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Lights (Ellie Goulding song)

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"Lights"
Song
B-side"Only Girl in the World" (Live Lounge Acoustic Version)

"Lights" is a song by English recording artist Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). It was released in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2011 as the album's sixth single overall, and second from the Bright Lights re-release. Originally a bonus track on the iTunes edition of Lights, the song was re-edited for inclusion on Bright Lights in late 2010, serving as the single version.

The track was released as the lead single from Lights in North America in May 2011. The following, the single reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales of over 2.5 million downloads in the United States.

Background, release, and composition

"Lights" was originally announced as a single on 8 September 2010 on Goulding's official Twitter page, with a release date scheduled for 1 November 2010.[1] It was to be released as the lead track from the album's repackaging as Bright Lights.[2] However, this plan was scrapped in favour of releasing "Your Song" in order to capitalise on the John Lewis Christmas marketing campaign that it was featured in.[3] This was followed by the reissue of the album Lights as Bright Lights.

It was once again announced in January 2011 that the single version of "Lights" would be released.[4] A digital EP was released in the UK on 13 March 2011, containing Goulding's acoustic cover version of Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" as performed on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 10 December 2010.[5][6]

American rapper Lupe Fiasco sampled the Bassnectar remix of "Lights" for his song "Lightwork", from his 2011 mixtape Friend of the People: I Fight Evil.[7]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Lights" is written in the key of G-sharp minor with a moderate pop tempo of 120 beats per minute. Goulding's vocals span from F♯3 to D♯5 while the song follows a chord progression of G♯m−F♯−E−C♯m7.[8]

Critical reception

"Lights" has received positive reviews from critics. Horatia Harrod of The Daily Telegraph commented that the song is "threaded with dark thoughts, but set to an airy pop production bordering on polite. Her voice is the real star. She has the magical ability, not unlike her heroine, Björk, to sing with a sort of controlled tremulousness: her voice aches with vulnerability but never breaks."[9] The Guardian reviewer Johnny Dee described the song as "a welcome return to her patented folky-pop-with-some-tasteful-drum-and-bass-wobble sound".[10] Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club was also positive of the song, giving it an A− and praising the song's "organic-sounding" production and Goulding's "ethereal, restrained" vocals, while Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave it a C, claiming that Goulding sounds too "restrained" and "aloof to the point of emotional constipation".[11]

Commercial performance

"Lights" originally debuted at number 111 on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 12 December 2010, based on digital sales from Bright Lights.[12] Three months later, on 6 March 2011, the single entered the top 100 for the first time at number ninety-one. The following week, it rose to number sixty-four, eventually reaching its peak position of number forty-nine in its third week on the chart.[13]

On the issue dated 20 August 2011, "Lights" debuted at number eighty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number eighty-nine on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming Goulding's first single to chart in North America.[14][15] The song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety-nine for the week of 14 January 2012,[16] ultimately peaking at number two on the chart dated 18 August 2012, in its thirty-third week on the chart. It stayed at number two for two weeks, behind "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen and "Whistle" by Flo-Rida.[17] When "Lights" reached number forty in its nineteenth week, on the issue dated 12 May, the song represented the third slowest climb to the top forty by a female artist, after Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why" and KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See".[18] In its twenty-ninth week, the song made Hot 100 history by achieving the longest climb to the chart's top five not aided by country-to-pop crossover success or multiple releases.[19]

"Lights" ascended to number one on the Radio Songs chart on the issue dated 25 August 2012, making Goulding the first female solo artist to send a debut Radio Songs entry to number one since Adele led the list in 2011 and 2012 with her singles "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain".[20] The song also topped Pop Songs during the same week, matching Pink's "U + Ur Hand" (twenty-three weeks, 2006–07) for the longest climb to number one by a woman in the chart's almost-twenty-year history.[21] "Lights" was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 16 July 2012,[22][23] having sold more than 2.5 million downloads in the US.[24] The single also made a re-entry on the Canadian Hot 100 on 28 April 2012, attaining a peak position of number nine on 18 August.[25]

Music video

The music video for "Lights" was filmed by Sophie Muller in late September 2010 before the lead single from the Bright Lights re-release was changed to "Your Song".[26] It was officially released on Goulding's YouTube channel on 20 January 2011.[27] The video shows Goulding dancing, playing the drums and the tambourine whilst different lighting effects including lasers surround her as she sings. It also shows her in numerous scenes swinging different hand-held lights and torches around giving the impression of a light painting, whilst the camera produces a bullet time effect like those used in The Matrix. The lighting rig in the video was created by a small group of students from Middlesex University.[28]

Live performances

Goulding performed the song live on Alan Carr: Chatty Man on 21 February 2011.[29] She performed a Saturday Session on Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 afternoon show on 26 February 2011, where she sang "Lights".[30] She also performed "Lights" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 12 March 2011, along with a cover of José González's version of The Knife's "Heartbeats".[31]

As part of promotion in the US, Goulding performed the song on Saturday Night Live on 7 May 2011, along with "Your Song".[32] On 18 January 2012, she performed the single on Late Show with David Letterman.[33] On 11 April 2012, she performed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[34]

Track listings

Personnel

Credits adapted from Bright Lights album liner notes.[37]

  • Ellie Goulding – vocals, guitar
  • Ash Howes – producer, mixing, drums, keyboards
  • Steven Malcolmson – programming
  • Richard "Biff" Stannard – producer, mixing, bass, keyboards

Charts

Release history

Country Date Label Format
United Kingdom 13 March 2011[5] Polydor Digital EP
United States 23 May 2011[35] Cherrytree, Interscope Digital EP – The Remixes Pt. 1
19 July 2011[36] Digital EP – The Remixes Pt. 2
24 January 2012[46] Mainstream radio

References

  1. ^ Goulding, Ellie (8 September 2010). "Excited to announce that m ..." Twitter. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  2. ^ Goulding, Ellie (8 September 2010). "Another big announcement- ..." Twitter. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  3. ^ Goulding, Ellie (1 November 2010). "Morning all, sorry about t ..." Twitter. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  4. ^ Goulding, Ellie (12 January 2011). "First Cherrytree blog!". Cherrytree Records. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Lights – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Live Lounge – Ellie Goulding". BBC Radio 1. BBC Online. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  7. ^ Bain, Becky (20 October 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Samples Ellie Goulding's "Lights" For Mixtape Track "Lightwork"". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  8. ^ "Ellie Goulding – Lights Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  9. ^ Harrod, Horatia (21 February 2011). "'He was Obsessed with Murder': Ellie Goulding interview". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  10. ^ Dee, Johnny (12 March 2011). "This week's new singles". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  11. ^ Hyden, Steven; Koski, Genevieve (3 March 2012). "This Was Pop: March 3, 2012". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  12. ^ "CHART: CLUK Update 18.12.2010 (wk49)". Official Charts Company. The Zobbel Website. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Ellie Goulding – Lights". Official Charts Company. ChartArchive. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Hot 100 – Week of August 20, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  15. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Week of August 20, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  16. ^ "Hot 100 – Week of January 14, 2012". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  18. ^ Trust, Gary (4 May 2012). "Weekly Chart Notes: Kimbra, One Direction, Rascal Flatts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  19. ^ Trust, Gary (11 July 2012). "Carly Rae Jepsen Still No. 1, Nicki Minaj Makes History On Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  20. ^ Trust, Gary (15 August 2012). "Flo Rida's 'Whistle' Works Way to Top of Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  21. ^ Trust, Gary (13 August 2012). "Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry Scale Airplay Chart Summits". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  23. ^ Copsey, Robert (25 April 2012). "Ellie Goulding tops one million single sales in US". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  24. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (30 July 2012). "Ellie Goulding To Release 'Halcyon' Album in October". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  25. ^ a b "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  26. ^ Goulding, Ellie (21 September 2010). "Shooting video for lights ..." Twitter. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  27. ^ "Ellie Goulding – Lights". YouTube. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  28. ^ Millarini, Lucrezia (11 February 2011). "Ellie Goulding". London Tonight. itv.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  29. ^ "Watch Ellie On Alan Carr: Chatty Man". elliegoulding.com. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  30. ^ "Saturday Sessions". The Dermot O'Leary Show. 26 February 2011. BBC. BBC Radio 2. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "Live Lounge – Ellie Goulding". BBC Radio 1. BBC Online. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  32. ^ "Watch Ellie on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE this weekend". Interscope Records. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  33. ^ Daw, Robbie (19 January 2012). "Ellie Goulding Drums Up A 'Late Show' Performance Of "Lights"". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  34. ^ "Ellie Goulding Performs 'Lights'". Warner Bros. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  35. ^ a b "Lights (The Remixes), Pt. 1 – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  36. ^ a b "Lights (The Remixes), Pt. 2 – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  37. ^ Bright Lights (Media notes). Polydor Records. 2010. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  38. ^ "Ellie Goulding – Lights" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  39. ^ "Ellie Goulding – Lights". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  40. ^ "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  41. ^ "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  42. ^ "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  43. ^ "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Pop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  44. ^ "Ellie Goulding Album & Song Chart History – Rock Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  45. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  46. ^ "Top 40/Mainstream > Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
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