An amazing group

Florenc + The Machine

Florence and the Machine (styled as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band, consisting of lead singer Florence Welch, Isabella Summers, and a collaboration of other artists who provide backing music. The band's music received praise across the music media, especially from the BBC, before they gained mainstream success. Specifically, the BBC played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Introducing.

The band's debut album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Chart. On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks. As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, Ceremonials, released in October 2011, debuted at number one in the UK and number six in the US.

Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul. Lungs won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, Florence and the Machine were nominated for Best New Artist. Additionally, the band performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.Florence and the Machine won the Critic's Choice Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards after coming third in the BBC's Sound of 2009 poll. As well as attention from the BBC, the band received significant support fromNME magazine, who included them on their annual Shockwaves NME Awards Tour for 2009, along with Glasvegas, Friendly Fires and White Lies.

The Sunday Times described Welch as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment" and "the latest in a line of great English pop eccentrics". Allmusic referred to Lungs as "one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerising albums of 2009". Spin magazine rated Lungs eight out of ten and wrote, "You've gotta hand it to the girl: She always makes you feel something." The magazine named it the eighth best album of 2009. In December 2010, Florence and the Machine appeared on one of Spin's three holiday issue covers as Artist of the Year.

Florence and the Machine won the MasterCard British Album award for Lungs at the 2010 BRIT Awards, having also been nominated for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. On 19 February 2010, Florence and the Machine won Best International Band at the 2010 Meteor Awards. The group led the nominations for the 2010 MOJO Awards, with four nods. They received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards. In April 2011, Florence and the Machine were ranked 51 in the 2011 Time 100 poll, which annually lists the 100 most influential people in the world. American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, cited Florence and the Machine as an influence on her 2011 album 4.The band's music video for "No Light, No Light" sparked controversy after several online commentators addressed its religious and racial imagery, due to its perceived use of blackface and representations of voodoo. During an interview with MTV News, when asked by James Montgomery whether she was a part of the Illuminati due to the online accusations around the video, Welch said, "That's ridiculous. Really? So people [think that?]. I'm definitely not [a member]. It's just not true."