Ellie Goulding has kept a fairly low profile over the past couple years: In 2017, she appeared on Kygo’s “First Time” and shared a recording of “O Holy Night” in time for the holidays. Earlier this year, she released a cover of Don McLean’s “Vincent,” and that is about all we’ve heard from her recently. Now, though, she’s back with the new single “Close To Me,” a collaboration with Diplo and Swae Lee.
Tune in to @BBCR1 tonight from 7.30pm to hear 'Close To Me' with @diplo featuring @goSwaeLee ! pic.twitter.com/TJYFTpyJig
— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) October 24, 2018
Goulding explained to BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac that she’s spent the time between albums taking a break and just living life:
“I spent quite a lot of time on tour after I released [2015’s Delirium], and then, to be honest, I was just really tired. I just wanted to spend time with my family and see my friends a bit more and try to have a bit of a normal reality. So I moved to New York for a bit, and I’ve kind of just been writing in and out, not putting too much pressure on… The last three albums were really consecutive, so I didn’t ever really have a chance to do anything else. So I’ve kind of been living a bit.”
It’s been a while since Goulding released a new album, but it looks like that might change soon. Although a follow-up to Delirium has yet to be formally announced, she recently wiped her social media accounts clean, a move that suggests something big is about to happen. She also spoke recently about recording her next album, saying, “I have sort of gone back to basics and am doing a lot of the writing on my own. I mostly collaborated with songwriters on the first three albums, so this is a step in a new direction.” In a since-deleted tweet, she also responded to a fan who asked her to “blink twice if [her fourth album] is imminent,” replying with a pair of winking emojis.
Listen to “Close To Me” above.
