Elena Jane Goulding (GOHL-ding; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer-songwriter and activist. She has achieved significant commercial success, earning multiple chart records in the United Kingdom and internationally. Goulding has also received recognition for her songwriting, environmental activism, humanitarian work and support for LGBTQ+ causes.
Goulding's debut single "Under the Sheets" was released through Neon Gold Records in 2009, and signed with Polydor Records that same year, releasing her debut extended play (EP), An Introduction to Ellie Goulding. Her debut studio album, Lights (2010), debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and was reissued as Bright Lights, spawning three successful singles: a cover of Elton John's "Your Song", "Starry Eyed", and "Lights".
Goulding's second studio album, Halcyon (2012), was preceded by its lead single "Anything Could Happen", and a repackaged edition titled Halcyon Days (2013) produced the single "Burn", which became her first No. 1 single in the UK. She then collaborated with DJ Calvin Harris on two singles: "I Need Your Love" and "Outside". After the release of her third studio album Delirium (2015) and its lead single "On My Mind", Goulding received a Grammy Award nomination for her single "Love Me like You Do", which was recorded for the soundtrack of Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).
Goulding took a hiatus from 2016 to 2020, struggling with an anxiety disorder and media scrutiny over false claims about her personal life. Her fourth studio album, Brightest Blue (2020), became her third album to top the UK Albums Chart and her fourth consecutive album certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned several singles including the hits "Close to Me", "Hate Me", and "Sixteen".
