Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is a British singer-songwriter. Born in 1986, she first started playing the clarinet at age 9, learned guitar at 14 and got into songwriting soon afterwards. After spending two years studying at the University of Kent, she took a gap year to focus on singing. Originally interested in making folk music, her meeting with electronic record producer Starsmith broadened her sonic horizons, and his influence was greatly left on her debut album
Lights.
Her follow-up album,
Halcyon, went farther away from the folktronica tag that was slapped on her first album, creating epic electronica soundscapes that were widely regarded as an improvement from her first album. It also contained a few forays into
Dubstep, likely thanks to her then-boyfriend
Skrillex.
Discography
Ellie is a featured vocalist on:
Ellie Goulding provide examples of:
- Breakup Album: Halcyon is believed to be inspired by Ellie's relationship with her ex, radio DJ Greg James.
- Cover Version: Her rendition of Elton John's classic "Your Song". As such, it's also an example of This Is Your Song.
- Creator Couple: With Skrillex. She's featured on the song "Summit" from the Bangarang EP.
- Darker and Edgier: Halcyon is much darker, lyrically and sonically, than Lights and its re-release were.
- Everyone Loves Blondes
- Helium Speech: Implemented as electronic babble in "Only You".
- Hotter and Sexier/Three Minutes of Writhing: The "Lights" video. Ellie Gyrating around in a short dress?
Check.- The visuals for the Halcyon album have definitely been a bit saucier, as well.
- Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly: Her music is a mix of Pop, Electronic and Folk.
- Non Appearing Title: "Halcyon" and "Atlantis".
- Precision F-Strike: Not herself, but Tinie Tempah provides the only cursing on Halcyon during the song "Hanging On".
- Record Producer: Starsmith produced most of Lights, while Jim Eliot was the main driving force behind Halcyon.
- Surreal Music Video: "Figure Eight" contains a chockload of symbolism and unclear imagery.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: She's at least 5'7, whereas ex-boyfriend Skrillex is 5'4.
- Title Track: Subverted by "Lights", which was originally not featured on the standard edition of the album it named. Played straight on Halcyon, which is named after the track of the same name.
- To Become Human: "Human".
- A Wild Rapper Appears: Tinie Tempah on "Hanging On", a song that originally didn't have a rap verse.
- You Gotta Have Purple Hair: And she did for a good few months.
- Right now, it's currently pink.
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