Album: Ceremonials (2011)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • The fourth single from Ceremonials finds Florence Welch singing of how a relationship that exposes the full spectrum of feelings will produce a love that illuminates and shines forever. She told BBC's Newsbeat, the song "has a lot to do with rainbows and prisms."
  • Surrealist photographer and fine artist David LaChapelle directed the video. He has also shot clips for No Doubt, Christina Aguilera and Blink-182, but this was his first music promo for several years, the previous one being Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own." The visual shows Florence Welch surrounded by a collection of ballerinas dancing around her as well as the singer sat on a brightly-lit chair. LaChapelle said regarding the visual's concept in a behind-the-scenes look: "This song is one of the brightest, and obviously one with a positive message on the record… It's big and it's colorful and I started thinking about color and all the different color images in my head… This rainbow idea came up, and it's just something about your work, and so that was kind of in my dream scenario."

    Welch added: "It was a complete dream to work with David LaChapelle. I collected his books as a teenager, and I fantasized that he would direct the video for 'Spectrum' from the moment the song was written."
  • A remix by Calvin Harris was released as a single. It debuted at #1 on the UK chart, giving Florence + the Machine their first chart topping single.

    In return for Harris' remix, Welch agreed to appear on the Scottish dance producer's track "Sweet Nothing." Florence explained to MTV News that remixes are easier on the mind. "It's nice," she said. "You get to listen to a song and actually appreciate it, instead of analyzing it. You end up liking it so much more, because it's out of your hands a bit," she added. "You can appreciate it, instead of being like, 'Aw, I should have done this or that .'"

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