Ellie Goulding - Higher Than Heaven

[Dynamo]

Apparently she's going back to her more EDM/dance roots for this one:

“I spent a lot of time by myself, quite introspective. I had a backlog of things I wanted to write about," Goulding explained. "It was quite deep and emotional. And this album is the opposite of that. I found this dream team of writers, who just for some reason, without even having to talk about it, were all on the same page. Together we’re on this mission just to have fun. We just want to make music for people to dance to and forget about everything in the past year."

Goulding has long been a key figure in the EDM ecosystem thanks in part to features on timeless dance anthems like Seven Lions' "Don't Leave," Calvin Harris' "I Need Your Love," and Skrillex's "Summit." Her return to a more dance-friendly sound could have been triggered by her recent hit "New Love," a massive collab with Mark Ronson and Diplo's Silk City.

Goulding is yet to announce a release date for her forthcoming fifth studio album, which she described as "a dance thing from outer space."

Source here.

 

[Aidan]

Can’t see this being anything other than incredibly basic. She doesn’t have the range to pull off a mature dance sound.

 

[AlmostMidnight]

Surprised she’s going down the dance route considering the lukewarm response to New Love.

 

[soratami]

I think this could potentially be great, Brightest Blue was a return to form and I really doubt she's just going to be releasing a bunch of throwaway basic bops, especially after the disdain she showed for EG.0.

 

[Deleted member 10466]

The last album roll-out, with the Amazon Deal and the EG.0 situation was fascinating, so what ever happens with this i'm perched for the ride.

 

[Creguk]

The trouble I have as a fan is how drawn out the campaigns are. Just release a killer single and then dump the album on us!

 

[Little L]

'On My Mind' was the last song I heard in Europe on radio from her. Then years of nothing.
Good luck with EDM this time again

Also the description of the album 'got a writers team who did the opposite of deep and emotional' doesn't really excite either. Sounds like she just was forced to jump on the 'happiness! Let's pretend the pandemic doesn't exist anymore' bandwagon. Sadly.

Basically Rita Ora 2.0.

 

[burzacott]

If the last painful album rollout is anything to go by, this one should be released about two years after the lead single.

 

[Island]

I hope her dance music is more experimental and forward thinking rather than just being a rehash of Becky Hill’s already kind of dated sound.

Basically, we need Katy B to come back.

 

[AlmostMidnight]

The album will probably be 11 recycled backing tracks from the RAYE Call On Me album sessions, with titles like ‘Good 4 Me’, ‘Back To Love’ and ‘On Your Mind’, and we will all bop.

 

[adayasatiger]

I have zero excitement for this, which is sad af consdering she was my favourite artist at the time of Halcyon. Also, the last album was *not* a return to form, let's be honest. It was better than the EG.O singles suggested, but that's a very, very low bar to clear.

 

[strictmachine79]

Hopefully some new stuff for the tour.

 

[MeganTu]

She can get uptempo pop right from time to time.
Songs like Burn, Something In The Way You Move, Lights and Goodness Gracious are all pretty great.

But if it’s anything like the more recent songs she’s been putting out, she can keep it.

 

[borneoman]

The last album had many great tracks, Love I'm Given and Flux were amazing. And then there were all the awful tracks like the song with Juice Wrld or the one with Blackbear. If only Love I'm Given had been the lead single!

 

[Mikey1701]

Goulding is yet to announce a release date for her forthcoming fifth studio album, which she described as "a dance thing from outer space."

This gives me visions of Kylie’s Say Something or Cher’s The Music’s No Good Without You…. only shit. After the last album and the overstuffed mess of Delirium, I’m not optimistic in the slightest.

 

[sexercise]

Y’all trying to retcon Brightest Blue into being shit? Not on my watch!





Not her best album, but it’s a return to form after the atrocities she was flinging at us. I’m confused on how anyone who’s a fan of her earlier work can’t find something to love on it.

 

[Rhodanthe]

Beyond excited for this!

 

[adayasatiger]

I’m confused on how anyone who’s a fan of her earlier work can’t find something to love on it.

I actually thought about this quite a lot when it came out - for me, while Brightest Blue explores a similar sonic terrain to Halcyon, the core of the songs is… of a completely different genre? Most tracks on Halcyon, if you strip them from the electronic bells and whistles, are essentially folk-pop, in line with what she was doing on Lights. While the production is similar, most of what’s on Brightest Blue (Flux, and perhaps a couple more aside), on the other hand, is rooted in rnb/neo soul - the rhythm, the lilt, etc. Which is, I’m sure, a sign of artistic experimentation/growth for Ellie, yadda-yadda, but not really my ur-genre, hence why I don’t consider BB to even be in the same league as Halcyon, much as I willed it to be at the time.

I think I actually prefer Delirium

 

[eatyourself]

Brightest Blue was a bit too low-key for me to enjoy but I recognize it was a huge step up from Delirium, so I know she still can tackle all the potential she has. But seeing Skrillex and Calving Harris' names on that press release just brought back war memories.

 

[enjoy]

I still think Brightest Blue is her weakest record nn