Brightest Blue sees Ellie Goulding at her most honest, yet knowing and secure.
Brightest Blue's main disc is Goulding's deepest emotional journey yet, a triumph of empowerment and self-discovery.
Brightest Blue is an album of sleekly produced, emotional gushing electropop elevated by Goulding’s vocals. When she downplays the contemporary production effects to really emote on old school soul ballad New Heights, it makes you wonder what Goulding might be like if she didn’t feel the need to try so hard.
Brightest Blue, Goulding’s best and most vulnerable work yet, proves that we could never hate or replace her.
The frequent thrill of the savvy mix that Ellie Goulding surfs cannot be denied.
While the final handful of tracks certainly have their appeal, especially when taken on their own individual merit, it’s the first part of Brightest Blue that feels the most rounded, most accomplished. In short, it feels like Ellie Goulding at her most honest, and her most heartfelt.
While EG.0 holds Goulding's mainstream radio hits, it's Brightest Blue that has evolved Ellie Goulding as a songwriter. She's created two distinct spaces on this record, which allows her to continue her musical evolution while simultaneously maintaining her pop throne as pop royalty.
When others thought she had lost her Midas touch to crafting out-of-the-box, otherworldly pop music from back in her heyday, Brightest Blue presents itself to encapsulate everything Ellie is as an artist currently, and the artist she will live on to be.
Continuing the contradictory streak of Goulding’s career, Brightest Blue’s often compelling narrative of self-assurance still ends with an identity crisis.
As far as famous blues go, Brightest Blue has a lot to compete with. But this is a welcome addition to the palette.
Favourite: Flux
Worst: Worry About Me
DISC 1
1. Start - 9
[So emotional and so beautiful. I love the production on this, Ellie does a good job as does the feature]
2. Power - 8
[Really nice pop song, great energy and a fantastic chorus]
3. How Deep Is Too Deep - 7.5
[Decent lyrically, decent pop song.]
4. Cyan - [Not Included]
5. Love I'm Given - 9
[The emotion poured into this again is so nice. Super catchy and fantastic production work.]
6. New Heights - 7
[Production is pretty good, ... read more
It's a mixed-bag at best, a jumbled mess at worst. There's a lot going on, and the division into two separate sections makes it more confusing. I thought she might try to be a bit more concise after the drawn-out mess of Delirium, but she actually made it more sprawling and all over the place instead. Still, some really good tracks in here, like "Flux" and "Slow Grenade" (I would love to hear more collabs with Lauv in the future).
1. Start - 7
2. Power - 7
3. How Deep Is ... read more
if the 2nd part didnt exist, i would rate it higher. i really like the first 13 tracks tho even if 3 of them are interludes
favs: love im given, flux
least fav: worry about me
("Only considering" the original tracklist for scoring)
With the addition of R&B and a matured songwriting compared to Halcyon, Ellie's fourth album might be her brightest (& bluest) yet.
The EG.0 tracks.. are just okay additions though.
Start - 100
Power - 90
How Deep Is Too Long - 90
Cyan - NR
Love I'm Given - 100
New Heights - 85
Ode to Myself - 85
Woman - 90
Tides - 60
Wine Drunk - NR
Bleach - 80
Flux - 90
Brightest Blue - 90
Overture - 90
Worry About Me - 55
Slow ... read more
1 | Start 5:07 feat. serpentwithfeet | 77 |
2 | Power 3:11 | 84 |
3 | How Deep Is Too Deep 3:25 | 74 |
4 | Cyan 0:57 | 70 |
5 | Love I'm Given 3:29 | 83 |
6 | New Heights 4:12 | 74 |
7 | Ode to Myself 1:51 | 70 |
8 | Woman 3:47 | 74 |
9 | Tides 3:51 | 73 |
10 | Wine Drunk 0:48 | 67 |
11 | Bleach 3:17 | 73 |
12 | Flux 3:50 | 82 |
13 | Brightest Blue 4:49 | 83 |
1 | Overture 1:17 | 74 |
2 | Worry About Me 2:59 with blackbear | 66 |
3 | Slow Grenade 3:37 feat. Lauv | 67 |
4 | Close to Me 3:02 | 79 |
5 | Hate Me 3:06 with Juice WRLD | 75 |
#10 | / | Associated Press |