Yes. She co-writes the large majority of her catalog, usually alongside producers and other writers. Her debut breakthrough 'Lights' was co-written by her, and she has held writing credits across all of her studio albums. Her biggest single, 'Love Me Like You Do', is a notable exception she did not write.
By the Numbers
5
Studio Albums
73
Tracks Credited
96%
Self-Written
over 27 million albums
Records Sold
17
Years Active
107
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 70 / 73 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 73 tracks: how many Ellie Goulding wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Ellie Goulding has a writing credit96%
1%
95%
4%
Sole author1tracks1%
Co-written69tracks95%
Outside writers3tracks4%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Ellie Goulding's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 73 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)96%
Composer (music)96%
Producer10%
Performer100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Ellie Goulding's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 96%
100%
92%
94%
100%
94%
2010Lights
2012Halcyon
2015Delirium
2020Brightest Blue
2023Higher Than Heaven
Early · 95% written
Late · 97% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
95%
2010s
Lights, Halcyon +1 more
97%
2020s
Brightest Blue, Higher Than Heaven
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Ellie Goulding sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Ellie Goulding
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Ellie Goulding, Starsmith, Finlay Dow-Smith
Co-wrote
Starry Eyed
Lights
Written by Ellie Goulding, Jonny Lattimer
Co-wrote
Guns and Horses
Lights
Written by Ellie Goulding, John Fortis
Co-wrote
The Writer
Lights
Written by Ellie Goulding, Jonny Lattimer
Co-wrote
Anything Could Happen
Halcyon
Written by Ellie Goulding, Jim Eliot
Co-wrote
Figure 8
Halcyon
Written by Ellie Goulding, Jonny Lattimer
Co-wrote
Explosions
Halcyon
Written by Ellie Goulding, John Fortis
Co-wrote
Love Me Like You Do
Delirium
Written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami, Tove Lo
Outside writers
On My Mind
Delirium
Written by Ellie Goulding, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh
Co-wrote
Army
Delirium
Written by Ellie Goulding, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami
Co-wrote
Something in the Way You Move
Delirium
Written by Ellie Goulding, Greg Kurstin
Co-wrote
Close to Me
Brightest Blue
Written by Ellie Goulding, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Peter Svensson, Khalif Brown
Co-wrote
Worry About Me
Brightest Blue
Written by Ellie Goulding, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Peter Svensson, Musto
Co-wrote
Power
Brightest Blue
Written by Ellie Goulding, Jamie Scott, Coffer, Paich, Taylor, Gale, Tarrant
Co-wrote
Easy Lover
Higher Than Heaven
Written by Ellie Goulding, Sean Anderson, Greg Kurstin, Julia Michaels
Co-wrote
Let It Die
Higher Than Heaven
Written by Ellie Goulding, Tom Mann, Andrea Rocha, Peter Rycroft
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 5 albums
Covers all five Ellie Goulding studio albums, from her 2010 debut Lights through Higher Than Heaven (2023). A sixth album announced for 2026, I Know Too Much, is not yet released and is outside this scope.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JK Joe Kearns · S Starsmith · JE Jim Eliot · SK Savan Kotecha
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Ellie Goulding is a co-writing singer-songwriter, and the shape of her authorship shifts across her catalog. On her debut Lights and on Halcyon she co-writes almost everything with a tight circle, chiefly Starsmith and then Jim Eliot, so her name sits in nearly every composer credit. From Delirium onward the writing rooms grow: she remains a co-writer on most tracks, but now as one voice among the Max Martin team, Greg Kurstin, and others, and her biggest hit 'Love Me Like You Do' is written entirely by outside writers. Brightest Blue splits the difference on purpose, with a self-written Side A built around Joe Kearns and a collaboration-heavy Side B. Her authorship score reflects a performer who genuinely writes, usually with a producer-collaborator at her side rather than alone.
Quick Facts
BRIT Critics' Choice 2010She won the BRIT Critics' Choice Award and topped the BBC Sound of 2010 poll in the same year, before releasing her debut album.
Debut hit at number oneHer first album, Lights (2010), debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
'Lights' chart longevityThe single 'Lights' spent 52 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 and did not reach its number-two peak until its 33rd week.
'Love Me Like You Do' global smashHer Fifty Shades of Grey single hit number one in the UK for four weeks and topped charts in over 30 countries.
Royal wedding performanceShe performed roughly 14 songs at the 2011 wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton, including a cover of 'Your Song'.
Co-writing singer-songwriterShe co-writes the majority of her own material, including her breakthrough single 'Lights'.
Creative Fingerprint
A singer-songwriter who co-writes the large majority of her material with a rotating cast of producers and writers, though her biggest hit 'Love Me Like You Do' was written for her by an outside team.
The Story
Ellie Goulding is an English singer-songwriter who broke through in 2010 as the BRIT Critics' Choice winner and topper of the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, then debuted at number one on the UK chart with her album Lights. Across five studio albums she has worked as a genuine co-writer, holding a songwriting credit on the large majority of her catalog rather than being handed finished songs. Her sound has moved from folk-tinged synth-pop toward big-room dance-pop, and her collaborators have grown from a small team around producer Starsmith and Jim Eliot to the full pop establishment of Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and Calvin Harris. Her biggest hit is the exception to that authorship pattern: 'Love Me Like You Do,' the Fifty Shades of Grey single, was written for her by an outside team. She remains one of the best-selling British artists of her generation, with more than 27 million albums sold.
Awards & Recognition
BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist (2014)
BRIT Critics' Choice Award (2010)
BRIT Billion Award (2023)
Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance ('Love Me Like You Do', 2016)
Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media ('Love Me Like You Do', 2016)
Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song ('Love Me Like You Do', 2016)
Frequently Asked Questions Ellie Goulding
Does Ellie Goulding write her own songs?
Yes. She co-writes the large majority of her catalog, usually alongside producers and other writers. Her debut breakthrough 'Lights' was co-written by her, and she has held writing credits across all of her studio albums. Her biggest single, 'Love Me Like You Do', is a notable exception she did not write.
Is Ellie Goulding a songwriter?
Yes. Beyond her own records she has written or co-written songs recorded by other artists including Diana Vickers, Gabriella Cilmi, and Lena. On her own releases she typically works as a co-writer with a rotating group of collaborators rather than writing entirely alone.
Who wrote 'Love Me Like You Do'?
It was written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami, and Tove Lo, and produced by Max Martin and Ali Payami. Ellie Goulding did not write it; she was chosen to sing it for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. It went on to earn Grammy and Golden Globe nominations.
Who wrote 'Lights'?
'Lights' was written by Ellie Goulding with Richard 'Biff' Stannard and Ash Howes, who also produced it. It is one of her earliest and most successful self-written songs, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spending 52 weeks on that chart.
'Love Me Like You Do' is her signature hit, reaching number one in the UK for four weeks and topping the charts in more than 30 countries. It is certified 8x Platinum in the United States. She did not write the song but recorded it for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack.
Did Ellie Goulding perform at the royal wedding?
Yes. On 29 April 2011 she performed at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton, playing what she recalled as about 14 songs. Her set included a cover of Elton John's 'Your Song', which she had released as a single.
What awards has Ellie Goulding won?
She won the BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist in 2014 and the BRIT Critics' Choice Award in 2010, and received a BRIT Billion Award in 2023. She has earned three Grammy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination, though she has not won a Grammy.
How did Ellie Goulding first become famous?
She broke through in 2010 after winning the BRIT Critics' Choice Award and topping the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, becoming the second artist to achieve both in the same year. Her debut album Lights then entered the UK Albums Chart at number one.
Has Ellie Goulding written for other artists?
Yes. Her external songwriting credits include work for artists such as Diana Vickers, Gabriella Cilmi, and Lena, placing her among pop performers who also contribute as working songwriters outside their own releases.
Ellie Goulding
