New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today sees the release of global superstar Ellie Goulding's highly anticipated fourth studio album Brightest Blue, out now on Interscope Records/Universal Music.
The album is presented in two parts; the first 13 tracks are the thoughtful contemplations that make up Brightest Blue (executively produced by Ellie Goulding & Joe Kearns) and the second part, EG.0, consists of huge pop bangers with collaborators including Lauv, Swae Lee and the late JUICE WRLD. Across the two halves Ellie enlisted a number of writers and producers to help create the finished product, including the likes of Tobias Jesso Jr., Starsmith, ILYA, serpentwithfeet, Patrick Wimberly (of Chairlift) and Jim Eliot amongst others.
Explaining her reasoning behind the double album Ellie says "I'm fascinated by the mechanics of writing a big pop song, but it's something different from what's on Brightest Blue. EG.0 is a collection of songs that I've written as a somewhat of a character, where it's literally like my alter ego. I liked the idea of being able to play a really strong powerful woman, which wasn't the case on Brightest Blue." Though her voice is confident and passionate on Brightest Blue, it explores her insecurities - but EG.0 is pure bombast. "They really show my craft as a writer because it ain't easy writing those big American songs - and I've learned to be proud of that in a different way."
Today also sees Goulding announce "The Brightest Blue Experience," a one-off pay-per-view exclusive performance presented by "Live Now" recorded and livestreamed from London's iconic V & A (Victoria & Albert Museum) on August 26, 2020. The showcase will see Ellie perform tracks from her new album for the first time as well as some fan favorites. Ellie will be accompanied by a special ensemble of live musicians and a very special guest to be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can apply for the presale via https://www.elliegoulding.com/ from Friday July 17 at 8am until Monday, July 20th at 8am.
The launch of Brightest Blue sees Ellie performing on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series today for the second year in a row. Last week Ellie participated in a TIME100 Talk where she gave a powerful performance and spoke about the importance of climate justice alongside noted luminaries such as The Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Vanessa Nakate and Dr. Bernice King among others. Earlier this year Ellie was a featured performer on Global Citizen's charity livestream, "One World: Together At Home" that raised millions for the WHO's COVID-19 response fund. Just days later, she took part in BBC's Big Night In program as part of a celebrity cover of the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These". The charity single hit #1 in the UK and raised significant money for Children in Need.
March 2020 marked the 10-year anniversary of Ellie's debut album Lights. Ellie's incredible career to date has seen her receive two GRAMMY Award nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, two BRIT Awards, sales of 18 million albums and over 140 million singles, and 23 billion streams worldwide. With over 50 million followers combined on her social platforms, she also earned YouTube's Diamond Award with 10 million subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 5 billion views globally. Ellie holds Billboard's Hot 100 record for the most entries on the chart this century by a British female vocalist.
Ellie's passion for the planet is evident throughout the Brightest Blue album even down to the merchandise and packaging. "We've unwrapped, used smart design, cool new materials (or old stuff turned into new materials) and renewable energy wherever we can," says Ellie. "There are still no perfect solutions, but we've really pushed the industry to make changes wherever possible." Brightest Blue is available at all retailers on CD, digital and double vinyl, and an exclusive CD edition is available at Target which includes a special album cover & fold out poster (U.S. only). Additional formats including a limited-edition box set and cassette are available at elliegoulding.com.
Ellie, a UN Environment Ambassador, is known as a dedicated advocate for environmental protection for our precious planet and champion of solutions to the climate crisis. She mixes this advocacy with her work to help end homelessness, supporting The Marylebone Project and fundraising for other nationwide charities working on the frontline of the homeless crisis.
BRIGHTEST BLUE - TRACKLIST
SIDE A - Brightest Blue
Start (ft. serpentwithfeet)
Power
How Deep Is Too Deep
Cyan
Love I'm Given
New Heights
Ode To Myself
Woman
Tides
Wine Drunk
Bleach
Flux
Brightest Blue
SIDE B - EG.0
Overture
Worry About Me (Feat. blackbear)
Slow Grenade (Feat.Lauv)
Close To Me (With Diplo) (Feat.Swae Lee)
Hate Me (With Juice WRLD)
