Born in Hereford, England, she later moved to the country's east coast to study drama at the University of Kent. Goulding had developed a love for folk music as a teenager, and her time at university also exposed her to electronica. After two years, she took a break from her studies and moved to West London, where she pursued a career as an alternative singer/songwriter and befriended producers like Starsmith and Frankmusik, who gave her songs an electro-pop twist. In 2009, Goulding began building an audience via the Internet, where early tracks like "Starry Eyed" and a cover of Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold" were posted on tastemaking MP3 blogs such as Discodust. Goulding soon graduated from the blogosphere to print media, gaining praise from mainstream publications like The Guardian and fielding offers from record labels. She ultimately signed a major-label deal with Polydor Records and began making preparations to release her debut album. In the meantime, she penned songs for Diana Vickers, Gabriella Climi, and others.
During the final weeks of 2009, Goulding topped the BBC's Sound of 2010, a poll conducted by British music critics and industry insiders to identify new talent. Building on that momentum, she released Lights -- a sparkling debut album that splashed Goulding's vocal flutter across a landscape of acoustic and synthesized instruments -- in March 2010. Lights topped the U.K. charts during its first week and spun off "Starry Eyed" as a Top Five single (it also charted well in Ireland and New Zealand). Later that year, the album was re-released as Bright Lights, featuring seven new recordings (including a cover of Elton John's "Your Song," which peaked at number two).
In 2012, Goulding returned with her sophomore album, Halcyon, which showcased an even more sonically adventurous, electro-pop-infused sound. In 2013, a deluxe reissue featuring ten extra songs was released; entitled Halcyon Days, it acted as a supplement to the original release. Two of its new songs, "Burn" and "How Long Will I Love You," were among her biggest hits. The following year, she was featured on Calvin Harris' Top Ten U.K. hit "Outside," participated in Band Aid 30's update of "Do They Know It's Christmas?," and entered the U.K. Top Ten once more with "Beating Heart," a song released on the soundtrack for Divergent. Another soundtrack single, "Love Me Like You Do," added to the success of Fifty Shades of Grey in 2015.
That same year, Goulding released her third studio album, Delirium, which featured collaborations with Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and others. The pop-leaning Delirium included the single "On My Mind" and peaked at number three on the U.S. and U.K. charts. Goulding returned in 2017 on "First Time," a collaboration with electronic producer Kygo.
In 2018, Goulding joined Tap Management after almost a decade with First Access Management.[107] She appeared on a collaboration with Sean Paul on his Mad Love the Prequel EP titled "Bad Love", released on 29 June 2018.[108]
Goulding collaborated with Diplo and Swae Lee on the single "Close to Me", which was released on 24 October 2018.[109] On 1 January 2019, The Guardian reported that she has been working on her fourth album, set to release in the same year.[110] On 1 March, she released the next single "Flux".[111] She said regarding the album, "It's very much written by me".[112]
On 12 April 2019, Goulding released the single "Sixteen".[113] Goulding said of the single, "...That age was such a pivotal year for me in many ways and this song is so close to my heart. It takes me back to the reckless days of being a teenager and I hope it reminds us all about the innocence of youth."[114]
Goulding released "Hate Me" with American rapper Juice Wrld on 26 June 2019.[115][116] It was premiered by Zane Lowe as his 'World Record' on Beats 1.[117] In July, Goulding stated that her next material to be released would be the songs "Woman I Am" and "Start".[118] In November, she released her rendition of Joni Mitchell's Christmas song "River", which topped the UK Singles Chart, becoming her third UK number one single and the last UK number one song of the 2010s.[119]
On 13 March 2020, Goulding released the new single "Worry About Me" which was created in-collaboration with Blackbear.[120] In a radio interview with Heart the same month, she revealed that the album "kind of comes in two parts", adding that "the first side is something written entirely by me which was fun and I wrote most of it in New York when I was living there a few years back. I play the guitar and I play the bass and piano and then I'm singing a lot of vocals. It's very classically influenced because I love classical music. There's a lot going on, it's a big soundscape and one big film. The second half is my kind of alter ego songs."[121] On 21 May she released single "Power" and on 30 June single "Slow Grenade" with Lauv.
Goulding released her fourth studio album, Brightest Blue, on 17 July 2020. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart, becoming Goulding's third album to do so,[122] as well as at No. 2 in Scotland.[123] It reached the top 10 in Ireland[124] as well as the top 40 in over ten countries including Australia, Germany and the United States.
Goulding announced on an Instagram Q&A that she would be releasing new music which was not part of the Brightest Blue era at the end of January 2021.[125] On 21 January, she released a collaboration with electronic duo Silk City, titled "New Love".[126] On 30 September, Goulding performed "Anything Could Happen" as part of the opening ceremony for Expo 2020, held in Dubai.[127]
On 19 June 2022, Goulding performed at Rock in Rio in Lisbon, Portugal. After the concert, she announced that she would be releasing new music in July. The following day, she blacked out all her social media profiles.[128] Back in July 2021, during an interview with Joe Wicks, she described the forthcoming album as "a dance record. It's electronic pop, a dance thing from outer space".[129] On 4 July 2022, she announced the release of "Easy Lover" featuring Big Sean, which was released on 15 July.[130] The single did not enter the UK Singles Top 100, but peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart Top 100.[131] It was followed by "All by Myself", a collaboration between Goulding and producers Alok and Sigala, on 7 October.[132] Goulding released the single "Let It Die" along with its video on 19 October and announced the same day that her fifth studio album Higher Than Heaven would be released on 3 February 2023.[133][134]
On 22 March 2023, Goulding released the single "By The End Of The Night".[135][136]
Power
Ellie Goulding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We had a real connection
Bodies, aching
Overtaken
You kept me at a distance
Not asking any questions
Fingers, pressing
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud
All I hear is static
I'm not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it's pulling me down
You just want the power
You're not really down for love
You just want the power
(The power)
No, I'm not chasing paper
And I'm not faking neither
Take me higher
Or this will expire
Your self-obsession's boring
Sorry if I'm ignoring
Mindless actions
Lead to destruction
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud
All I hear is static
I'm not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it's pulling me down
You just want the power
You're not really down for love
You just want the power
(The power)
Everything you do is so cruel
Taking me for a fool
Making me need a new fix
Making me worship you
Everything you do is so cruel
Taking me for a fool
Making me need a new fix
Making me worship you, oh oh
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud
All I hear is static
I'm not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it's cutting me down
You just want the power
You're not really down for love
You just want the power
(The power)
The lyrics of "Power" by Ellie Goulding seem to tell the story of a relationship that started off with promise but slowly began to deteriorate. The first verse talks about the physical intimacy that they shared but also alludes to the emotional distance between the two partners. The second verse suggests that the relationship has lost its spark and is now characterized by "mindless actions" and "self-obsession." The chorus is the most telling part of the song - it suggests that one partner is only interested in having power over the other, rather than being in a mutually loving and supportive relationship.
The phrase "beautiful lies" is repeated several times, suggesting that the relationship is built on superficiality rather than honesty and truth. The use of the word "plastic" reinforces this theme - everything in the partner's world feels fake and artificial, including their love. The repetition of "taking me for a fool" further highlights the idea that one partner is using the other, and that the relationship is unequal and undesirable.
Overall, "Power" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of relationships built on power dynamics rather than mutual respect and love. The lyrics suggest that such relationships are ultimately unsustainable and harmful to both parties involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Painted to pure perfection
We appeared to be perfect, flawless and untainted
We had a real connection
We shared a genuine bond
Bodies, aching
We felt intense physical desire
Overtaken
We were consumed by our passion
You kept me at a distance
You didn't allow me to get too close emotionally
Not asking any questions
You didn't want to know the truth
Fingers, pressing
Our physical contact was intense and desperate
Learning, lessons
We were teaching each other through our mistakes
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
We would tell ourselves comforting falsehoods on the weekend
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
We began to suspect our closeness was fading
Head in the clouds, talking so loud
We were so caught up in ourselves that we couldn't hear each other
All I hear is static
Our communication had become garbled and unclear
I'm not a material girl
I don't care about money or possessions
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Your surroundings seem fake and artificial to me
Wearing your crown, it's pulling me down
Your arrogance and superiority are weighing me down
You just want the power
You are only interested in control and dominance
You're not really down for love
You don't truly care for me
(The power)
The ability to manipulate and influence
No, I'm not chasing paper
I'm not pursuing wealth
And I'm not faking neither
I'm not pretending to be someone I'm not
Take me higher
Elevate me to a more meaningful state
Or this will expire
Our relationship will fall apart
Your self-obsession's boring
Your constant focus on yourself is tedious
Sorry if I'm ignoring
I apologize if I'm not paying attention to you
Mindless actions
You are behaving recklessly and without thought
Lead to destruction
This behavior will ultimately result in harm
Everything you do is so cruel
Your every action is hurtful
Taking me for a fool
You are manipulating me
Making me need a new fix
You are addictive and I keep coming back for more
Making me worship you
You are gaining control over me
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
We continue to tell each other comforting falsehoods on the weekend
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Our connection is slipping away
Head in the clouds, talking so loud
We're not truly communicating with each other
All I hear is static
Our communication is broken
I'm not a material girl
I don't value possessions
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Your life seems fake and shallow
Wearing your crown, it's cutting me down
Your superiority is hurting me
You just want the power
You only want control
You're not really down for love
You don't love me
(The power)
The ability to control and manipulate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Paich, Elena Goulding, Jack Tarrant, Jamie Scott, Jonathan Coffer, Lucy Taylor, Nicholas Gale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freddysullca8352
LYRICS: 😊
[Verse 1]
Painted to pure perfection
We had a real connection
Bodies, aching, overtaken
You kept me at a distance
Not asking any questions
Fingers, pressing, learning, lessons
[Chorus]
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud, all I hear is static
I’m not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it’s pulling me down
You just want the power
You’re not really down for love
You just want the power
(The power)
[Verse 2]
No I’m not chasing paper and I’m not faking neither
Take me higher or this will expire
Your self obsessions boring, sorry if I’m ignoring
Mindless actions, lead to destruction
[Chorus]
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud, all I hear is static
I’m not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it’s pulling me down
You just want the power
You’re not really down for love
You just want the power
(The power)
[Bridge]
Everything you do is so cruel (Power)
Taking me for a fool (Power)
Making me need a new fix
Making me worship you
Everything you do is so cruel (Power)
Taking me for a fool (Power)
Making me need a new fix
Making me worship you
Oh, oh
[Chorus]
Beautiful lies on a Friday night
Starting to wonder where we lost the magic
Head in the clouds, talking so loud, all I hear is static
I’m not a material girl
Everything in your world just feels like plastic
Wearing your crown, it’s pulling me down
You just want the power
You’re not really down for love
You just want the power.
@pedromarques3220
THIS IS FIRE !!!! the instrumentation and vocals go hard!!! so hyped for the album!!! the brightest blue coming for our necks
@jonatanpereira
Que lindo nego, e tb gosta de Taylor? Tudo
@andrewcarson6925
YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS BISH
@gemstar7286
This gives vintage throwback feels
@emmhhx3392
I will never understand why this banger didn’t get the chance to become a huge hit and just went unnoticed, it’s probably one of her best singles to date
@goldentimes7731
Have you listened to her song Love I'm Given? The whole Brightest Blue album got unnoticed imspite of being one of the best albums of 2020.
It's because of her label Polydor, they effectively gives zero promo to it's artists.
@troyaoficial3417
It peaked 86 on the Uk Charts and didn't do that much cos of the pandemic. Zero promotion.
@SC-md2yk
She ripped off the melody from dua lipa - be the one
@aratreyadoesthings4924
I heard this song at Toby Carvery's the other day and fell in love with it.
@jareds-tits
@@SC-md2yk ever heard of sampling? Chump