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South London's Florence + the Machine blend Baroque pop, pastoral folk, and artful alternative rock to create a rousing sound which they debuted on 2009's Lungs. Led by namesakes Florence Welch and Isabella "Machine" Summers, the group broke into the mainstream on the strength of their platinum singles "Dog Days Are Over," "You've Got the Love," and "Shake It Out," which were elevated by Welch's powerhouse vocals. As their first three releases topped U.K. charts, they made a steady climb in the U.S., hitting number six on the Billboard 200 with 2011's Ceremonials. In 2015, they secured their first Billboard number one with How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which became a worldwide smash. That same year they headlined the Glastonbury Festival and returned to the Top Five of the global album charts with 2018's High as Hope. Following non-album singles like 2019's "Jenny of Oldstones" and 2020's "Light of Love," Welch and company released 2022's choreomania-influenced set Dance Fever.

Formed in 2007 by vocalist Welch and keyboardist Summers, Florence + the Machine released their debut single, "Kiss with a Fist," on the Moshi Moshi label in June 2008. Once a full band was recruited, they signed with Island Records in November. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Lungs, followed in July 2009 and quickly became one of the year's most popular releases in the U.K., where Florence charted four Top 40 singles in less than 12 months. The songs gathered steam in other parts of the world, too, particularly in America, where the anthemic "Dog Days Are Over" peaked at number 21 and went platinum. Lungs was reissued the following year in a two-disc package entitled Between Two Lungs, adding a bonus 12-track disc that featured live versions, remixes by the Horrors and Yeasayer, and Twilight soundtrack inclusion "Heavy in Your Arms."

In 2010, Florence + the Machine returned to the studio with producer Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Adele) to begin work on their second full-length outing. The resulting Ceremonials, which successfully expanded on the group's already huge sound, arrived on Halloween in 2011. In addition to the lead single "Shake It Out," the chart-topping set also included "No Light, No Light" and the Australian multi-platinum Top Three hit "Never Let Me Go."

The following year saw the release of CD and DVD versions of MTV Unplugged, an 11-track set filmed before a small studio audience that featured fan favorites along with a pair of covers, including "Try a Little Tenderness" and the Johnny Cash/June Carter classic "Jackson," the latter of which featured guest vocals by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. That same year, Welch announced an upcoming period of inactivity, during which time the band crafted its next record and Welch scored a chart-topping dance hit, "Sweet Nothing," with Scottish producer Calvin Harris.

Her third studio long-player, the Markus Dravs-produced How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, arrived in May 2015. Nominated for five Grammy Awards, it was the band's third consecutive number one U.K. album, topping charts in Australia, the U.S., and across Europe. A yearlong international tour and short film The Odyssey extended How Big's promotional cycle into 2016.

Their fourth effort, High as Hope, followed in 2018. Featuring production by Welch and Emile Haynie, the album included the singles "Sky Full of Song," "Big God," and "Hunger." Upon release, it entered the Top Three across the globe. While on the road promoting the effort, Welch issued the singles "Moderation" and "Jenny of Oldstones." The latter track appeared on the final season of television series Game of Thrones and became a modest chart hit.

Another single, "Light of Love," arrived in April 2020 as a charity song released in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with proceeds going to Britain's Intensive Care Society. Welch also contributed the song "Call Me Cruella" to the soundtrack to Disney's live-action 2021 film Cruella.

The Jack Antonoff co-produced "King" arrived in February 2022 as the first single released off the band's fifth studio album, Dance Fever. Antonoff joined Glass Animals' Dave Bayley and Kid Harpoon on production of the anthemic, healing LP, which also included the urgent hit singles "Free" and "My Love." Released that May, the album topped the U.K. Albums chart, as well as Billboard's Top Rock and Alternative charts. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200. ~ James Christopher Monger & Neil Z. Yeung

Marea Stamper, professionally known as the Blessed Madonna, is one of the most celebrated DJs of her time, thanks to her eclectic, joyous sets, which can encompass anything from classic electro and new wave to the latest techno and house white labels. Her production work, including the widely praised 2016 single "He Is the Voice I Hear," walks the line between disco and techno, with the emotional weight of the former and the driving momentum of the latter. After a series of remixes for acts like Dua Lipa and Florence + the Machine, the Blessed Madonna made her Warner debut with the house anthem "Serotonin Moonbeams" in 2022. Her guest-heavy premiere full-length, Godspeed, arrived in 2024. One of dance music's foremost activists, she is renowned for her commitment to humanitarian work and her outspoken views on LGBTQ rights and gender inclusivity.

Stamper was born in 1977 into a Christian family in rural Kentucky. She discovered electronic dance music at the age of 14, when she snuck into her first rave. Two years later, Stamper dropped out of school to travel around America selling rave gear, including mixtapes, at parties. She taught herself to DJ while majoring in English at Louisville University, using the college radio station -- and a barn full of rare funk records -- as her initial platform. Soon after her studies concluded, Stamper was contacted by Radek, an acquaintance from her mixtape-selling days, who offered her a position at his new label, Dust Traxx, in Chicago. She relocated there and quickly launched herself into the city's nightlife, initially using the name Lady Foursquare.

After a few years, Stamper began to discover her own sound, changing her moniker to the Black Madonna -- named after religious iconography -- in the process. Her debut release, Alright This Morning, came out on Home Taping Is Killing Music in 2012, leading to a residency at Smart Bar. A year later, Stamper was appointed creative director of the venue, through which she aimed to create more diversity within the scene, including the launch of DAPHNE: A Women's Movement in Dance Music. Her 2013 EP Lady of Sorrows sold more copies than her previous releases, resulting in an increase in popularity and bookings worldwide. A string of further releases culminated in her 2016 single "He Is the Voice I Hear," which acted as the first record for her own label, We Still Believe. Mixmag named her DJ of the year (the first time they granted a woman the award), and she appeared on the magazine's cover wearing a gold crown.

In 2017, Stamper began a residency at London club XOYO, selling out the venue for 13 straight weeks. She then relocated to the city and became a popular DJ on BBC Radio One. She appeared as herself in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online, where she was given a radio station called We Believe. While she didn't release any original material for five years following "He Is the Voice I Hear," she delivered high-profile remixes for Robyn, Silk City & Dua Lipa, Georgia, and others. Stamper officially changed her stage name to the Blessed Madonna in July 2020, following the wave of worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. She mixed Dua Lipa's Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album, which arrived the following August. The project's first single was her remix of the song "Levitating," featuring Missy Elliott as well as the other, more famous Madonna. In 2021, she was sampled on the Fred again.. single "Marea (We've Lost Dancing)" and issued the DJ mix NYE 2021. A remix of Florence + the Machine's "Free" followed the next June, and in November 2022, the Blessed Madonna made her Warner Records debut with "Serotonin Moonbeams" featuring Uffie. A remix of ALYSS' "Pyramid" appeared before the end of the year.

Several singles arrived in 2023, including collaborations with Jamie Principle, the Joy, and Todd Edwards. Having previously recorded and shelved an entire full-length, Stamper worked on her proper debut album for several years. Godspeed finally arrived in 2024, with guests including Kylie Minogue, Shaun J. Wright, Danielle Ponder, and Clementine Douglas. ~ Liam Martin & Paul Simpson