Transcendent might be the best word to describe Florence Welch — her music is airy and somehow shockingly forceful, her stage presence and aura are angelic but full of rage and verve (almost to the point of sinfulness). She, at face value, seems like a walking contradiction and it’s one she pulls off masterfully; songs like “What Kind of Man” on her latest album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Island Records, 2015) epitomize this sentiment effortlessly. For the past 10 years the British singer has been riding a veritable high with critics and fans alike. She’s garnered an enormous number of prestigious nominations (including the Grammy Awards and the Mercury Prize) and a slew of wins (including the Brit Awards and the Q Awards). In 2016, Florence + The Machine returned stateside for the first of two nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (an homage to her success and sheer power, the star sold out the 18,000 capacity stadium).

As a live performer Florence leaves little to be desired. She effervescently floats on stage, her heels never touching the ground, like there are strings holding her up as she belts out unbelievably high notes (hitting them with an unmatched precision, defying all rhyme and reason). Her presence illuminates the stadium and her energy carries with her as she runs from the front of Barclays Center all the way to the back of house to sing “Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)” nestled among the audience, all the while not so much as breaking a sweat. Florence is humble and introduces notes of humor into her live act (reminding us how the last time she was on stage in New York she had a broken foot, but gave it her all, and how she longs to bring a choir with her in her travels, but asks instead for her audience to sing along and do it while pretending they are hung-over and scared—the way she felt when she wrote “Shake It Out”). As she hands out flowers and hugs to her fans, it’s hard to not feel at home with Florence—there is a sense of camaraderie and familiarly at all her shows as she plays the part of barefoot goddess, her worshippers constantly crying for more. At times there is a religious feel to her concert and at other times it feels like a total and absolute exorcism (of our mind, bodies, and spirits).

As the years wear on, Florence and the Machine reminds us of an eternal youth and joy that is utterly unprecedented. Florence has been winning over the hearts and ears of fans across the world as she continues to grow (and flourish)—it’s no doubt that her future remains bright. Be sure to check out Florence and the Machine at florenceandthemachine.net and on iTunes.