Ellie Goulding
Biography
Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer and songwriter, born on December 30, 1986, in Hereford, England. She was raised in the small village of Lyonshall. Her passion for music started at a young age; she began playing the clarinet at age nine and started writing her own songs by the age of 15. Goulding attended the University of Kent to study drama, where she was discovered and her musical career began to take shape.
Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
In 2009, Goulding signed with Polydor Records and released her debut extended play, "An Introduction to Ellie Goulding". The following year, she gained significant recognition after winning the BBC Sound of 2010 poll and the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards. Her debut studio album, "Lights," was released in 2010 and topped the UK Albums Chart. The album included the hit singles "Starry Eyed" and "Guns and Horses". A reissue of the album, titled "Bright Lights," featured the successful single "Your Song," a cover of the Elton John classic, and the title track "Lights," which became a major international hit.
Continued Success
Goulding's second album, "Halcyon," released in 2012, continued her success with singles like "Anything Could Happen". The 2013 reissue, "Halcyon Days," included the single "Burn," which became her first UK number-one single. Her third studio album, "Delirium," was released in 2015 and featured the worldwide hit "Love Me like You Do" from the "Fifty Shades of Grey" soundtrack, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination. Over the years, she has released more successful albums, including "Brightest Blue" (2020) and "Higher Than Heaven" (2023), with the former also reaching number one in the UK.
Musical Style and Achievements
Ellie Goulding is known for her distinctive soprano voice with a high-pitched vibrato and a breathy tone. Her music is a blend of electropop, synth-pop, and indie-pop. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards, including multiple Brit Awards. She holds the record for the most number-one albums by a British female artist, a title she shares with Adele.
Personal Life
Goulding has been in relationships with several public figures, including DJ Greg James and McFly bassist Dougie Poynter. On August 31, 2019, she married art dealer Caspar Jopling at York Minster. The couple has one son, Arthur Ever Winter, born in April 2021. In February 2024, Goulding announced that she and Jopling had separated.