This Rate (Will Be My Downfall) - The Ellie Goulding rate (WINNER ANNOUNCED - I'M FREE)

33. Every Time You Go

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Average: 7.6
High: 10 x 6 (@WarmBlood11 @Remorque @Animalia @xtophermorrison @D.Jay @kaushik)
Low: 4 x 2 (@Sprockrooster @DJHazey)
My score: 8

I've had quite an emotionally draining day today (eliminating Devotion was the tip of the iceberg) so I don't think I can quite match the devotion *kii* I showed towards this morning's cut, so sorry not sorry.

But yeah, in its own right this is a wonderful little track but within the context of this rate and Lights as an album, this is not one of the stronger tracks left, so this is the right time for it to go. I feel like it is a victim of sequencing, which Ellie is ordinarily very good at, because it comes after the glorious anthem that is The Writer. In fact, when I rated it as part of a full Lights listen-through, I gave it a 6, which I upped to an 8 after it popped up on autoplay after You're Biggest Mistake and kinda got my life so here we are.

Sonically this is often accused of being chorus-heavy, which I largely agree with, because that chorus does in fact go off. However, when you read the lyrics you'll find that this track's best kept secret is possibly my favourite Ellie verse to date:

Now I'm tired of trying to keep you.
All I want to do is sleep.
And perhaps, when I'm sleeping,
You'll get back on your feet.


Drag it! Relatable queen! Queen of sleep!

But what did you guys make of it?

Oh no, it appears that DJHazey (4) forgot to listen to the chorus...

I could not recite a single word or hum a single melody if I heard this 20 times in a row.

Sprockrooster (4) is TIRED, y’all:

Listening to this makes me almost fall asleep, so wake me up. Stop my fall.

Well *I* am tried of YOUR SHIT, mate.

Consideration (7.5) sure does like to complain…

My problem with some parts of Lights is that I don't really have an opinion on these songs. It's a cute debut that I can revisit maybe once every two years, but it fails to make a lasting impression beyond that. Every Time You Go is the perfect example of this. There's something that is missing in its execution even though on paper it should be a great pop song.

Epic Chocolat (8.2) accompanied a high score with a rather shady comment:

An apt album track.

It’s rare that ohnostalgia (8.5) is the voice of positivity, but here we are…

I'm glad Ellie delivered me an oh oh oh section that I can fully appreciate. At first I thought this was a relatively simple work compared to some of Bright Lights, but there's actually a lot going on production wise. The ending with the synth work that sounds like a guitar solo is very much a moment.

New year, new you, presh?

First2Run (9) clocks what is actually a rather common lyrical theme on the album:

I love how casually sassy she is in this song.

Mikey1701 (9) you weren’t wrong for once...The Writer is better…

I always used to think this was a step down from The Writer, but once it going, it goes OFF. A right old bop.

Slice of Life (9) reveals that they’re a Paramore stan:

Really lovely vocal work here. It retains Ellie's alt-ness but pushes it just enough to show some much needed edge. And the song remains me of Paramore's more emotional moments. That's a compliment, by the way.

I’m on-board as long as you’re comparing this to the glorious self-titled album...

xtophermorrison (10) kept his thoughts sweet and simple:

Solid song, love the electric guitars and the piano melody in the background.

D.Jay (10), once again, as me wishing that I scored this even higher…

Honest perfection. The chant-able chorus, the sassy verses, the superb and gloriously catchy bridge “Maybe we forgot, are we awake, or not?” make it a true album highlight and a staple Ellie song.

It seems like Ellie should be hiring kaushik (10) to be on her main team:

These are the kind of pop songs that Ellie should be making. It’s not as commercial as anything on Delirium, but it has got all the elements that a pop song requires - a catchy and simple chorus, a great hook, memorable melodies, great production, relatable lyrics...instead she chose to record shit like On My Mind.

It seems Remorque (10) tried to pull a fast one by reusing his commentary for the Carly rate…this ain’t no Run Away With Me...

That chorus is fucking POP! at its utter best. Ellie’s just so good at crafting perfect little pop songs, with lyrics that might not seem that deep on the surface, but mean way more than you might initially think and production that contains all these little intricacies. Like this one. Fantastic.

 
32. Believe Me

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Average: 7.61
High: 10 x 4 (@First2Run @Animalia @tylerc904 @Mikey1701)
Low: 4 x 1 (@HeartSwells)
My score: 8.5

OK, so we're now at a point where I mostly agree with every elimination, so well done everyone, we got there eventually. I low-key adore this one but it's not my absolute favourite song left from Bright Lights so I guess it is a good time for it to sashay away.

I think my favourite feature of this track is the earthy, almost Joanna Newsom-esque intro with the fluttering baroque string-led instrumentation, which gives it a very bright and sunny melodic effect. The chorus also fucking knocks, it's got that oh-so-nostalgic noughties disco-pop vibe to it which gives me all the good feels. Overall, despite its simplicity, it's one of her very cutest and it never fails to lift my mood.

Blodskur reminded me that a demo version exists and is actually quite different in tone and energy to the final product. Rather than baroque strings and organic instrumentation, the demo begins with some lovely ad-libs and proceeds with a lighter and more etherial vibe, until some funky synths come in during the last chorus and fuck me up a tad. Both versions are essential for any Ellie/Lights fan (the album, not the Canadian artist), so I included them both at the end of the write-up.

Y'all were generally very positive about this one:

GhettoPrincess (5) thinks “this sounds like a demo”.

Remorque (6) explains why this is one of the earlier Bright Lights tracks to leave...

Definitely one of the weaker songs on the expanded re-release, but it’s still kind of a bop though. It suffers from some of her weaker verses and the chorus is a bit of a wet damp, but I think that’s just because it’s surrounded by such fucking fantastic songs…

ufint
(7): “Quite the chorus, eh?” Idk...I guess...

D.Jay (7) highlights a good line:

The whole “can’t change the world with a song” line is just iconic as.

Bear in mind that Run Away With Me hadn't been released at this point...

I can’t personally vouch for this because I’ve never bothered to listen to Kesha’s demos, but I shall take your word for it, DrinkMyTears (7.25):

Reminds me of a Kesha demo for some reason #ratepromo

Blodskur (8) is ANGRY, y’all! Not angry enough to underscore this, mind:

Fuck this version as it misses out the amazing intro that the demo "This Music" had!

Consideration (8) reminds us that Ellie started her career as the queen of folktronica. Legend.

Everything about the Bright Lights songs feels so much more refined and developed than a lot of the songs on the original album. She finally managed to combine folk and electronica instead of making music that sounds like her trying to conform to the idea of mixing the two genres together.

The quirky pre-chorus had Slice of Life (8.5) checking that their Walkman was still working!

The pre-chorus is soooo weird. I thought my music player was acting up. Other than that, this is another sweet homerun for Ellie.

Once again, there is a disconnect between kaushik’s scoring and the accompanying commentary, like, he gave this one a 9 but this is what he wrote:

Bit too commercial sounding for this album, but a great track nonetheless.

Well ohnostalgia (9) woke up feeling positive, ‘buoyant’ even;

My joyous buoyant bop!!! I love her voice here, it's a bit eerie.

Never thought the word(s) ‘helter skelter’ would be included in one of these write-ups but you never really know with DJHazey (9):

Love how it sounds like she's delivering the song over an intercom at first. The chorus is so helter skelter and crazy, yet it makes me feeling like I'm spinning around (C: MOVE OUT OF MY WAY-E) and jumping simultaneously. That's euphoria in audio form.

I believe that First2Run (10) loves this:

This just gets better with every listen. The whole song feels like a big merry-go-round spinning in circles at exponentially increasing speeds, in the best of ways of course.

Here's Mikey1701 (10) doing the most as usual:

I’M BALD. While I was a big fan with Lights, this track came along and turned me into a rabid stan. Our first real taste of Ellie’s big pop girl potential (which she then promptly squandered with shit single choices and Halcyon in general- but that’s a whole other story). The opening bars put me in mind of the Final Fantasy X soundtrack and the entire thing might just be one of the finest songs of the millennium. So of course, she doesn’t release it as a single.



(The demo version)
 
he/him
Slice of Life (9) reveals that they’re a Paramore stan:

I’m on-board as long as you’re comparing this to the glorious self-titled album...

This is a mess. Riot! and Brand New Eyes are the masterpieces. Self-Titled is a nice album in its own right, but I'm always confused that it's placed so highly above the previous two albums.

---

Y'all are wrong for cutting out Believe Me and @constantino I was clearly running of good similes and went with 'helter skelter' instead. Woops.
 
Before people start with the whole 'O MAH GAWD Y'ALL ARE DOING LIGHTS SO WRONG!!1!' thing, a casual reminder that Bright Lights has dominated the rate entirely up until this point, which now sees a couple of them bowing out with 7.5+ averages, lots of warm words and top 40 positions. There are just over 30 places remaining and a shit-load of album tracks remaining...you do the math.

You guys will be happy to know that the next track to leave is NOT from Bright Lights.
 
Bright Lights should have remained unscathed for a few more cuts but if anything HAD to go, I could understand Home. Believe Me on the other hand is gorgeous and deserved so much better!!
 
They/them, he/him
Bright Lights should have remained unscathed for a few more cuts but if anything HAD to go, I could understand Home. Believe Me on the other hand is gorgeous and deserved so much better!!

I knew you wouldn't let me down! Believe Me is incredible. It's so uplifting and joyous. It's actually my most played Ellie song on my iTunes.
 
F

Former member 21294

I'd have liked to see I'll Hold My Breath in top 30 but i think these are fair eliminations for Bright Lights.I think Halcyon's second half needs a bit trimming before we move on though.
 
I hope y'all won't be too bitter about this one missing out on the top 30...

31. Aftertaste

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Average: 7.65
High: 10 x 4 (@Sprockrooster @Pinkie @Epic Chocolat @enjoy)
Low: 4 x 1 (@DJHazey)
My score: 9

As an opening track I feel like it does it's job very successfully...it's bright, fun, bouncy and it sets the tone nicely. There's a fire and a life to it that many of the other Delirium tracks could really do with, something that also applies to the remaining tracks (Codes, Lost and Found, Don't Panic, Love Me Like You Do, Something In The Way You Move). 'The aftertaaaaaaasste' is a fantastic little hook and is easily one of the more catchy lyrical moments on the album, something I credit to Greg Kurstin, as well as the good sis herself. There are a lot of changes I would make to Delirium's track list, but I would not mess with this being the opener. Overall, as much as I like this track, if a Delirium track had to fall now, this is the correct one to go.

When compiling the song list I decided to add the fantastic intro in a bid to see it go a little further...and judging by your commentary i think it might have worked...

DJHazey (4) sounds like he’s bitter:

Seems I must have deleted this from my album almost immediately. It's boring and the "ta-a-a-aste" excuse for a hook is irritating. I now understand my thought process with that removal.

Joining the Bitter Brigade, here’s Remyky22 (5) being real mature:

ey e y e y eeeeeee no

xtophermorrison (6) enjoyed his mouthful...until the aftertaste kicked in…

I like the verses, but like everything on this album, the repetition of the chorus weighs it down, or lifts it up and sends it flying on that unforgettable breeze.

ohnostalgia (6.5) has had a bite…

… ‘and that taste was bland.’

This has also gone a little sour for Consideration (6.5)...

I've remembered this as a lot more majestic and life-changing than it actually is. The Delirium intro mixed with the ”ey's” crashing in creates such a transcendent opening which the rest of the song slightly fails to live up to.

whaddduyumeeyn, First2Run (8)?

This loses points for the unintelligible mumbling of the lyrics in this song but it is still musically brilliant. That intro is still great.

It seems that my decision to make y’all rate the Intro (Delirium) as part of this helped it out a bitsy, as DrinkMyTears (8) explains:

Intro is amazing. Aftertaste works great as an opener but as a standalone track it feels weak.

Terminus (8) had his expectations dashed after a strong start…

This lead-in raised my expectations so high for the rest of the album, such a shame. It works so well.

Ha! kaushik (8) was like putty in my hands:

I wish we were allowed to vote for intro separately because the intro is way better than Aftertaste. Aftertaste is decent; the instrumental is well produced but that’s about it. I think the hurried delivery in the verses doesn't suit her voice very well…

Yas Slice of Life (8.5) you BETTER stan Haim...where’s that damn album tho…

I'm a sucker for this type of songs so of course, this is gonna get a good score from me. Very HAIM which is the highest of compliment from me, to be honest.

I *think* rdp likes this...they sound a bit unsure...but they did give it a 9 so I guess they did:

This sound would be a nice progression from Halcyon, I guess.

Ding ding ding! Here’s a SECOND Haim mention, for ya nerve, courtesy of D.Jay (9):

A rather exceptional album opener, very Haim-esque and somewhat unexpected. The verses are truly sublime and the chant worthy chorus makes it an exciting highlight when performed live, especially when you’re like me jumping around like a maniac!

I actually agree with Mikey1701 (9) here...let’s savour this moment…

What an introduction to the parent album! Doesn’t it just go AWF?!

I’m not even sure if Island (9) noticed that the intro wasn’t originally part of the song!

A great opener to the album. Love the atmospheric vibe and probably among the most interesting songs off of this album. I wish this was her lead single but I probably would have been more disappointed with the album if it was. Oh well. This is such a stomper.

Well it seems Sprockrooster (10) fell for my cheeky stunt hook, line and sinker:

Aftertaste might be a 9, but combined with that intro a massive a very solid 10.

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