When you hear Ellie Goulding‘s name, it’s likely her signature hits “Lights,” “Burn,” and “Love Me Like You Do” come to mind. “I think my voice is always the thing that separates it from everything else,” she tells American Songwriter. “My voice is a result of shyness as a kid and my very vast range of influences to unique teenage years, so I think my voice has captured all of that. I didn’t sound like anyone else. I wanted to act when I was a kid and was far too shy and self-conscious, and so it all kind of ended up manifesting in my voice.”
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Behind the ethereal voice is a strong songwriter who’s responsible for some of her own biggest hits, as well as songs by other prominent artists. As a songwriter, her credits range from rapper Big Sean to fellow pop star Iggy Azalea. “As you go along, you work with lots of people, some who are genuinely writing the biggest songs of all time, and you pick up a lot of other ways to process things,” Goulding explains about what she’s learned as a co-writer over the years. “I’ve grown myself as a writer, but then I’ve also picked up a lot. … Lyrics come much more naturally now.”
Check out three songs you didn’t know Goulding wrote for other aritsts.
“Heavy Crown” by Iggy Azalea
Written by Iggy Azalea, Ellie Goulding, Jon Turner, Jonathan Shave, Jason Pebworth, George Astasio, Alex Oriet, and David Phelan
Goulding was part of a pivotal moment in Iggy Azalea’s career by contributing to Reclassified, the reissue of her 2014 debut album, The New Classic. The track was co-written by Azalea, Goulding, and Jon Turner, along with its producers Jonathan Shave, Jason Pebworth, George Astasio, Alex Oriet, and David Phelan.
Azalea said Goulding pitched her the track and she quickly fell in love with. “I’d wanted to work with her for so long,” Azalea told Radio.com, adding it was “really cool” to work with her. “I’d been a really big fan of hers and I think her voice is so unique and ethereal-sounding. I felt that it was so appropriate for this to be our collaboration. … I think it’s a cool collaboration. I think it brings out something different in both artists that you don’t usually see.”
Though not officially released as single, “Heavy Crown” did reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Digital R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and appeared in the trailer for the film Kingsman: The Secret Service.
“Heavenly”by Lea Michele
Written by Ellie Goulding, Richard Stannard, and Ash Howes
Goulding had a hand in writing the dramatic ballad “Heavenly” on Lea Michele’s 2017 sophomore album Places. This deep cut features Michele’s dreamy vocals over a gentle melody as she sings: It’s heaven when you call / Heaven when you’re calling me out from under / Heaven only knows / Heaven has a hold on me. The Glee star says she’s “obsessed” with Goulding and was thrilled when she pitched “Heavenly” to her. “When we heard this song, we were like, ‘It’s so perfect for the record,'” Michele told E! News. “It sounds like Ellie, but I feel like I’ve made it my own and I’m a huge fan of hers.”
“You Don’t Know” by Big Sean
Written by Ellie Goulding, Big Sean, Dion Wilson, and Adam Glassco
In 2013, Flinch released the EDM track “You Don’t Know” featuring Goulding. That same year, Big Sean incorporated it into his sophomore album, Hall of Fame. Though the rapper samples the Goulding cut, he adds his own words and voice to it, including verses like: It’s Finally Famous, overbooked, overpaid and overpriced / But don’t get it twisted, that s–t ain’t happen overnight / Had dreams of balling now I’m NFLing / Let her spend the night, she feel like Cinderella. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
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