Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding,released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record,although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200,earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles:"On My Mind","Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
Goulding has stated that the sound of the album would be more pop-oriented than her previous releases. Speaking in an interview,she said:"A part of me views this album as an experiment,to make a big pop album;I made a conscious decision that I wanted it to be on another level".[5][6] About the album's title,Goulding explained that Delirium reflects contrasting emotions,saying it could describe either a euphoric state or its complete opposite,as she often finds herself "in a state of delirium."[6]
Following the release of the lead single "On My Mind",media outlets and fans speculated that the song was written about Ed Sheeran,who was rumored to have penned the 2014 track "Don't" about his relationship with Goulding.[7] Addressing the rumors in an interview with MTV News,she denied the speculation,saying,"I'm sorry for all the people who want it to be about someone,it's not. It's like a myth,there's no one to be thinking about. It's just a fun song and that's the first of its kind because I do like to write about my own experiences."[8][9]
Composition
Delirium is a pop[10] and electro-pop[11][12] album that emphasizes large-scale,radio-friendly production,marking Goulding's full transition toward mainstream pop.[10] While it isn't devoid of its characteristic electronic atmosphere,it adopts a more mainstream tone and expands Goulding's sonic palette with melodically catchy,R&B-infused songs.[13] The orchestral elements that were prominent on Goulding's second album,Halcyon (2012),are replaced on Delirium by mainstream pop production,resulting in a brighter and more confident sound influenced by 1980s-inspired pop and contemporary electronic trends.[10] It also reflects a shift from the indie-electro fusion that characterised her earlier work.[14] The record incorporates elements of synth-pop,electronic,and dance music,characterised by expansive arrangements,layered vocals,and polished studio production.[10]
Songs
The album opens with "Intro (Delirium)",where Goulding sings in her upper register before transitioning into lower,melismatic phrases over a synth-based and string-layered arrangement.[15] The track transitions into "Aftertaste",characterised by its steady disco-influenced rhythm.[15] The album continues with "Something in the Way You Move",built on a bright,rhythmic pop production.[15] "On My Mind" is a pop and R&B track with electronic elements,featuring brisk guitar riffs,sharp percussion,and rhythmic vocal phrasing. The lyrics,which address a past relationship,have been interpreted as a possible response to Ed Sheeran's "Don't" (2014);Goulding stated that it was not written about any specific person.[16] "Army" contrasts with the album's more upbeat tracks such as "On My Mind","Lost and Found",and "Something in the Way You Move",opting for a steadier,mid-tempo rhythm built on soft layers of synths and guitars. Lyrically,the song is dedicated to Goulding's best friend,celebrating their bond and mutual support. Goulding described the track as "honest,real,[and] electric",explaining that it reflects how their friendship gives her strength and confidence.[17] "Lost and Found" blends folk-inspired guitar pop with electronic textures,creating an upbeat yet reflective sound. Lyrically,it conveys a sense of nostalgia and longing,as Goulding reminisces about her past and contrasts it with city life.[18] In "Don't Panic",Goulding describes a cycle of emotional repetition without explicit reflection on its consequences.[19] "Don't Need Nobody" features lyrics like "So many bodies I've touched / Crashing around me like dust / You are the realest thing I've never had to fake",accompanied by a driving beat that aligns with the album's electronic pop sound.[19] "Devotion" stands out as one of the album's more hypnotic tracks,blending guitar-led elements with electronic textures and vocoder effects. It has been described as a distinctive hybrid of pop and folk influences,reflecting Goulding's exploration of obsession and emotional intensity.[20] The standard edition closes with "Scream It Out",her only collaboration on the album with Halcyon producer Jim Eliot. The song has been interpreted as a reflective farewell to her earlier sound,symbolising Goulding's movement towards a new creative phase,as she sings,"I think I'll let fate just take me home."[20]
Singles
"On My Mind" was released as the album's lead single on 17 September 2015,[21][22] with the album's announcement.[23][24][5] Produced by Max Martin,Ilya,Ali Payami,and Calvin Harris,[25] the song premiered earlier that day on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw.[6] Goulding performed "On My Mind" live for the first time at the Apple Music Festival in September 2015,[26] where she opened the event with the song.[25][27] The accompanying music video,directed by Emil Nava[28] and filmed in Las Vegas,[29] was released the same day.[25] Before its release,Goulding teased the song via her Twitter.[30] "On My Mind" received positive reviews and performed well commercially,reaching the top 10 in Australia,[31] Canada,[32] New Zealand[33] and the United Kingdom,[34] and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[35] "Army" was sent to Italian radio on 15 January 2016 as the album's second single.[36] The song was released to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 April.[37] The third and final single from the album,"Something in the Way You Move",impacted contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 January.[38] Goulding teased the song through her Facebook page,featuring 13-second video.[39]
Other songs
"Lost and Found" was released on 23 October 2015 as a promotional single.[40] During the week before the album's release,several radio stations premiered different tracks from the album. "Don't Panic" premiered on Graham Norton's BBC Radio 2 show on 31 October,[41] while "Keep On Dancin'" debuted on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on 2 November.[42]
The album includes Goulding's song "Love Me like You Do",which was originally released as a single from the soundtrack to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey and became a commercial success worldwide.[1][4] The deluxe edition includes Goulding's collaboration with Scottish DJ Calvin Harris,"Outside",released as a single from his 2014 album Motion.[2][3] The North American deluxe edition contains Goulding's collaboration with American electronic music trio Major Lazer (also featuring American-Jamaican singer Tarrus Riley),"Powerful",released as a single from their 2015 album Peace is the Mission.[43]
Delirium received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications,the album received an average score of 70,based on 15 reviews,which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[44]
Peter Robinson of Q remarked that the album "seems to enjoy pushing pop's boundaries,and six years into her career feels like Goulding's first true superstar moment",while noting that her "nuanced lyrics steer Delirium away from homogeneity".[49] Michael Cragg of The Observer wrote that the album "goes straight for the pop jugular,unleashing a relentless barrage of bangers that almost always hit the spot."[48] Matt Collar of AllMusic opined that "it's the unexpectedly appealing combination of Goulding's distinctive voice and the melismatic R&B bent of the songs on Delirium that makes for such an ecstatic listen."[13] Eve Barlow of Spin commented,"Finally,[Goulding is] embracing the responsibility to provide stone-cold tunes without pretense",adding,"Perhaps she's finally come to terms with playing in the major leagues because she's sussed out the sweet spot between pop homogeneity and experimentation."[51] Despite criticising Goulding for copying pop trends and stating the "darker,deeper tones" may have been "a better fit for Meghan Trainor than Goulding",Pitchfork's Hazel Cills commended the singer for her "evocative storytelling and ability to craft great dance music".[10]
Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone compared Goulding's change in musical direction to "the country-to-pop transformation her pal Taylor Swift pulled off with 1989",stating that "[t]he songwriting on Delirium doesn't always feel worthy of her ambitions,but Goulding is technically peerless and versatile,maintaining her power and flare throughout and crushing every glassy jam she's put in front of."[50] Similarly,Mark Allister of PopMatters pointed out the album's "rather limited scope of lyric subjects" and concluded,"Goulding's sound has gained an even greater sheen and expectations have grown,and we'll see,in the coming months,whether Delirium is the big album that Goulding is aiming for."[19]Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson viewed Delirium as "too well-constructed and honestly ambitious,and the tracks that land in Goulding's comfort zone [...] rank among her best work. But the album also fails to elevate Goulding to her desired plateau,ultimately making it a narrow and sometimes frustrating miss."[46] Matthew Horton of NME felt that "[t]here's something disappointing about [the album],however undeniable the quality of material."[47] In a negative review for Clash,Joe Rivers expressed that Goulding's voice is "too wispy to hold its own versus the maximalist rave-pop of the day. Throughout Delirium,her vocals are often double-tracked in an attempt to circumvent this,but it largely fails,and the singing is forever fighting for attention amid a swamp of crashing beats and over-zealous synths."[45]
Delirium debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart[56] and at number one on the UK Album Downloads Chart,[57] with 38,429 copies sold in its first week,marking the biggest first-week sales of Goulding's career so far.[58] In Australia,Delirium charted at number three,[59] becoming her second album to land within the top 10 and her highest-charting album in the country.[60]
In the United States,the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200[61] with 61,000 album-equivalent units (42,000 in pure album sales),earning Goulding her highest-charting album yet.[62] As of February 2016,the album had sold 117,000 copies in the US.[63]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
↑ Vozick-Levinson, Jon Dolan,Kory Grow,Keith Harris,Maura Johnston,Rob Sheffield,Brittany Spanos,Simon; Dolan, Jon; Grow, Kory; Harris, Keith; Johnston, Maura; Sheffield, Rob; Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (18 December 2015). "20 Best Pop Albums of 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 August 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 46.Týden 2015 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
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