comes close to touching her in what she does or for me, at all.
@@iTeacupPanda amen.
I saw her live in 2015 when she came to New Zealand - she didn't stop moving for 2 hours! Hurricane is definitely the right word!
Honestly, her voice (and Hozier who I saw 2 weeks prior) is one of my favourites!
she definitely used to yell earlier in her carreer (around the time this video is from, but she definitely held back in this one) she said it when i saw her live last year. and yes her vibrato is always very fast even now that she has a much more solid technique. i think what's so captivating about her is that she sounds so RAW, like raw emotions and also very raw lyrics, maybe not this one in particular but she writes very dark stuff even tho it sounds like a fairytale lmao. loved the reaction and i'm happy you rediscovered fatm!
I've adored Florence for years, but you're right, in earlier live performances she wasn't very consistent. I think in her last two albums in particular she's learned to be a lot softer on her voice while still pulling out those excellent belting notes.
@@Snips.Snails.Fairytales yes exactly!!!
you are absolutely right! I am a fan of the very beginning and her technique has developed a lot in my opinion. She has been a great singer ever since but she has gotten even better over time. Haaach I love her music so much. It just speaks to my heart and feels very honest and raw.
That being said I found it quite interesting how Sam explained about her vibrato. I think this might be the reason why some people say that Flo cant stay in tune. That is obviously not true but I image some people just cant really differenciate and maybe thats why they think she sounds a little bit off sometimes?
@@TheFalloutBunny I've read in a lot of comments about her vibrato as well. I think they were essentially saying that she relied on it too much rather than just singing consistently. I guess I can understand that, but I don't know enough about vocal technique to tell. I think the thing that personally turned me off in earlier live performances was that you could tell when she was getting tired and super breathy. Obviously she runs around a lot during those concerts which is part of why we love her so much, but if you're just watching the video to listen then obviously the energy you're getting is different than if you were physically there.
Actually, I think 'Cosmic love' is a great example of Florence singing about something dark in her fairytale style. In the beginning it's like she and her lover both felt so lost and that their emotions were enough to blow out the cosmos. The falling star that made her blind may have symbolised her lover losing his way, losing his light, and that she felt it just as painfully as he did as he went into the darkness. The star fell from his heart, it represents his heart breaking and the light falling out. Because the rest of the stars were blown out, I feel it symbolises that his broken heart felt like an entire universe of broken hearts. He didn't want to leave her in the dark but he just couldn't bare to be surrounded by hearts (stars) that were whole. Or, he simply could no longer see any glimmer of light. But her line 'you left me in the dark' could have an added meaning when we apply the expression of the phrase 'being left in the dark' to the lyrics. The expression meaning to not be told about something and have no idea. Being left in the dark as to how her lover was feeling because maybe he didn't tell her how she was feeling.
Perhaps even the falling star symbolised her choosing to be blind to her lover's pain in the beginning. Not because of deliberate lack of understanding but because we often find it unbearable to see our loved ones in pain, we just want them to be happy, especially when we are in pain ourselves. But they can become a reflection of ourselves and force us to reflect on our on pain. Perhaps she feels she was 'left in dark' as to how her lover was feeling but really she could not bare to think of him in pain and denied his and her pain (darkness) initially. He had to blow out the light so that Florence could face her own darkness in order to heal from her own pain.
When she finally understands how he's feeling she finds him in the dark. She finally accepts the darkness because for her at that moment, it is better to stay in the darkness together rather than face finding her way back into the light alone. Or she accepts the darkness because she fully accepts every part of her lover and herself, the darkness and the light. She is willing to go with him through this dark journey in order for them both to find the light again together. After all, it was only when she listened to her heart was she able to listen to his and find him in the darkness. He is a reflection of her own darkness, one that she had to become blind in order to see. The fairytale vibe gives me the impression that she is trying convey that the only way to work through pain (the darkness) is to first accept it. And to open up about your pain to others so that they can help you before you become completely consumed by darkness. Sometimes you have to look with your heart and not your eyes.
Of course, music is subjective though, so it could mean a million different things to a million different people. I'm aware that this is just my interpretation. Would love to hear other interpretations.
I was wondering when he would get to Florence Welch.
I was expecting this for months... and it makes me happy.
Me too! I'm so happy he did 😍
Florence's Ceremonials era is the most aggressive her prowess were, you're listening to her Lungs era, which were very experimental. By the time you get to How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, her aggressiveness shifted towards instrumentations and also physical performances. She sings very well now in the High As Hope era, it's a lot more beautiful and classical as well, you should definitely check her most recent work out!!!
I love how beautifully dissecting this comment is.
She is just ethereal and reminds me of safety and freedom. I love listening to her. I’m irish and she reminds me of folklore.
I can see that for sure! Her voice is so angelic
Sam Johnson still when I hear the dog days are over I get goosebumps!!
Irish had legendary delores.. Florence was a delores fans..
Sam you're like the cool, kind and geeky (in a good way) older brother I've always wanted. Random comment I know (sorry).
i love random comments and i will gladly be your brother
^this is why we love Sam
Haha omg sign me up for that as well!
I'm sorry, I just missed the moment when Sam isn't looking good... Or just never happened?? ;P
Florence has ALWAYS sings with that shakey kinda unbalanced vibrato, I honestly think it’s a stylistic choice.
She is classically trained and I think with that knowledge she messes with her voice a lot to make unique sounds.
What an unexpected treat. Cosmic Love was on repeat for a good 4 years of my life, no joke!
Ditto. Such a good song.
Same
Cosmic love is one of my favorite love songs in the universe. The lyrics are absolutely amazing and the way she sings it and the instrumentation, it just works so so so well. Florence is a goddess.
I love the explanations for how this heavenly voice is made humanly possible 😍
I remember discovering her around the time that album was released (Lungs) and being obsessed with Dog Days Are Over. I still listen to that full album these days and it just trascends time, she is magical indeed. Thank you for reacting to her ❤
I made a whole bunch of AMVs with her songs including this one. Love her.
Florence is a gem! She grew so much as a vocalist through the years, always bringing sincerity, emotion and lovely chaos of it all. She's one of the few artists I've been following since the start and whose growth and change only made me love her more🥰
I love how humble person you are, that you can admit that sometimes our prejudice stops us from giving a try. I really believe this is a problem of our times that we stick too much to the things we know and immediately refuse anything else. Thank you for telling us (even indirectly) te be more open minded!
thank you so much. i agree. it's fine to change our mind.
This exact performance was my first exposure to Florence, and I sat at my computer and sobbed. Something about the harp and her vocals just hit my soul in a way I‘d never experience before. It calms me so much that I actually use it in therapy and at home to bring me out of a flashback or panic attack 💖 thank you for reacting to this!
She has that unique raw voice that I always adore. She can be off pitch and it still can be beautiful which is rare in pop music
what I like the most about your videos is that you always make it clear that you and your vocal teacher self are different people when listening to the singers you react to. you always like to make sure we understand you can enjoy someone singing despite being critical about their technique. I love that because it encourages people who watch you to actually FEEL the music they listen to. thanks, Sam :)
thank YOU julia
Hozier did a nice cover of this song at one of his at home sessions.
OMG i'd love to hear that!
Victoria Margarita here's a link ua-cam.com/video/UZ-VhW63Yww/v-deo.html
You had me at Hozier 🥰. They both 🥰
A Florence and Hozier collab would be amazing!
Thank you!
OH MY GODD finally 😭😭😭 shes honestly so good aaah. i used to listen to her a bunch and basically imitated her a lot initially when i began singing haha. this is such a cool analysis!!
I'm so happy to find Florence and your reaction! I think she is a great vocalist and performer. She's also very invested in her music, and that is always so wonderful to hear.
On the ooo's I was wondering if she was going to hit that high note. It's the highest the song gets.
As someone who was in choir and had some voice lessons sprinkled in throughout middle and high school (but by no means very knowledgeable), it's quite nice to see someone so knowledgeable and trained say that not everything needs to be so rigid and "proper", while still promoting healthy and sustainable techniques. I think it's great when you're critical of technique if it's unhealthy.
Sorry for the long comment, and thank you so much for another awesome video! :)
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're getting so much from them.
this is the fastest I have ever clicked on one of your videos
Check out Florence are the royal Albert hall. Amazing.
What a wonderful way to start the day- my favourite voice teacher and one of my favourite voices.
Florence Welch has always been a favourite of mine because her voice is just so damn *expressive!* She really makes you feel when she sings, and that’s probably the most important thing there is. Plus, her voice is so dynamic, shifting with perfect ease from a very soft, sweet sound, to a full , rich sound. It blows me away every time.
Honestly, she doesn’t get enough props for just how good she is. I feel she’s often overlooked (in terms of sheer skill) in favour of other singers like Adele or Beyoncé, who are more flashy, I suppose. Which isn’t really fair. They’re all very good, but neither Adele nor Beyoncé can makes me feel the way Florence can. I think she deserves a lot more recognition than she gets.
Also, speaking of recognition, both the guitar player and the harpist here are astoundingly good. The sounds go so well in this kind of song, and I love when artists add an unusual element or instrument in, especially in acoustic songs.
It reminds me of Kate Miller-Heidke, also one of my all time favourite, favourite voices, and also a harpist herself. I’d love a reaction to her, because she’s not that well known outside of Australia. I recommend her live Arias performance of Words, or anything really. She’s actually opera-trained. Which you really hear in Words. Or there’s some softer pop sounds like in Last Day on Earth or Caught in the Crowd. And I swear when I moved into my apartment, I sand Apartment for a week straight! She is apparently the only person to have sung at Coachella, Eurovision, and the New York Metropolitan Opera. Her dad was my high school principal. Also, highly recommend Gods Gift to Women and Ducks Don’t Need Satellites for sheer entertainment value! She’s... rather quirky.
What are some songs you would recommend learning? Maybe that could even be a cool video?
Oh the queen, Florence Welch.... Her voice is like a harp. I love her voice, her persona...
Oohhh! Would you be up to doing a vintage singer series?? The style singing and quality of voices like Billie Holiday, Elle Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt feel so special and I’d love to learn more about their technique. I also just watched a live recording of Shirley Bassey singing Diamonds are Forever (1987 in Berlin) and would love to see your analysis ☺️
Mathalia Jackson
love the elf hair coming back! i think i started watching back before you chopped it the first time. probably never commented but y’know, you’ve got a lot of lurkers hanging out who are too shy to comment lmao
Yay!! I've been waiting for you to do a video on Florence! Florence and the Machine has been my favorite band for years and Cosmic Love was the first song I ever heard. However I was never super impressed with listening to her live until recently. Your first impressions were right, she was very shouty in earlier years, and Florence has been honest about that in interviews. She's been a lot more consistent in her last two albums because I think she's been in a different mindset not only for the content of the lyrics but also how gentle she is on her voice. She's incredible to me because the words are so powerful but she knows that she doesn't need to belt everything to make that power come through.
I love that she recognized a place she could improve and become more consistent, then put in the work!
@@SamJohnsonVoice exactly! She was right out of college when Lungs was released, in fact she wrote the first single while she was still in school, so she's matured a lot. I don't know if it's still up on UA-cam, but I'd recommend checking out her live performance of "Jenny of the Oldstones" from last year, it was the first one that made me want to go back and listen to more of her live performances.
No bully zone.....only nice harassment welcome!
I have been wanting to see you react to Florence forever. Also, as a "I sing in the kitchen/shower" person, Florence is absolutely going to be the reason I destroy my vocal chords xD
Next: Kimbra? :D :D :D
yesssssssssssssssss
Great suggestion.
Agreed, excellent suggestion
Sounds like an angry owl in a wind chime shop, love it.
I was looking for this comment. I just can’t remember who originally made that joke!?
Sam + Florence in one vídeo. Finally a happy moment in 2020! Hugs from Brazil! ❤️
Florence is a goddess....I can't explain or analyze it...(probably because I'm not a voice teacher!) And I'm so glad you are!
I'm SO happy that you reacted to Florence! She's such a vocally unique singer! Lover to Lover is one of my favorite songs by her 💕
The video hasn’t even begun and I’m already sobbing. So. Excited.
Haha I hope you still like it at the end!!
love Florence so much!! i saw her live in 2016 and 2019 in NY and she is astounding!! incredibly consistent while still bringing sooo much energy. love your analysis❤️
also please review Moses Sumney’s “Cut Me” live on Colbert! he’s got range that’s just...confusing. it’s really amazing
THANKS SO MUCH!
I would love to see you react to more Florence! I really enjoyed this
Her super fast vibrato reminds me a bit of LP, who is also a very distinct singer! I love this performance, especially with the harp. Just gorgeous! Thanks for introducing me to it.
Thanks for listening
LP?
@@pibly7784 She's a singer! Search for LP Lost On You (Sam actually reacted to that one) or her most recent song "The One That You Love"
I’ve been waiting for this for so long!!
I really love how transparent, and reflective, and honest you are in these. I learn so much through the way you describe what's going on and what you think but it's also really neat that you are willing to put yourself and your true opinions out there for us in a way that very few in your lane do. Music, especially pop music is such a highly volatile topic sometimes.
Yessssssss. I've been waiting for you to do Florence for so long.
What can I say, I've been waiting for this! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love your channel, keep up the good work!
Florence is a wife...I love her so much lol i'm so happy to see how her voice and herself has grown so much over the years. When i saw her at 14 I knew i was going to be in the machine for life lol. I would love to hear her and Hoizer do a song together!
Oh I could listen to Florence Welch sing all day ❤️
Sam, thank you very much for this informative analysis! Florence has an amazing energy and hearing you talk about her was such a gift! Her last records hold so much of her soul and experience, with amazing poetic lyrics and intense sounds! ❤❤❤
Finally!!! I really think one of her best recent performances is "Patricia" in the tiny desk concert performances, makes me cry
There's an awesome emo/hardcore band called Hail The Sun, Donovan Melero, their drummer also sings lead vocals. So he's laying down these complex but driving drum parts while dominating the high range with his vocals.
Check out "Words of Gratitude (Parents)" for their best recording imo!
I think you'd really appreciate them.
Thank you Sam Johnson for another great analysis! And thank you for your honesty! So glad that you rediscovered some material that you like after asking you to talk about Florence! 😉
So glad you reacted to her! Before I found your channel, I’d always been a florence fan, and still am, and I’ve seen her live in concert twice. I always was blown away with how powerful her voice was and the control she had bc she would run around and dance on stage so much and then belt these loud and higher notes. I’d love to see you react to another live performance if you ever decide to again. Especially knowing that you didn’t always think the singing she did was sustainable
yay thanks so much for doing florence! i requested this performance on your website a couple of months back. it's always fascinating to hear a professional opinion. this performance remains one of my favourites even if i think florence may have improved her live singing over the years.
Thanks for this review. This recording is one of my favorite videos of her
Gosh, I enjoy her songs so much, and now that I see your analysis I feel even more in love! Thank you so much!
I've been waiting for Florence. Love her so so much 🥰 she enchants me
OMGGGGG u don't have an a idea of how much I was waiting for thissssss 💜💜💜
I just saw her at TD Garden in Boston the other night and MY GOD she is spectacular.
When Sam gets that smile it just makes me happy. I know nothing about singing, but I watch his videos all the time. I'm learning a lot.
SAM I THINK YOU READ MY MIND!!! I found this song recently and became obsessed with it and YESTERDAY I started to search for the live performances of it and now I see you posted this what the heck
I saw them live and the quality live and in studio is the same honestly. Love hearing your input!
Oh yay! I really was longing for this and my absolute favorite song of hers to sing too!! The album recording does spend a lot of time at higher pitches than this, but it's neat to see how powerful it is even when it's not at that same octave. I think one of the reasons I like to sing along with this/her is because of the onsets--it helps get me into the less "grabby" zone than I tend to get my throat into when left to my own devices. Plus, high and big 😁 Helpful analysis, thank you!!
Thank you so much for making my days more enjoyable and for making me understand singing and sounds in a way I never did before. I love Florence and I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl a while back. She was so physically intense, running up and down the stairs, doing pirouettes, dancing , and she never sounded out of breath after her sprints. Amazing performer. She definitely has that emotional, raw sound that I love so much. I’m glad you rediscovered her!
omg i've been waiting for this since i discovered your channel lmao great video Sam!!!
Ah, Sam; a Master Watercolorist of the Voice.
I've loved Florence for years and years. Thanks for covering this! I am such a fan of your content!
So excited to see you do my all-time favourite Florence song!
I’ve seen you get asked to analyze her soooo frequently I’m glad it’s here!
Watch you from Brazil (i think its been 2 years now that I watch your channel) and never commented... But I LOVE your videos, they're so didactic and the videos are all very well chosen... Love from Brazil!
Please react to Elis Regina's "Como nossos pais".
Please!!!!
YESS
yesss
or atras da porta
UUUUUUUUUUUP
Pleaseeee do it
I really love your videos. Love your faces when you watch the videos and listen to the music. The explanations are really easy to understand and to the point. Thanks for this. I'm from Argentina ♡
Thank you very much!
Omg I was just thinking YESTERDAY that it would be amazing to analyze this song and wished he did. Sam you read my mind 💜
Dear Sam, I haven't seen any of your videos for quite a while. For half a year, for sure. You are still the best voice teacher on this platform. Your analysis is so amazing. I don't sing, and I don't want to sing, still it is fantastic how much you teach. Keep it up! You are also a very nice person. :)
Love this song! So happy you reacted to it
I’m soooo happy you came across this!!? I love Florence sooo much❤️❤️❤️
I'm such a sucker for Florence and the Machine
I love Florence 💖💖💖💖💖💖
I'm so glad you said that "reckless" comment. I love Florence's voice, but I always thought the same thing. I kind of had it that she was a naturally strong voice, but lacked refinement or training. I do listen to her stuff a lot, and I'll be listening with different ears as well. As always, great video!
I'm glad you chose this performance of "Cosmic Love" to react to. Its by far my personal favorite..
have you already reacted to annie lennox? i find her voice very interesting since it's more of a deep voice
I would love it if he reacted to any contralto
@@lu-cthecynical yes, i mean florence is also a very impressive contralto, but i think that contralto singers in general just don't get that much attention.
@@thebelievers11 florence isnt a contralto tho 🤨
@@damaracarpenter8316 oh she was listed in the contralto list of wikipedia so i thought she falls into that category. My bad, i know wikipedia is not always a reliable source 😅 Thank you for clearing that up!
@@thebelievers11 oh yes! I have seen that list! (I'm don't know shit! so I don't wanna come across as a know it all haha I believe she is a mezzo soprano?
My favorite Florence and the Machine song!
oh my god, my favorite live session by them♡♡♡♡♡ thank you!
OMG I really love this song in specific 💜 when I was in highschool I was OBSESSED with this song, I would listen it all the time and would be amazed with her voice 💕 It's so cool to see an analysis more specific about it. Just as you, I stopped listening Florence at some point of my life, I never knew why, and now that this showed up I hope I can listening to the again 😊 thank you really much for doing this review, it made me feel a lot of emotions and remember really cool memories 💜💜💜
Florence has the most powerful as well as the most soft voice I know. I saw her 4 times live and her voice and personality are still my favorite! So delicate and so strong! A goddess
You've helped this karaoke host sing better. Thanks Sam. I haven't been singing or watching any of my favorite vocal teachers/react videos because I miss my normal side-job soooo much. Sang this morning and things were a little rusty. So here I am :)
YESYESYESSSS, finally some Florence!
Uuhhh, or maybe analysis of Danish singer Jada's "Nudes". Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/Hmbt9UEM1vA/v-deo.html
She gives me goosebumps, adore her sound
Absolutely love the effort you put into each and every video! Really glad to have found your channel as you always manage to put a smile on my face :).
I would love to see you check out some performances by Zak Abel. One of my absolute favourite artists. He's mentioned in the past that he's never had any voice/singing lessons but he'd definitely be interested in it, so I'd love to hear your take on his current technique and any improvements he could consider making.
Again, thank you for giving us such wonderful content!
Beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to Analyze this beautiful woman's voice.
I enjoy Sam’s reviews so much he is always so constructive, kind and honest!
I also had that feeling that I may not like Florence and the Machine when I first heard them but then I get to listen to her more and I listened to her live performances, i fell in lobe with them. The she's a great vocalist, a storyteller and a great lyricist. Her vocal range is dynamic. Hihi. Thank you.
And you Sam, is one of the best and most down to earth vocal coach I have seen here in YT. You say what you wanna say in the most nicest way. And I just love watching your eyes go wide or when your brows twitch when you're reacting to someone and you find them amusing :)
Keep reacting, we love it!
In these trying times I'm always happy to see your videos
Thank you so much 😀
Love this!! One of my all time fav songs from her. So deep.
This is legit my favourite song in the world. I never tire of it and always fills me with a million emotions. So glad you did this song. 😊
Ahh, this song always makes me feel a bit of sadness. Thanks for another informative analysis!
I took a break from the internet for a while and when I came back Sam had his long hair again! Love your work, as always :)
You don't look okay love. I hope you'll be fine. Sending love and healing. I love your videos.
Glad you mentioned the harp Sam, it really lends to the ambiance of the ensemble
Yayyyy a Florence video! I hope you can do more analysis on her because the way she sings is so beautiful and you also seemed to enjoy it! (and yes, she used to be very reckless during her first tours but her vibrato is still the same so I guess that's just how her voice is)
Thank you for this video. I absolutely love her voice! And yes, the instrumentalists were incredible.
I've been waiting forever for a Florence reaction, please do more
Please yes! More Florence Welch. Especially from the last 2 albums!
Finally! She is amazing. I love her style. Thank you for this video Sam. I recommend watching Sarah Kelly- 'Just as You Please' or her cover of 'Dream On'. Her voice is incredibly raspy and deep. I hope you get a chance to watch her. Take care, Sam.