- Indie Pop singer born Elena Goulding in England in 1986.
- She played the clarinet at 9 years old, and learned to play guitar at 14. The following year, she began to write songs. She won a singing contest at her school, and was discovered at a talent show in college.
- She released several singles in 2009 and 2010, and she wrote pop songs for other artists before her debut album. She won several UK awards for “up and coming” artists, increasing her exposure.
- Goulding’s debut album, Lights, was released in 2010. Eight months after its release, it was re-released as Bright Lights, with 6 new tracks added. The single Lights was a huge hit – it peaked at #2 in the U.S. and has sold over 5 million copies. It is about Goulding’s fear of the dark. She also covered Elton John’s Your Song, which hit #2 in the U.K.
- In 2011, she performed at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception.
- Her second album, Halcyon, was released in 2012. It was reissued in 2013 as Halcyon Days, with 10 additional songs which focused on electronic dance music (EDM). Her big hit from the album was Burn, a catchy dance tune, which peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also on the album was a Calvin Harris song and co-written by Goulding, that featured Goulding on vocals – I Need Your Love. It hit #16 on the Hot 100 chart, and #1 on the Dance Club chart.
- In early 2015, she released the single Love Me Like You Do, from the soundtrack from the film Fifty Shades of Grey. It was another huge success, reaching #3 in the U.S. and #1 in many other countries. It earned Goulding a Grammy nomination. The video has been viewed over 1.5 billion times on YouTube.
- Goulding’s most recent album was released in 2015 – Delirium. It did not have the sales success of her first 2 albums, though it still sold well, and the single On My Mind sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. She continues her trend of releasing electronic pop dance music on this record.
- Goulding has a distinctive soprano voice that has been described as “primal” and “folky.” It certainly is the strength of her music. Listen to her wonderful singing in the video Burn.
She reminds me of a young Celion Dion. Love her sound!