Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding's breakthrough was nothing if not decisive. She rose to stardom in 2010 with her debut album, Lights, which earned the Critics’ Choice prize at the Brit Awards and led the BBC’s “Sound of…” poll. She’s only the second artist to win both in the same year, sharing the honor with none other than Adele. The Hereford, England-born singer started performing and composing as a young girl, influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, then teamed with Lights producer Starsmith while still a student at the University of Kent. The collaboration helped elevate Goulding’s natural talents as a singer-songwriter, turning her into an electropop phenom as she blended acoustic guitars and dance-floor-ready beats on “Starry Eyes” and the Björk-evoking “Under the Sheets.” Her biggest moment came in 2015 with “Love Me Like You Do,” the power ballad from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack that sold millions and cemented her as a world-class pop star. In addition to going platinum with her albums Halcyon and Delirium, Goulding’s versatility with genres and lyricism has made her an in-demand collaborator, working on “Return to Love” with classical tenor Andrea Bocelli, the club hit "I Need Your Love" with producer Calvin Harris, and the 2019 break-up anthem "Hate Me" with Juice WRLD. What’s next for Goulding’s career? To quote the title of another of her 2012 hits, “anything could happen.”