How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Standard CD and LP cover; the deluxe edition and digital download album cover only includes the grayscale photograph of Florence Welch.
Studio album by Florence and the Machine
Released	29 May 2015 (2015-05-29)
Recorded	February 2014 – 2015
Studio	The Pool, London[a] Angel, London[b] Urchin, London[c] Lightship 95, London[d] Sarm Studio 1, London[e] No. 1 Baltic Place, London[e] Bedrock Rehearsal, Los Angeles[f] 123, London[g]
Genre	Indie pop[1] alternative pop soul art rock[2]
Length	48:46
Label	Island
Producer	Markus Dravs Kid Harpoon John Hill Paul Epworth James Ford Charlie Hugall Isabella Summers Brett Shaw Dan Wilson
Florence and the Machine chronology
MTV Unplugged (2012) How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015) High as Hope (2018)
Alternative cover
Urban Outfitters exclusive LP cover
Singles from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
"What Kind of Man" Released: 12 February 2015 "Ship to Wreck" Released: 9 April 2015 "Queen of Peace" Released: 21 August 2015 "Delilah" Released: 20 November 2015

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is the third studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 29 May 2015, by Island Records. After returning from her year-long hiatus from music, lead vocalist 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 studio albums, the album is much more refined and stripped-down instrumentally, and incorporates a mixture of musical influences such as folk, blues and gospel.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was met with positive reviews from music critics, who commended the album for its cohesion, production and Welch's vocal delivery. Additionally, it appeared on several year-end critics' lists. 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. Four singles were released from the album, "What Kind of Man", "Ship to Wreck", "Queen of Peace" and "Delilah". The album earned the band five Grammy Award nominations, in addition to being shortlisted for the 2015 Mercury Prize.
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