Halcyon, the sophomore album from UK folktronica songstress Ellie Goulding is EASILY one of my most anticipated albums this year, and watching the absolutely STUNNING video for the album’s debut single, “Anything Could Happen” only heightens my level of excitement. The song was written by Goulding and Jim Eliot (of Kish Mauve) and was first teased earlier this summer with the unveiling of a gorgeous lyric video, made of of hundreds of fan photo submissions. As beautiful as the “Anything Could Happen” lyric video was, it doesn’t hold a candle to the BRILLIANT Floria Sigismondi (the film The Runaways, Katy Perry) directed music video released September 5th on Ellie’s VEVO.
Shot on a beach in Malibu, California, the video tells a devastatingly sad (and fictional) tale of a car accident where the outcome is uncertain, even at the end of the video. According to Ellie,
“I wanted to do a video that made people really think. I wanted there to be a surreal aspect but also something very emotional and touching. The idea that so much can change in a single instant scares me and I like confronting my fears. Some people might find the video hard to watch because of how sad it is but I wanted it to be thought provoking! Working with Floria was perfect because she is as crazy as me but is a really, really clever person who turns crazy ideas into beautiful ones.”
Filled with BEAUTIFUL imagery of waves crashing and light reflecting off of mirrored spheres and prisms suspended in mid-air, not to mention an angelic and ethereal Ellie Goulding, her severe hairstyle softened appropriately with a pale pink tint, dressed in a long flowy cream-colored goddess gown – “Anything Could Happen” is another visual masterpiece from Ellie Goulding‘s growing music videography. Absolutely gorgeous. While the car accident visual is jarring and a bit tough to take in, the beautiful scenery and cinematography balance out the violent wreck quite nicely, and those shots of Ellie, suspended mid air by a feathery cloud are magnificent.
“Anything Could Happen” is the first new original music from the 25-year old singer/songwriter from Hereford, Herefordshire, England, since bursting onto the scene with her critically acclaimed debut album Lights, which was the best-selling debut album of 2010 in her native UK. Certified double platinum here in America, the album’s title track has sold 3 million copies and topped the Top 40 radio chart for two consecutive weeks.
While the new single, “Anything Could Happen” was digitally released in America on August 21st, it was only serviced to radio on October 2nd which probably weighs into (at least in part) why it hasn’t made it into the Billboard Hot 100 just yet, rather coming in at #17 on Billboard‘s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. Considering how the excitement surrounding her last single, “Lights” is just now starting to subside on this side of the pond, I’m hopeful that Ellie can drum up some more promotion for her new tunes/album and continue riding the wave of success that’s taken her here. “Anything Could Happen” was released to UK radio on August 9th and to digital retailers on September 27th, debuting at #5 on the UK Singles Chart this week, right underneath Adele‘s FLAWLESS James Bond theme song, “Skyfall,” which only came out this past Friday. UK fans were treated to a digital EP, featuring remixes by Birdy Nam and Submerse as well as a remix of Active Child-cover/buzz track “Hanging On” by Sigma. Additional remixes included on a DJ-only promo come from Alex Metric, White Sea and Almighty.
Halcyon came out yesterday, October 8th in the UK (iTunes UK) via Polydor Records and is available today, October 9th in the U.S. (iTunes US) via Cherrytree/Interscope Records and is available in both standard and deluxe packages. The album features collaborations with Tinie Tempah (“Hanging On“) and Calvin Harris (“I Need Your Love“) and production/songwriting assistance from Mima Stilwell, Jonny Lattimer, Fin Dow-Smith, Justin Parker, Billboard, MONSTA, Starsmith and more. Goulding herself actually takes a majority of the producer credit on this album, wearing more hats this time around. Check out the video for “Anything Could Happen” BELOW.
Check out Ellie Goulding on the web: