Mackenzie Cummings-Grady  Journal Staff

Even with her newly tinted pink hair Ellie Goulding has become one of the divas of the pop industry. When Lights was released back in 2010, the title track shot Goulding to stardom and was deemed one of the highest-selling pop tunes of all time by Rolling Stone and Billboard. While the song still circulates the radio today, Ellie’s new album Halcyon, meaning “peaceful,” provides the same anthems as her debut. While experimenting in new territories, Ellie’s voice remains as beautiful as ever and she is still able to maintain the radio-friendly swag that fans of her first album will praise.

Defining the opening track “Don’t Say a Word” as tentative would be an understatement. Ellie opens with a swagger similar to The Weeknd, and shows us a different side than the opener of her previous work.  However, the next song “My Blood” reassures her fans that she is still a pop goddess underneath the dubstep beats and mysterious hue. If I had to place a bet, I would put my money on this track becoming the next “Lights.” It’s loud, it’s grandiose, and it’s so dang catchy.  The pop influences continue with the singles “Anything Can Happen” and “Only You,” both of which will inspire you to dance and sing along with the simple “oohs” of both tracks.

Yet once these songs conclude, Goulding’s experimentations continue. The title track has Goulding pushing her limited range to an extent never tried before. While her voice is beautiful, it has always had just one register. Sorry Ms. Goulding, but leave the belting gospel soul to Adele. At the same time, while some of the “soul” tracks may fall flat, you can’t hate her for pushing the envelope a little; isn’t that what a musician is supposed to do? In the cases of “Joy” and “Dead in the Water,” the result is not half bad.

While Halcyon is mostly Ms. Goulding playing around with her sound, there are still many gems to be heard. Even beneath all the new echoes and tweaks the album still seems well put together. Each track flows with grace and consistency; it keeps the listener entertained and tapping their feet through all 12 songs. Despite this album coming out last week, I felt I had to give a polite nod to Goulding and all the hard work she has done. As her identity becomes clearer, I can only predict that her next release will be her best work, and that Lights will be substituted on the radio and become a relic of the past.