Brightest Blue

Ellie Goulding - Brightest Blue
Critic Score
Based on 15 reviews
2020 Ratings: #745 / 871
User Score
Based on 570 ratings
2020 Rank: #787
Liked by 41 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

80
musicOMH

Brightest Blue sees Ellie Goulding at her most honest, yet knowing and secure.

80
AllMusic

Brightest Blue's main disc is Goulding's deepest emotional journey yet, a triumph of empowerment and self-discovery.

80
The Independent
This fourth album displays both Goulding’s boundary-pushing and deep emotions more powerfully than ever before.
80
The Telegraph

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.

80
Spectrum Culture

Brightest Blue, Goulding’s best and most vulnerable work yet, proves that we could never hate or replace her.

80
The Arts Desk

The frequent thrill of the savvy mix that Ellie Goulding surfs cannot be denied.

80
Evening Standard
Ellie Goulding’s signature attributes are present and correct on her first album in five years. But this time around, there’s a confidence in her vocals and songwriting that wasn’t always there before.
75
The Line of Best Fit

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.

70
Exclaim!

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.

70
Gigwise

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.

64
Pitchfork

Continuing the contradictory streak of Goulding’s career, Brightest Blue’s often compelling narrative of self-assurance still ends with an identity crisis.

60
The Observer
True, her say-what-you-see lyrics are still too pedestrian; seas remain dark and stormy, lines between opposing things are thin. Yet the music often soars. Goulding should trust herself more: she might need more ego, but she doesn’t need EG.0.
60
The Irish Times

As far as famous blues go, Brightest Blue has a lot to compete with. But this is a welcome addition to the palette.

40
The Young Folks
Fans of Goulding will surely enjoy it, but lack of a cohesive sound, misplaced interludes, and tired pop production keep the album from being its best.
30
Slant Magazine
The soporific set tries in vain to refine Goulding’s sound, slowing tempos and removing sonic affectations to reveal a core of amorous, unmemorable pop anthems.
CamLikesMusic
74

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

Jallen2035
70

Honestly, much better than I was expecting.

Maqtheus
60

chatinho

lucasbarnts
59

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

sekedeluza
77

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

KierforaReview
87

("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

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Track List

Brightest Blue
1Start
5:07
77
2Power
3:11
84
3How Deep Is Too Deep
3:25
74
4Cyan
0:57
70
5Love I'm Given
3:29
83
6New Heights
4:12
74
7Ode to Myself
1:51
70
8Woman
3:47
74
9Tides
3:51
73
10Wine Drunk
0:48
67
11Bleach
3:17
73
12Flux
3:50
82
13Brightest Blue
4:49
83
EG.0
1Overture
1:17
74
2Worry About Me
2:59
66
3Slow Grenade
3:37
feat. Lauv
67
4Close to Me
3:02
79
5Hate Me
3:06
75
Total Length: 56 minutes

Year End Lists

#10/Associated Press
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Added on: May 6, 2020