Brightest Blue cover art

  Studio Album · No. 4

Brightest Blue Songwriting Credits by Ellie Goulding

2020 Polydor Records 18 tracks 56 min

Produced by Joe Kearns, Max Cooke, Starsmith, Patrick Wimberly, Jamie Scott, Forest Swords, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Diplo, Jason Evigan

Polydor Records PopSynth-popContemporary R&B
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 18 of 18 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 18 / 18 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 18 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ellie Goulding carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
18 trackswritten by Ellie Goulding 0 tracksoutside writers
Ellie Goulding's roles on this album

Share of the 18 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

18
Tracks
31
Lyricists
16
Producers
500,000+ (US, RIAA Gold)
Worldwide Copies Sold
2020
Released
Data Insight

Brightest Blue splits Goulding's authorship into two literal sides. Side A, 'Brightest Blue,' is the self-written heart of the record: Goulding co-writes every track, almost always with Joe Kearns, and performs guitar, bass, and piano herself, so her name and Kearns' dominate the credits. Side B, 'EG.0,' is the opposite mode, a run of collaborative singles where outside writers and producers such as Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Peter Svensson, Diplo, and Jason Evigan take the lead alongside guest artists Blackbear, Lauv, Swae Lee, and Juice Wrld. Reading down the credit columns, Side A stays close to the Goulding-Kearns pairing while Side B widens into the full pop machinery.

Brightest Blue is the fourth studio album by English singer Ellie Goulding, released on 17 July 2020 through Polydor Records. It is built as two distinct halves: Side A, titled 'Brightest Blue,' is the personal, largely self-written portion, with Goulding co-writing every song alongside her chief collaborator Joe Kearns and playing guitar, bass, and piano across the record. Side B, titled 'EG.0,' collects the more collaborative pop songs and previously released singles, including team-ups with Diplo, Swae Lee, Blackbear, Lauv, and Juice Wrld. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, giving Goulding her first UK chart-topping album since her 2010 debut Lights, and reached number 29 on the US Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States and Silver by the BPI in the United Kingdom.

Track Listing & Credits 18 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Start
Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsMax CookeMike Wise Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsMax CookeMike Wise Joe KearnsMax CookeForest Swords Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)Serpentwithfeet (Featured Vocals)
2
Power #86
Ellie GouldingJamie ScottCofferPaichTaylorGaleTarrant Ellie GouldingJamie ScottCofferPaichTaylorGaleTarrant Jamie ScottCoffer Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
3
How Deep Is Too Deep
Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith StarsmithJoe Kearns Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
4
Cyan
Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith Joe KearnsStarsmith Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
5
Love I'm Given
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe KearnsMike Wise Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
6
New Heights
Ellie GouldingPatrick WimberlyJoe KearnsMax Cooke Ellie GouldingPatrick WimberlyJoe KearnsMax Cooke Joe KearnsPatrick Wimberly Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
7
Ode to Myself
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe Kearns Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
8
Woman
Ellie GouldingTeplinTobias Jesso Jr.Stacey Ellie GouldingTeplinTobias Jesso Jr.Stacey Joe KearnsStarsmithTeplin Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
9
Tides
Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsFinlay Dow-Smith Starsmith Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
10
Wine Drunk
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe Kearns Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
11
Bleach
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe KearnsPatrick Wimberly Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
12
Flux
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe KearnsMax Cooke Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
13
Brightest Blue
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe Kearns Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)
14
Overture
Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Ellie GouldingJoe Kearns Joe Kearns Ellie Goulding (Vocals)
15
Worry About Me #78
Ellie GouldingSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter SvenssonMusto Ellie GouldingSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter SvenssonMusto Ilya Salmanzadeh Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)Blackbear (Featured Vocals)
16
Slow Grenade
Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsAri LeffMcLaughlinGörres Ellie GouldingJoe KearnsAri LeffMcLaughlinGörres Joe KearnsGörres Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)Lauv (Featured Vocals)
17
Close to Me #17
Ellie GouldingThomas Wesley PentzSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter SvenssonKhalif Brown Ellie GouldingThomas Wesley PentzSavan KotechaIlya SalmanzadehPeter SvenssonKhalif Brown DiploIlya Salmanzadeh Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)Diplo (Featured Artist)Swae Lee (Featured Vocals)
18
Hate Me
Ellie GouldingHazzardWotmanS. JohnsonK. JohnsonLomaxJason EviganHiggins Ellie GouldingHazzardWotmanS. JohnsonK. JohnsonLomaxJason EviganHiggins Andrew WattMonsters & StrangerzJason EviganG. Stone Ellie Goulding (Lead Vocals)Juice Wrld (Featured Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 42 contributors

EG
Ellie Goulding
Writer · Vocals
On this album18 written
JK
Joe Kearns
Writer · Producer
On this album13 written
FD
Finlay Dow-Smith
Writer
On this album3 written
IS
Ilya Salmanzadeh
Writer · Producer
On this album2 written
MC
Max Cooke
Writer · Producer
On this album2 written
PS
Peter Svensson
Writer
On this album2 written
SK
Savan Kotecha
Writer
On this album2 written
PW
Patrick Wimberly
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
C
Coffer
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
G
Görres
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
JS
Jamie Scott
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
JE
Jason Evigan
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written

More from Ellie Goulding

2010 100%
Lights
Polydor Records
10 tracksProd. Starsmith
2012 92%
Halcyon
Polydor Records
13 tracksProd. Ellie Goulding
2015 94%
Delirium
Polydor Records
16 tracksProd. Greg Kurstin
2023 94%
Higher Than Heaven
Polydor Records
16 tracksProd. Greg Kurstin

Frequently Asked Questions Brightest Blue

What is the two-part structure of Brightest Blue?
The album is split into Side A, 'Brightest Blue,' the personal and largely self-written half, and Side B, 'EG.0,' which gathers the collaborative pop songs and previously released singles.
Who wrote Brightest Blue?
Goulding co-wrote every song on the album. On Side A she works almost entirely with Joe Kearns, while Side B brings in outside writers such as Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Peter Svensson, and Diplo alongside the guest artists.
Did Brightest Blue reach number one?
Yes. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, Goulding's first UK number-one album since her 2010 debut Lights, and reached number 29 on the US Billboard 200.
Who are the featured artists on the album?
Guests include Serpentwithfeet on 'Start,' Blackbear on 'Worry About Me,' Lauv on 'Slow Grenade,' Diplo and Swae Lee on 'Close to Me,' and Juice Wrld on 'Hate Me.'
Was 'Close to Me' a new song on Brightest Blue?
No. 'Close to Me' with Diplo and Swae Lee was first released in 2018 and reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart; it appears on Side B as a previously released single.
Is 'Sixteen' on the album?
'Sixteen,' which peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart, was released in 2019 and appears as an international digital bonus track on the streaming edition rather than on the standard 18-track album.
How was Brightest Blue certified?
It was certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States and Silver by the BPI in the United Kingdom.

Sources

Wikipedia: Brightest Blue MusicBrainz: Brightest Blue (release group) Cover Art Archive: Brightest Blue Official Charts: Close to Me Cover Art Archive: Brightest Blue by Ellie Goulding