Yes, Florence Welch Has Influenced Taylor Swift

The 2015 Glastonbury lineup just got a major change, following the news that Dave Grohl's broken leg forced the Foo Fighters to cancel their headlining slot. Stepping in to replace them is an equally powerful act, Florence and the Machine. The performance is a huge deal, given that it makes Florence Welch the first British woman to headline the festival since 1999.

While announcing the news, Glastonbury's co-organizer Emily Eavis voiced her enthusiasm for the musician, saying, "Once we heard the sad news that Foo Fighters had been forced to pull out, there was only one person we wanted to call and that was Florence. Every time she has played here she’s done something spectacular and we always knew she would headline the Pyramid one day. I’m delighted she’s agreed to step up to it — she’s going to smash it!"

As shocking as it is that Welch is the first British woman to headline Glastonbury this century, it's not surprising that she was chosen to step up for the major performance. After all, ever since she soared onto the scene with 2010's Lungs, Florence and the Machine's music appeared everywhere from The Vampire Diaries to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Along the way, Welch has built up a steady foundation of famous friends who are both vocal about their love of her music and the fact that she's influenced them:

1. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift sang her praises of Welch to Billboard , saying, "What sets Florence apart? Everything. Every time I've been around her, she is the most magnetic person in the room – surrounded by people who are fascinated by the idea of being near her. But when she meets people, she pays them a warm compliment and immediately disarms them. There are very few people I've met in my life who are truly electric, and Florence is one of them."

2. Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding was so overwhelmed to meet Welch that her heart started racing. "I did a show with Florence and the Machine, afterwards she came up to me, squeezed me and said she kept playing my song over and over again," Goulding told Contact Music. "So I did the usual, 'Oh my god, that's great,' very casual, but there were two people at the same time.One was me going 'Argh' and the other was really calm. They clashed that night. These two people bumped into each other, and it was a disaster. I ended up feeling really upset and weird, it felt like having a heart attack. I actually went to A+E."

3. Beyonce

There's nothing like having Queen Bey in your corner. Beyonce, who headlined Glastonbury in 2011, told NME, "I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teenie Marie… I listened to a lot of Jackson Five and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence And The Machine, and Prince."

4. Katy Perry

Katy Perry paid tribute to Welch while impersonating her on an episode of Saturday Night Live. Welch responded to the bit by telling MTV, "I think she looks amazing! I was like, ’Yeah, that’s it! You’ve got the hair, the dress, everything.’ ... I’ve heard she did a really amazing job, and I’m kind of really honored.”

5. Green Day

Green Day are such fans of Welch that they invited her onstage to perform with them. Welch later recalled the event to Rolling Stone, saying, "I got to live out my 11-year-old fantasies – I got to go on stage with Green Day. Billie Joe called my name from the stage. Dookie was the first album I ever bought. I covered the whole of Nimrod and he'd heard it. That was like the 11-year-old girl dreamed."

6. Jessie Ware

Before she found solo success, Jessie Ware sang backup for Welch. "Well I had already made my record and was signed by that point. It was just a lovely thing to be a part of," she told Digital Spy. "It was made in Abbey Road Studios and it was a lovely compliment for Flo to ring you up and be like, 'Look, I really want you to sing on it'. It was an absolute pleasure and was really special."

7. Blake Lively

Blake Lively is such a fan of Welch that she invited her to perform on Gossip Girl . "[Blake] actually came to our very first New York show," Florence told E! News. "She's been to all of the shows that we've done in America and she flew out to Las Vegas just because I was performing there over the New Year."

Yeah, I think Florence has earned this honor. Big time.

Images: Getty Images (7)