Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding (born 30 December 1986) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actress from Lyonshall, Herefordshire. Her career began when she met record producer Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who later became her manager and A&R. After signing to Polydor Records in July 2009, Goulding released her debut extended play, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, later that year.
In 2010, she became the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008. Goulding released her debut studio album, Lights, in 2010. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and has sold over 850,000 copies in the UK. Her cover of Elton John's "Your Song" reached number two in the UK in December 2010 and on 29 April 2011 she performed the song at the wedding reception of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Buckingham Palace. The album's title track, "Lights", was released in the US in March 2011, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 nearly a year and a half later during its thirty-third week charting, completing one of the longest ever climbs into the top two positions on the chart. The single, which lasted over a year on the Billboard Hot 100, was also certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Goulding's second album Halcyon was released in October 2012 to generally positive reviews from critics. "Anything Could Happen" preceded the album as the lead single, reaching the top five in the UK as well as the top twenty in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Halcyon debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, and, after 65 weeks, reached number one. Halcyon debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 Chart, her first top ten debut in the United States. The album also reached the top five in New Zealand, top ten in Ireland and Canada, and top twenty in Australia.
Halcyon Days, a repackaged edition of Halcyon, was released on 23 August 2013, it included new singles including "Burn", which became her first UK number-one single in the same month, as well as "I Need Your Love" with Calvin Harris and "How Long Will I Love You?".
Influenced by Björk, Imogen Heap, Lauryn Hill and Kanye West, Goulding is recognized for her high piercing vibrato, breathy tone and emotive delivery. As of June 2013, she has sold an estimated three million albums and ten million singles worldwide. Her achievements include a Brit Award and a BBC Sound of....
