Brightest Blue (album)

Brightest Blue
Information
Released	17 July 2020
Length	56:35
Producers	Jonny Coffer • Max Cooke • Diplo • Jason Evigan • Forest Swords • Ilya • Joe Kearns • The Monsters and the Strangerz • OzGo • Jamie Scott • Starsmith • Eli Teplin • Watt • Patrick Wimberly • R.E.M.
Label	Polydor Records
Singles from album
"Close to Me" Released: 24 October 2018 "Worry About Me" Released: 13 March 2020 "Power" Released: 21 May 2020
Chronology
← Previous	Delirium
Current	Brightest Blue
Next →	Higher Than Heaven

"Brightest Blue" is the fourth studio album by English recording artist Ellie Goulding and was released on Friday, 17 July 2020.

The album includes a number of recent releases alongside a plethora of new songs, with the album being set in two parts, "Brightest Blue" (executively produced by Ellie Goulding & Joe Kearns) and "EG.0," respectively.

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.

Gallery

Photoshoot

Click to see the full photoshoot.

Artwork

Standard Digital Version

EG.0 Cover

Target Exclusive

UK Exclusive Cassette

Standard Physical Version

Track listing

Standard edition

No.	Title	Length

1.	"Start"	5:07
2.	"Power"	3:11
3.	"How Deep Is Too Deep"	3:25
4.	"Cyan"	0:57
5.	"Love I'm Given"	3:29
6.	"New Heights"	4:12
7.	"Ode to Myself"	1:51
8.	"Woman"	3:47
9.	"Tides"	3:51
10.	"Wine Drunk"	0:48
11.	"Bleach"	3:17
12.	"Flux"	3:50
13.	"Brightest Blue"	4:49

EG.0 (B-side)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Overture"	James Wyatt	James Wyatt Joseph Kearns	1:17
2.	"Worry About Me" (featuring blackbear)	Ellie Goulding Savan Kotecha Ilya Salamanzadeh Peter Svensson Matthew Musto	Ilya	2:59
3.	"Slow Grenade" (featuring Lauv)	Ellie Goulding Joseph Kearns Ari Leff Brett McLaughlin Oscar Görres	Joseph Kearns Oscar Görres	3:37
4.	"Close to Me" (with Diplo featuring Swae Lee)	Ellie Goulding Ilya Salmanzadeh Khalif Brown Peter Svensson Savan Kotecha Thomas Wesley Pentz	Ilya Diplo Alvaro (add.) Bas van Daalen (add.)	3:02
5.	"Hate Me" (with Juice WRLD)	Ellie Goulding Jarad Higgins Brittany Hazzard Andrew Wotman Jason Evigan Stefan Johnson Jordan Johnson Marcus Lomax	watt The Monsters and the Strangerz Jason Evigan Gian Stone (vocal.)	3:06
Total length:				56:35

Notes

• signifies an additional producer
• signifies a vocal producer

Sample credits

• "Power" interpolations "Be the One", as performed by Dua Lipa and written by Lucy Taylor, Digital Farm Animals and Jack Tarrant. This song also interpolations "Georgy Porgy", as performed by Toto and written by David Paich.

Background

Explaining her thoughts behind the first half of the record Ellie explains that it

“

"reflects my vulnerability… it acknowledges a complex world where relationships still dictate our happiness and heartbreak and can still be the most painful thing in the world, no matter how enlightened you are. The tracks also symbolise growing up and becoming a woman.” While the second half of the album “encapsulates my confident, brave and fearless side and features all my recent collaborations. I often find myself writing about my thoughts and emotions in a way that I know will be catchy and memorable. I will always seek to use my voice in ways that no one would ever expect and look to collaborate with the least likely, exciting and eclectic group of other artists."

”

2016

In March 2016, Goulding announced that she was taking a break and stated that she was not writing new material and was not sure when she would release a new album, adding that it might not be released next year.

In April 2016, Ellie told Daily Star Online

“	"I honestly have no idea when I will be working on my next album, I have been in the studio for other bits of work but not for an album as such. I’ve done a few collaborations and there are a few things in the pipeline, but to be honest I am snowed in with my tour at the moment. If I release the album it will be with songs I record in the next few months."	”
—Ellie Goulding for Daily Star Online

On May 20, 2016 Naughty Boy firstly announced "Should've Been Me" at the Ivor Novello Awards in London on the 20th of May, 2016 and he exclusively told BANG Showbiz:

“	"My next single is with Ellie Goulding - that's an exclusive! It's called 'Should've Been Me' - I have not told this to anyone before."	”
—Naughty Boy at the Ivor Novello Awards in London

It is unknown as to why Ellie Goulding was removed from the track. Possibilities of this issue include the unsuitability of the song for Ellie or Goulding may have rejected in working with Naughty Boy.

On August 19, 2016 she released the song "Still Falling For You" for the soundtrack to the film Bridget Jones's Baby and its music video premiered on 25 August 2016.

2017

On January 6, 2017, Goulding had announced that she has already started on making new music and possibly her new album. It may however also be a re-issue of "Delirium" however it is unlikely as the Target edition already has an abundance of tracks.

The singer has been working in the studio with some of her usual collaborators including Klas Åhlund, Jim Eliot or Carl Falk. In 2017, Goulding has also worked with producer Bloodpop and British singer/songwriters Raye and Andrew Jackson, which have been documented on her social media accounts.

Later in April 2017, an unreleased song: "President" was leaked however, Ellie had stated on Twitter that it was not her song.

In an interview with Lorraine in March, Ellie stated that

“	"I will play lots of festival this year but not a whole tour. Frankly, I’m exhausted so I probably will chill with the touring but I am aiming to bring some new music out at some point," She also added that, "I think it’s ok if I get the urge and I’ve got a song that I want to give to my fans I think I’m just going to do it!"	”
—Ellie Goulding for Lorraine

On April 23 2017 producer Bloodpop posted on Instagram a photo of him with Goulding with the caption "Summer 17 @EllieGoulding" speculating that there maybe a new song released in Summer 2017 featuring work from Bloodpop. Alongside this Ellie filmed a music video according to her stylist Cher Coulter's Instagram account.

Later, on April 28 2017, Ellie Goulding collaborated with Norwegian mixer, Kygo on the single: First Time.

2018

On October 19 2018 Ellie Gouliding cleared all her social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). On Instagram Ellie posted 3 photos of a black cheetah print and also made it her profile picture on twitter her header and profile picture are the black cheetah print as well as Facebook leading fans to believe a new era is about to begin as Taylor Swift did the same when starting her Reputation Era.

On October 22 2018 Ellie Goulding posted on her social media after deleting everything days before with the caption CLOSE TO ME with the a picture of three arms linking. The three arms appear to have the tattoos of Ellie, Diplo and Swae Lee hinting at a collab between the three of them. She later confirmed the collaboration via Twitter, however it is still unknown if this is the lead single for EG4 or just a single. Close To Me was released on October 24 2018 with a music video premiering on 14 November.

In an interview with The Guardian on New Year's Day 2019, Goulding announced that EG4 would be released in 2019 which she said "it's very much written by me". She also talked about three songs named Flux, Love I'm Given and Electricity. According to her, Flux is "about the person who you almost ended up with", Love I'm Given about "how I finally felt I’d found this person that was loving me for the right reasons" and Electricity is "about a friend who had been cheated on quite cruelly for a couple of years."

2019

In July 2019, Goulding stated that her next material to be released would be the songs "Woman I Am" and "Start". In November, she released her rendition of Joni Mitchell's Christmas song "River", which topped the UK Singles Chart, becoming her third UK number-one single and the last UK number one song of the 2010s.

2020

In a March 2020 interview with Heart, Goulding revealed that the album "kind of comes in two parts," adding that she plays the guitar, bass and piano on the project. During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, she described the album as having two sides, revealing that the first side will features songs written entirely by her, while the second is described as being "like an alter ego" and contains the majority of singles released from 2018 to 2020.

Release and promotion

On 27 May 2020, Goulding announced Brightest Blue as the album's title, alongside its cover artwork, release dates and formats, and track listing. The album's pre-order was made alongside the announcement. The first side, Brightest Blue, features 13 total tracks, while the second EG.0, features the previously-released "Close to Me", "Hate Me" and "Worry About Me", as well as two new tracks. Originally scheduled for release on 5 June 2020, it was later delayed to 12 June, and later to 17 July of the same year. On 13 July of the same year, she released a trailer for the album on YouTube. In support of the album, Goulding will embark on the Brightest Blue Tour, beginning in April 2021.

For the album's physical release, Goulding and her team opted to have copies manufactured with as many environmentally-friendly materials as possible. According to Goulding's official digital store, a regular single-disc CD is packaged in a Digisleeve manufactured with FSC-certified recycled cardboard and is sealed in a "plant-based" wrap. Variations of formats such as cassette tapes and vinyl records have also been manufactured with minimised or recycled plastic materials and packaging. Goulding added “[...] great progress has been made on this and I’m pleased we’ve been able to push the industry forwards, but we are still pushing to do more.”

Collaborations

The collaborations followed may or may not be for the album.

Many have speculated that there was going to be a new track with Calvin Harris and another male artist. In April 2016, Ellie asked BBC Radio 1 to ask Harris about the new song. Harris stated that

“	"It's impossible to say, isn't it? She did record a vocal for me but there's no hook at the moment, erm, to that track. So it's kind of hard to say. I think she needs to get back in in order to finish it. I can't just conjure something up. I'm not trying to do a Kylie [Minogue] and Jason [Donovan] Especially For You duet."	”
—Calvin Harris for BBC Radio 1

On September 13 2016 Harris asked his fans to guess the feature for his song "My Way" and many speculated that it would feature Goulding. It was later revealed that the song only had Harris on it. Later, Harris stated that there was a new collaboration with a female artist and a male artist and fans theorize that it would feature Goulding and John Newman.

On November 18 2016 Jamaican rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor Sean Paul had stated via Twitter that he had collaborated with Goulding on an album track for his new album.

After London-based producer Jonas Blue remixed Goulding's "Still Falling For You", he hinted a possible collaboration with Ellie Goulding via Twitter.

Rumors that American DJ duo, The Chainsmokers have collaborated with Goulding surfaced after Ellie Goulding and The Chainsmokers followed each other on Twitter.

Norwegian musical production trio, Seeb have also confirmed that they may collaborate with Goulding on a new track.

On April 28, 2017, Ellie Goulding collaborated with Norwegian mixer, Kygo on the single: "First Time".

During his live set at Tomorrowland 2017, Martin Garrix debuted a collaboration with David Guetta titled "So Far Away". It features vocals from Ellie Goulding and a male singer who remains to be confirmed.

On January 3, 2018, Ellie Goulding tweeted "Back in the studio like" with a video of a man messing with some musical concoction. She then added the hashtag #EG4 and #2018.