How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
| How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful | ||||
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CD and LP cover; the digital download album cover only includes the grayscale photograph of Florence Welch.
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| Studio album by Florence and the Machine | ||||
| Released | 29 May 2015 | |||
| Recorded | February 2014 – 2015 | |||
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| Length | 48:46 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
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| Florence and the Machine chronology | ||||
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| Singles from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Billboard | |
| Consequence of Sound | B+ |
| The Daily Telegraph | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| The Guardian | |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Spin | 7/10 |
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is the third studio album by the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 29 May 2015 by Island Records. After returning from her year-long hiatus from music, frontwoman Florence Welch returned to configure How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, recording material that dealt with personal conflicts and struggles. In comparison to their last two efforts, the album is much more refined and stripped-down instrumentally, and incorporates a mixture of musical influences such as folk, blues and gospel.
Upon release, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended the album for its cohesion, production and Welch's vocal delivery. As a critical success, it appeared on several year-end critics' lists in late 2015. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 68,788 copies sold in its first week, becoming the band's third consecutive number-one album, while topping the charts in several other markets. Four singles have been released from the album—"What Kind of Man", "Ship to Wreck", "Queen of Peace" and "Delilah". How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful has earned the band five Grammy Award nominations, in addition to being shortlisted for the 2015 Mercury Prize.
In 2011, Florence and the Machine released their second studio album, Ceremonials, which became their second consecutive effort to peak at number one on the UK Albums Chart, as well as their first to reach the top 10 of the US Billboard 200, peaking at number six. The album included the song "Spectrum (Say My Name)", which was remixed by Scottish musician Calvin Harris and became the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart in July 2012. In late August 2012, the band's lead vocalist Florence Welch revealed to Style.com that she would take a year-long hiatus from music, explaining, "There's a big 'take a year off' plan. The record company have put no pressure on me for the next album. They've said I can have as long as I want". During her break, Welch made a guest appearance on Calvin Harris's album 18 Months, providing vocals on the song "Sweet Nothing", which topped the UK chart.
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