“I’ve always seen Final Fantasy as mythical, beautiful and epic.”
Florence Welch’s description of the Final Fantasy series tells us why she was the perfect choice to set the scene in the trailer for the fifteenth instalment.
The frontwoman of Florence and the Machine sings sweetly in their cover of Stand By Me, originally sung by Ben E. King in 1962. The song has her own Florence and the Machine twist on it, with the dramatic instruments used and the way the song builds and builds as it goes along. It follows a short, yet epic, instrumental track composed by Yoko Shimomura, providing an exciting atmosphere for fans as they await the action-filled fantasy game.
Welch’s cover softens the trailer up as she sings over the sound of a harp, until we get to chorus. Like a gust of wind on a warm day, her voice grows in power as she delivers a strong rendition of the song over images of fight sequences and a few heartwarming interactions between the video game’s characters.
“Stand by Me is one of the greatest songs probably of all time and you can’t really improve on it, you just have to make it your own. For me it was just about bringing the song into the world of Florence and the Machine and the world of Final Fantasy,” Welch said.
Florence and the Machine are currently preparing for their tour of Europe, before travelling to the United States, playing a few shows in May and June.
Final Fantasy XV will be released on September 30. Watch the trailer below.
Image: Pitchfork