Ferocity. Emotion. Grandeur. These are some of the qualities that I love about Florence. And they all come together on “Queen of Peace”, one of my favorite tracks from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. It’s a song that switches gears two times—once from the string arrangement prelude to the fierceness of the opening verse. Then up another notch to the emotional rampage of the chorus. It’s one of the most powerful songs from one of the most powerful artists of the last decade.

“Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill, I will conquer. Blood is running deep. Some things never sleep.”