Ellie Goulding

An English singer and songwriter, born 30 December 1986. In 2010 she became the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008. After signing to Polydor Records in 2009, she released her first EP in 2009, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding. Goulding released her debut studio album, Lights, in 2010. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and has sold over 850,000 copies in the UK. Her cover of Elton John's "Your Song" reached number two in the UK in December 2010. On 29 April 2011 she performed the song at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Buckingham Palace. The album's title track, "Lights", was released in the US in March 2011, and reached its peak position of number two on the Billboard Hot 100 nearly a year and a half later during its thirty-third week charting, completing one of the longest ever climbs into the top two positions on the chart. The single was also certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Goulding has a soprano vocal range and her musical style has been compared to that of Kate Nash, Meiko, Lykke Li and Tracey Thorn.