Peak
8
Weeks
7
Score
918
Chart Year
2024
///
"Florida!!!" is a full-blown power ballad escape fantasy recorded by Taylor Swift for her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. This time, she's not alone. Joining her on this musical road trip is the ever-dramatic Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine. A failed relationship is the emotional starting point for "Florida!!!" Swift spends her verses practically spitting about how the town she lives in is driving her insane, while Welch chimes in with some truly colorful desires involving copious amounts of alcohol and questionable swamp-based solutions for ex-boyfriends. Destin, Florida, holds the key: a place where the freedom flows like cheap margaritas and forgetting your troubles is practically mandatory. Some eagle-eyed Swifties might have noticed that this sunshine state escape coincides with the very public disintegration of Taylor Swift's relationship with her longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn. And guess what? The Tampa, Florida shows were the first Eras Tour stop after Swift's split with Alwyn was widely publicized. Speaking to iHeartRadio, Swift said the inspiration behind "Florida!!!" came from the series Dateline NBC. In the interview, she drew a parallel between folks who skip town to Florida for a fresh start after committing crimes, and those seeking solace from a broken heart. In her own words, it's about "reinventing yourself, having a new identity, blending in." Clearly, Florida was holding a lot of symbolic weight for Ms. Swift when she penned this escape anthem. The song has a similar theme to Swift's Reputation track "Getaway Car." Both songs explore themes of escape and have a sense of urgency and a desire to leave a difficult situation behind. This is one of two The Tortured Poets Department tracks where Swift shares the vocals with other artists, the other being Post Malone on "Fortnight." The two songs have a cohesive storyline. In "Fortnight" Swift details the emotional turmoil of becoming neighbors with an ex-lover who's now married. This ultimately leads to her fleeing to Florida. Report this ad "Florida!!!" marks a first-time pairing between Swift and Florence Welch. They first met in 2012 and have since expressed a mutual admiration on several occasions. The pair were seen together backstage at The 1975's O2 Arena show in January 2023. The song features co-writing and production from Jack Antonoff, a collaborator with both artists. He produced Welch's 2022 album Dance Fever and numerous works for Swift. Antonoff is a one-man band on this one, playing all the instruments on the track: bass, cello, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, mellotron, synth. Swift's father Scott declared "Florida!!!" his favorite song on The Tortured Poets Department, describing it as "one hell of a drug" – a reference to one of the song's lyric. Speaking with British Vogue, Florence Welch dished on her collab with Taylor Swift. "I almost didn't think of the scale of it," she confessed laughing. "There's the sort of bigness of [Taylor Swift the phenomenon], and then there's the Taylor I spend time with in the studio, who is just the sweetest and most down to earth." She added that Swift had approached her with a concept and a story for the song, which is her favorite way to start songwriting. The collaboration sounds like a blast – but then reality hit. "We had such a fun time," she recounted. "And then when it came out, I was like, 'Oh, s--t!'" In addition to providing vocals, Florence Welch also plays drums, percussion and piano on the track. Jack Antonoff plays the other instruments. Nestled amongst the usual suspects in the album liner notes, we find the actress Emma Stone's name with the curious designation – "oddities" - for this track. This set the rumor mill a-churning faster than a Florida gator on a sugar rush. What exactly are these "oddities?" Did Stone, in a fit of artistic whimsy, contribute a series of perplexing sound effects – a kazoo solo perhaps, or a particularly enthusiastic bout of hiccups? Or maybe she was simply hanging out during recording sessions, a muse perched on the armrest of inspiration, occasionally tossing out a witty remark or a particularly insightful observation on the heartbreak du jour. The most likely explanation lies in the well-documented friendship between Swift and Stone. Perhaps this credit is a playful wink, a secret handshake for the fans, a subtle way of acknowledging Stone's presence and support during the creative process. It's a little like finding a friend's doodle hidden in the margin of your school notes – a delightful reminder of a shared experience.
You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too They said I was a cheat, I guess it must be true And my friends all smell like weed or little babies And this city reeks of driving myself crazy Little did you know Your home's really only a town you're just a guest in So you work your life away Just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin Florida is one hell of a drug Florida, can I use you up? A hurricane with my name when it came I got drunk and I dared it to wash me away Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine Well, me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time Yes, I'm haunted but I'm feeling just fine All my girls got their lace and their crimes And your cheating husband disappeared Well, no one asks any questions here So I did my best to lay to rest All of the bodies that have ever been on my body And in my mind, they sink into the swamp Is that a bad thing to say in a song? Little did you know Your home's really only the town you'll get arrested So you pack your life away Just to wait out the firestorm back in Texas Florida is one hell of a drug Florida, can I use you up? I need to forget, so take me to Florida I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable At least the dolls are beautiful, f- me up, Florida I need to forget, so take me to Florida I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable What a crash, what a rush, f- me up, Florida It's one hell of a drug It's one hell of a drug Love left me like this and I don't want to exist So take me to Florida Little did you know Your home's really only a town you're just a guest in (take me to Florida) So you work your life away Just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin (take me to Florida) Little did you know Your home's really only the town you'll get arrested (take me to Florida) So you pack your life away Just to wait out the firestorm back in Texas (take me to) Florida is one hell of a drug (take me to) Florida, can I use you up? Florida is one hell of a drug Florida, can I use you up?
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 4, 2024 | 8 | 118 |
| 2 | May 11, 2024 | 20 | 106 |
| 3 | May 18, 2024 | 33 | 93 |
| 4 | May 25, 2024 | 41 | 85 |
| 5 | Jun 1, 2024 | 64 | 62 |
| 6 | Jun 8, 2024 | 77 | 49 |
| 7 | Jun 15, 2024 | 84 | 42 |