Bloodflowers is the eleventh studio album from the British rock band The Cure, released in February 2000. The album marks the return of David M. Allen as a repeat collaborator who had previously worked with the band on several of their breakthrough releases in the 1980s. Despite receiving lukewarm responses from critics on its initial release, Bloodflowers has been reassessed more favorably in retrospect.
The album was created to complete the trilogy that Robert Smith, the band's lead vocalist, and primary songwriter, had begun with Pornography and Disintegration. The overarching theme of the trilogy as explained by Smith is of 'morning, noon and night', with Bloodflowers representing the night.
Musically, the album has a darker and more melancholic tone, largely abandoning the pop sensibilities of their more recent releases, and takes inspiration from their earlier goth-rock roots. Lyrically, the album explores themes of mortality, loss, aging, and regret.
The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance in 2000 but did not win. Despite this, Bloodflowers has been cited by many hardcore fans and critics alike as one of the greatest albums in The Cure's discography. It was supported by the Dream Tour, which ran throughout most of 2000. Smith has gone on record to assert his sentimentality for the album, mentioning it as one of his favorites in the band's catalog.
