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Delilah (Florence and the Machine song)

{{Short description|2015 single by Florence and the Machine}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Delilah

| cover = Florence and the Machine - Delilah.png

| border = yes

| caption = 12-inch single cover

| type = single

| artist = Florence and the Machine

| album = How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

| B-side = "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (live)

| released = {{Start date|2015|11|27|df=yes}}

| recorded =

| studio = The Pool (London)

| genre =

  • Pop
  • gospel{{cite web |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-florence-and-the-machine-review-how-big-how-blue-20150529-story.html |title=Review: Florence gives her Machine a more intimate voice |work=Chicago Tribune |date=1 June 2015 |access-date=7 May 2016}}
  • Northern soul{{cite magazine |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/how-big-how-blue-how-beautiful-83927/ |title=Art-pop diva Florence Welch returns with a renewed love for loud guitars and soul vocals |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2 June 2015 |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713093054/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/how-big-how-blue-how-beautiful-83927/ |archive-date=13 July 2018}}{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/06/review-florence-machine-how-big-how-blue-how-beautiful/ |title=Review: Florence + the Machine Go Big, Then Go Home on 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' |work=Spin |date=4 June 2015 |access-date=7 May 2016}}

| length = 4:53

| label = Island

| writer =

| producer = Markus Dravs

| prev_title = Queen of Peace

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title = Wish That You Were Here

| next_year = 2016

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|id=zZr5Tid3Qw4|title="Delilah"}}}}

}}

"Delilah" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their third studio album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015). It was written by Florence Welch and Isabella Summers, and produced by Markus Dravs. The song was released on 27 November 2015 as the album's fourth and final single.

Critical reception

Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone wrote that "Delilah" begins sparsely with Welch's multi-tracked call-and-response vocals sailing atop a simple piano and simmering synths.{{cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/florence-and-the-machine-learn-to-dance-like-delilah-on-new-song-71135/ |title=Florence and the Machine Learn to Dance Like 'Delilah' on New Song |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=19 May 2015 |access-date=10 August 2022}}

Music video

The music video for "Delilah" was directed by Vincent Haycock and premiered on 21 October 2015 as part of the video series The Odyssey.{{cite magazine |last=Reed |first=Ryan |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-florence-welch-navigate-creepy-motel-in-delilah-video-193597/ |title=Watch Florence Welch Navigate Creepy Motel in 'Delilah' Video |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=21 October 2015 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228184142/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-florence-welch-navigate-creepy-motel-in-delilah-video-193597/ |archive-date=28 December 2018}} Filmed in Los Angeles,{{cite web |last=Manders |first=Hayden |url=https://nylon.com/articles/florence-and-the-machine-delilah-music-video |title=Florence + The Machine Debut "Delilah" Music Video |work=Nylon |date=21 October 2015 |access-date=28 December 2018}} the video opens with an intense monologue from an old man. Florence Welch is then seen roaming through a "maze of motel rooms – dancing, writhing intensely, cutting a man's hair and encountering a horrifying goblin." At the end of the video, Welch "triumphantly rides through the streets of Los Angeles [...] as a hat tip to her newfound freedom."

In an interview with Rookie, Haycock said of the video, "The cutting of the hair was a direct reference to the biblical [story of] Delilah, but then it veered off into something more personal to Florence. Since this song was always planned as being the end of the series, we decided to make it about [her] returning to her true self, killing off the ego version of herself, and finding her way home again."{{cite web |last=Donahue |first=Anne T. |url=https://www.rookiemag.com/2015/10/florence-and-the-machine-delilah/ |title=Florence and the Machine: Delilah |work=Rookie |date=21 October 2015 |access-date=28 December 2018}}

Track listings

  • Digital download – Galantis Remix
  1. "Delilah" (Galantis Remix) – 5:37
  2. "Delilah" (Galantis Remix / Radio Edit) – 4:11

:A1. "Delilah" – 4:53

:A2. "Delilah" (Demo) – 4:23

:B. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (live) – 2:58

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.{{cite AV media notes |title=How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful |type=liner notes |author=Florence and the Machine |publisher=Island Records |year=2015 |id=602547236067}}

=Recording=

  • Engineered at The Pool (London)
  • Mixed at Toast Studios (London)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

=Personnel=

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Florence and the Machine

  • Florence Welch – vocals, backing vocals
  • Chris Hayden – drums, percussion
  • Mark Saunders – bass

{{col-2}}

Additional personnel

  • Markus Dravs – production
  • Robin Baynton – engineering, organ, piano
  • Jonathan Sagis – engineering assistance
  • Iain Berryman – engineering assistance
  • Leo Abrahams – electric guitar
  • Pete Prokopiw – programming
  • Craig Silvey – mixing
  • Eduardo de la Paz – mixing assistance
  • Ted Jensen – mastering

{{col-end}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Delilah"

! scope="col"| Chart (2015–2016)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|41|artist=Florence %2B the Machine|song=Delilah|rowheader=true|access-date=30 May 2015}}
{{single chart|Flanders|31|artist=Florence %2B the Machine|song=Delilah|rowheader=true|access-date=2 March 2016}}
{{single chart|France|89|artist=Florence %2B the Machine|song=Delilah|rowheader=true|access-date=2 March 2016}}
{{single chart|Scotland|53|date=20150524|rowheader=true|access-date=24 May 2015}}
scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/150530cluk.txt |title=CHART: CLUK Update 30.05.2015 (wk21) |website=Zobbel.de |access-date=2 March 2016}}

| 102

{{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|15|artist=Florence the Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=28 May 2015}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for "Delilah"

! scope="col"| Chart (2016)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Iceland (Plötutíóindi){{cite web |url=https://plotutidindi.is/arslistar/tonlistinn-log-2016/ |title=Tónlistinn – Lög – 2016 |language=is |publisher=Plötutíóindi |access-date=31 March 2022}}

| 45

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=Delilah|artist=Florence + The Machine|certyear=2024|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2008|access-date=19 August 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for "Delilah"

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}

scope="row"| Various

| 27 November 2015

| Digital download – Galantis Remix

| Island

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Delilah-Galantis-Remix-Florence-Machine/dp/B018S5AJH2 |title=Delilah (Galantis Remix): Florence + The Machine: MP3 Downloads |website=Amazon |location=United Kingdom |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Delilah-Galantis-Remix-Florence-Machine/dp/B018H8FAE2 |title=Delilah (Galantis Remix): Florence + The Machine: MP3 Downloads |website=Amazon |location=United States |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.https://www.amazon.de/Delilah-Galantis-Remix-Florence-Machine/dp/B018U50G1E |title=Delilah (Galantis Remix): Florence + The Machine: MP3-Downloads |website=Amazon |language=de |location=Germany |access-date=10 August 2022}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| United States

| 19 January 2016

| Alternative radio

| rowspan="2"| Republic

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=http://www.allaccess.com/alternative/future-releases |title=Alternative > Future Releases |website=All Access Media Group |access-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117185808/http://www.allaccess.com/alternative/future-releases |archive-date=17 January 2016}}

16 April 2016

| 12-inch single{{efn|Limited-edition release for Record Store Day}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/8529 |title=Florence + The Machine – Delilah / Only Love Can Break Your Heart |publisher=Record Store Day |access-date=25 May 2016}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Florence and the Machine}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2015 singles

Category:2015 songs

Category:Florence and the Machine songs

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Republic Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Markus Dravs

Category:Songs written by Florence Welch