Florence + The Machine is back with their latest single “King” along with its accompanying music video. The track reflects female empowerment and womanhood with Florence Welch singing  “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king.” Its visual is directed by Autumn De Wilde and showcases Welch in a sorceress-like costume, killing a male figure and dancing around as she is king. Check it out below.

“As an artist, I never actually thought about my gender that much,” Florence says in a press release. “I just got on with it. I was as good as the men and I just went out there and matched them every time. But now, thinking about being a woman in my 30s and the future, I suddenly feel this tearing of my identity and my desires. That to be a performer, but also to want a family might not be as simple for me as it is for my male counterparts. I had modeled myself almost exclusively on male performers, and for the first time I felt a wall come down between me and my idols as I have to make decisions they did not.”

“King” is the band’s first new release of material since 2020’s “Light of Love,” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A release date for a new album has yet to be announced. It could potentially arrive before the headlining set at Spain’s Mad Cool Festival in July.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna