Ellie Goulding (born Elena Jane Goulding on 30 December 1986) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame after topping the BBC Sound of 2010 poll and winning the Critics Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. She was signed to Polydor in September 2009, being her first extended play, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, followed by her debut full-length studio album, Lights, which was released on 1 March 2010.

Ellie was born in Lyonshall, England. She learnt to play the guitar and write her own folk-inspired music at the age of fifteen. While attending the University of Kent to study drama, and exposed to electronic music, she developed her sound initially with the help of Frankmusik on the track 'Wish I Stayed', and then later with Starsmith, who went on to become her chief collaborator and primary producer of her debut album, Lights.

Her debut single "Under the Sheets" was later released on independent label Neon Gold Records rather than Polydor so that she would not be put under too much pressure. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 30 September 2009, and it has since gained heavy airplay.

Prior to the release of her debut studio album, it was announced that Goulding topped the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, which showcases the critics, broadcasters and music industry insiders' top choices for rising stars and artists for the coming year. She also won the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards which makes her the only artist to top the BBC Sound of... poll and win the Critic's Choice award in the same year.


Goulding's debut album, entitled Lights, was through Polydor on 1 March 2010, preceded by its second single, "Starry Eyed", which was released 22 February 2010. For the majority of the album, Goulding worked with English producer Starsmith. It reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and number twelve in the Irish Albums Chart in March 2010.

Biography taken from Wikipedia, with some corrections.
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