With the Release of Florescence, Maisie Peters’ Talent has Officially Bloomed

By Kyla Lemieux

After nearly three years of waiting, Maisie Peters has finally released her third studio album, Florescence, and it has been well worth the wait. After the release of her sophomore album, The Good Witch (June 23, 2023), Peters embarked on a huge headline tour, as well as tours supporting artists including Ed Sheeran and Conan Gray. But, once these tours inevitably came to an end, fans automatically wondered, “what’s next for Maisie?” The answer was a long two years full of cryptic messages, hints at song titles, and a lot of speculation around the name of the album, which, before its official announcement, had been dubbed by fans as well as Peters herself as “MP3.”

 

The album’s first two singles, “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You,” made it clear that Peters had begun to take a step away from her signature pop-centered sound, and moved in a new, more folky direction. Once you listen to the entire album in its full form, though, it is evident that Peters’ music is far from confined to one genre, bringing in inspiration from many iconic artists while still being entirely unique and individual.

In addition to being a multi-genred project, the subject matters from song to song vary from heartwarming love songs to the witty disses towards past lovers that appear on nearly every track on The Good Witch. As a whole, Florescence is a wonderfully constructed album, and proves that Peters and her discography are a perfect example of “quality over quantity.”

1. “Mary Janes”

Having a strong first track is one of the most important ways an artist can ensure that they’ll instantly win over a listener, and Peters has clearly perfected this art. Though it is an admittedly bold choice to open an album with a slower song, “Mary Janes” is far from a boring number, and holds just the right amount of power within the lyrics to draw listeners in before hearing any of the other tracks.

In the lyrics, Peters talks about how she no longer worries about her “insecurities” because her partner loves each and every one of them. She sings about not caring what others think, since she only cares about the approval and praise of her partner, which is something she’s already acquired. She incorporates lines about not needing fancy items, because none of them matter as long as she’s in a healthy relationship. A sharp contrast to many of her more heartbroken songs, Peters beautifully encapsulates the feeling of being in love in this easy-going guitar ballad.

 

2. “Audrey Hepburn”

Released as the first single of Florescence, “Audrey Hepburn” feels like a mature sister song to “Mary Janes.” The song holds countless metaphors about falling in love with someone who loves you back, including lines such as “My heart was a hellhound, now my heart sits in your lap” and “Love was a myth, now it’s my morning coffee.”

In the chorus, Peters sings about how even without makeup, her partner swears that she “looks like Audrey Hepburn.” The song feels like a warm, comforting fire on the coldest day of winter, and acts as the perfect first single to the album, as it holds a strong amount of the overall mood of Florescence without instantly letting listeners in on all the secrets the album holds.

 

3. “Say My Name In Your Sleep”

Another of the singles released before the album, “Say My Name In Your Sleep” holds a vastly different subject matter to the previous two tracks. While the opening songs are about falling in love, track three is the opposite. The lyrics tell the story of a past lover, who Peters clearly still has not fully let go. The song explores themes of needing closure, even long after a relationship has ended.

In the chorus, Peters repeats, “You’re happy now, I’m happy for you, but I hope you say my name in your sleep.” Other themes include the fear of being “forgotten” by someone you were once extremely close with, which is something that can be applied to all kinds of relationships, not only romantic ones.

In addition to being the first more somber song on the album, “Say My Name In Your Sleep” is also the first track that fully lets listeners see the clear folk influences that Peters drew from while creating Florescence, which she has recently revealed she primarily worked on in Nashville. Throughout the song, a reliable banjo line can be heard, fully introducing us to Peters’ recent genre shift.

 

4. “Old Fashioned” 

With the album’s fourth track, we are reminded of one of the many reasons we fell in love with Peters’ lyricism on her past albums: her angry, sharp put-downs of past lovers. “Old Fashioned” is about another ex-lover, but this time Peters isn’t necessarily looking for closure but rather wishing that the relationship “never happened.”

Peters sets the scene by describing a bar, where her past lover is drinking with (and making false promises) to his new girlfriend. The man is described as narcissistic but annoyingly charming, with Peters stating that she’s sure his new girl thinks he’s “pure magic” even after he left Peters “barely alive.”

Though the song is laced with quick-witted mockeries of the man she used to love, her lingering pain and anger remains evident throughout the lyrics. Similarly to “Say My Name In Your Sleep,” this track lets us get even more familiar with the folky nature of the album, but the electric guitar that appears in the background as the song begins to build up towards the end proves that Peters also drew from some rock-and-roll inspiration.

 

5. “Houses”

Since my first listen of this album, I could tell that “Houses” was one of the strongest tracks lyrically. What makes it so powerful is the fact that Peters has revealed since its release that “Houses” is the first song she’s released that she wrote entirely on her own, proving that she’s mastered the craft of turning her own pain into art.

The song explores “what could’ve been,” describing the life Peters can envision “like a nightmare” if she’d stayed in a clearly toxic relationship. Though the sonic presence of the song feels more melancholy, the underlying message is that Peters is thankful that she’s escaped the relationship.

Once again filled with metaphors, a personal favourite lyric in the song is “A million eggshells on the bedroom floors,” which is a commonly-used yet still powerful way of describing a toxic relationship, whether romantic or platonic. Another lyric that stands out in “Houses” is “An old apartment, only fit for one king,” which lets listeners know what kind of person Peters’ ex truly is.

 

6. “Kingmaker (with Julia Michaels)”

Acting as the final single to be released before the album, “Kingmaker” feels like a more angry sibling of “Houses.” In the song, which features Grammy-nominated artist Julia Michaels, the two sing about the patterns of a certain ex’s. The song explores all the red flags that are noticed only after a relationship is already over. The two tell of putting a man on a pedestal, only to find that all he wanted was power. A lyric that I personally feel represents the entire message of the song is one included in the second verse: “Should’ve seen it in the way you hate your sister. You love a strong woman until it makes you bitter.” Similarly to “Old Fashioned” (which could easily be about the same person), the lyrics describe a true narcissist, who, in the end, cared about himself more than the person he claimed to be in love with.

 

7. “Vampire Time”

Though this track marks roughly the halfway point in the album, Peters proves that she has consistently kept up the quality of the songs throughout the entire project. “Vampire Time” is about someone that Peters didn’t pursue once because the timing wasn’t right, but now that things have changed she’s ready to try again.

One of the more upbeat pop songs on the album, this track feels like a first date with someone you’ve inevitably been destined to be with. It captures the excitement of finally falling in love, with lyrics like, “I had to know what you’re doing tonight, and what you’re doing tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.” It is reminiscent of new beginnings, as if the feeling of the first day of spring was put into a song. In contrast with many of Peters’ more metaphor-heavy songs, “Vampire Time” is more focused on imagery, incorporating lines such as, “We had a moment, had an opening, had an almost first kiss,” which help paint the picture for listeners. A personal favourite of mine, “Vampire Time” is an optimistic shift after the past few sadder songs on the album.

 

8. “My Regards”

After “Vampire Time,” Peters sticks with the up-beat, light-hearted tracks with “My Regards.” Acting as another single off the album. The track is a witty, tongue-in-cheek song reminiscent of some of Peters’ past work. The song tells the story of a “girl gone reckless” who won’t let another person so much as touch her partner.

The lyrics explain Peters’ dissatisfaction with anyone who tries to win over the man she’s with, stating, “any man or woman who wants him, I’ll have for breakfast.” While the song itself already paints a vivid picture, it is also accompanied by a comedy-infused music video which flawlessly plays out the exact scenes mentioned in the song.

 

9. “You You You”

After the optimistic two song run of “Vampire Time” and “My Regards,” “You You You” provides a sharp contrast in subject matter. One of the most emotionally distraught songs on the album, “You You You” relays the feeling of being unable to move on from a past relationship, despite the fact that the other person “couldn’t care less.” 

The verses are filled with the pain-ridden memories that haunt Peters day and night. In the first verse, Peters states, “So I can’t go back, and I can’t go home, and I can’t move forward,” describing the fact that no matter where she goes and what she does, she’s still constantly reminded of someone from her past.

Later, she speaks on the fact that these emotions have also begun to spill into her other relationships, writing, “Now I can’t shut up so I just shut down and my friends are worried.” Despite being one of quite a few slower songs on the album, it stands out as one of the most lyrically strong pieces within the entire project.

 

10. “If You Let Me (with Marcus Mumford)”

Throughout Florescence, Peters seems to have a habit of putting songs together that feel closely related in some way, and “If You Let Me” feels absolutely related to “You You You.” The song once again explores the idea of moving on and getting over someone from the past. Though the song is laced with heartbroken lyrics such as, “Watching your life like a movie,” “If You Let Me” feels significantly more optimistic than its previously mentioned “sibling song,” as the chorus is all about being “alright.” 

A duet with Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, this is another of the more folky songs on the album. The guitar in the background feels somewhat laid back, leaving room for the vulnerable lyrics in the foreground. Though it may not be the overall strongest on the album, “If You Let Me” still provides a lyrically and sonically enjoyable experience.

 

11. “Flat Earther”

Though the album is now coming to close with only a few tracks left, there has clearly been no lull in music quality, and “Flat Earther” proves just that. Once again, Peters utilizes metaphors, this time comparing her love for a past partner to a “conspiracy.” Though the sonic atmosphere of the song is quiet, the anger and hurt of the lyrics comes through in Peters’ voice as she sings lyrics such as, “I remember, I believed you were something more than mortal, and you were in love with me.” In addition to the powerful lyrics, “Flat Earther” is also one of the most vocally impressive tracks on the album, proving that Peters has come a long way since her widely criticized vocal performance when opening for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” in 2024.

 

12. “Questions”

With the album coming to a close, it’s the perfect time for a few final, cleverly written, pop songs. Out of all the songs on the album, “Questions” feels the most similar to the contents of Peters’ sophomore album, but it still fits right in on Florescence. The song tells the opposite story of songs like “You You You,” where this time Peters’ past lover is the one who has yet to move on from the relationship, despite the fact that Peters can “just walk right past him” without saying a word.

The fast-paced nature of the lyrics feels almost reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s 1989, feeling like the perfect song to run across the beach to. The song also explores the idea of finding someone who treats you better than the person you were previously with, which is a theme Peters builds on more on the album’s final track. “Questions” is one of those songs that immediately feels like it belongs in a live setting, and it is one of the songs on the album that I’m looking the most forward to experiencing in concert.

 

13. “Girl’s Just Flying”

Though Florescence is filled with songs I absolutely love, “Girl’s Just Flying” would have to be my personal favourite. A song about officially moving on from a painful relationship, Peters proudly sings, “I used to think this town was taken by you, and it’s funny how it’s suddenly mine.” 

The track is filled to the brim with hope and joy, both in the lyrics and the happy melody behind them. It also feels like a sort of forgiveness, as though Peters is entirely letting go of the past and all the emotions she had tied to it. Despite the lyric about how it’s “snowing,” “Girl’s Just Flying” feels like the middle of summer.

After an emotional roller coaster across the entire album, this track is by far the breakthrough moment, as if all the previous songs filled with pain and reminiscing lead up to this burst of final closure. The final two tracks on the album seem to feed off of this energy, both of which being about moving on after being hurt.

 

14. “You Then Me Now”

Though the song starts out feeling melancholy, “You Then Me Now” turns out to be about finally discovering the ways someone is bad for you, and figuring out how to break away from them. The song builds throughout, with Peters seemingly piecing together more and more about a toxic relationship as the lyrics progress. The bridge is another example of Peters’ incredible writing talents, including lyrics such as, “You’re sorry, you mean it, it hangs there, I leave it.” The lyrics of self-discovery and growth are powerful, inspiring listeners who have been through similar events to those mentioned in the track. With the closing of this song, we are brought to the final track of Florescence.

 

15. “Nothing Like Being In Love”

After a trip through almost every possible emotion and experience that can be found in a relationship, we come to the conclusion of the album. While “Nothing Like Being In Love” holds many lyrics about finding a healthy relationship, the true meaning of the song is finally figuring out how toxic somebody was after not seeing the signs for so long. Peters says that it took finding a genuine partner to see that someone from her past wasn’t right for her, stating, “We went at it blindly, I begged you to find me, but you never knew where to look.”

Another stand-out track lyrically, “Nothing Like Being In Love” feels like the perfect way of closing out the album. Throughout the project, two themes remain constant: finding yourself after a past relationship, and finding yourself in a blooming one. Though there are many songs that relate to both of these topics, “Nothing Like Being In Love” is the sole song that incorporates both as a main theme, making it the perfect way of wrapping up a story of pain, joy, and most of all, healing.

 

In my opinion, the best albums are the ones that take you on a journey, and Florescence by Maisie Peters does exactly that. As I said before, this album was absolutely worth the long wait, and it proved that, though Peters was already a talented individual, she has come so far as both a vocalist and a writer.

Fans are now eagerly awaiting a tour to be announced, following the announcement of Peters’ largest show yet, a headline concert at the O2 Arena in London, which is set to take place on May 8th, 2027.

Though the album is sonically opposite to some of Peters’ past music, Florescence is absolutely worth a listen, especially if you find excitement in powerful lyricism. The meaning of the word “florescence” is the act of a plant blooming into its fullest self, and that’s exactly what Peters does throughout this album.