Ellie Goulding is an English singer-songwriter from Hereford, born in 1986. She begins in folk-influenced songwriting and later moves towards electronic pop, dance, ambient synth pop and dance-pop, with further work touching contemporary R&B, dream pop and EDM.

Early life and career beginnings

Goulding studies drama at the University of Kent after moving to the east coast of England. She develops an interest in folk music as a teenager, and encounters electronica at university. After two years she leaves her studies, moves to West London and starts working as an alternative singer-songwriter. In London she works with producers including Starsmith and Frankmusik, who help shape her songs into electro-pop. She also writes for other artists, including Diana Vickers and Gabriella Climi.

She begins building an online audience in 2009, with early tracks such as “Starry Eyed” and a cover of Sam Sparro’s “Black & Gold” appearing on MP3 blogs. She then attracts attention from major press and record labels and signs to Polydor Records. At the end of 2009, she is named top of BBC Sound of 2010.

Studio albums

Goulding’s debut album, Lights, is released in 2010. It tops the UK chart in its first week and produces the Top Five single “Starry Eyed.” The album is later reissued as Bright Lights, which adds seven new recordings, including her version of Elton John’s “Your Song”, which reaches number two.

Her second album, Halcyon, follows in 2012 and presents a more experimental electro-pop sound. A deluxe edition, Halcyon Days, appears in 2013 with ten additional songs. New tracks from this period include “Burn” and “How Long Will I Love You”, both major hits for her.

Her third album, Delirium, arrives in 2015 and features work with Max Martin, Greg Kurstin and others. It has a more pop-oriented sound and includes “On My Mind”. The album reaches number three in both the UK and the US.

Her fourth studio album, Brightest Blue, is released in 2020 and debuts at number one in the UK, giving her a third UK chart-topping album. It also reaches number two in Scotland and the top ten in Ireland, and appears in the top 40 in more than ten countries, including Australia, Germany and the United States.

Her fifth studio album, Higher Than Heaven, is announced in 2023.

Singles, collaborations and soundtrack work

Goulding’s early breakthrough singles include “Starry Eyed” and “Guns and Horses”. Later singles and collaborations include Calvin Harris’s “Outside”, Sean Paul’s “Bad Love”, Diplo and Swae Lee’s “Close to Me”, Kygo’s “First Time”, Silk City’s “New Love”, Blackbear collaboration “Worry About Me”, Lauv collaboration “Slow Grenade”, Big Sean collaboration “Easy Lover”, and projects with Alok and Sigala on “All by Myself”.

She also records soundtrack songs and major standalone singles, including “Beating Heart” from Divergent, “Love Me Like You Do” from Fifty Shades of Grey, and “River”, her version of the Joni Mitchell song, which reaches number one in the UK. “Hate Me” is released with Juice Wrld, and “Flux”, “Sixteen”, “Power” and “Let It Die” are also part of her later catalogue. “Burn” and “How Long Will I Love You” become some of her best-known songs, and “On My Mind” is a key track from Delirium.

Other work and performances

Goulding takes part in Band Aid 30’s version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and is associated with Live Lounge Allstars. She performs “Anything Could Happen” at the opening ceremony for Expo 2020 in Dubai and appears at Rock in Rio in Lisbon in 2022.

Style

Her music develops from folk-rooted beginnings into a more electronic direction, with acoustic and synthesised elements appearing across her albums. She is known for a high soprano voice and for writing songs that combine pop hooks with an emotional, intimate tone.