iiiEven before the release of her full-length album, Ellie Goulding seemed destined for stardom when she topped the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll and won the Critics' Choice award at the Brit Awards 2010.
Goulding released her debut album Lights at the top of the UK Albums Chart,only to find it drop 15 places in the second week.
But despite this stumble, Goulding is still being touted as the best newcomer of this year. As Lights falters, it might seem as if the commercial oomph had been based on flimsy ground, but judge for yourself.
Goulding is said to be trying to popularise the electro-folk genre, but it isn't evident in the album, a solid collection of synth-laden, powerful pop tunes. It opens with Guns and Horses, an uptempo song that sets the chirpy tone but offers few surprises. Starry Eyed and Under The Sheets see her in a vulnerable and bitter mood.
This Love (Will Be Your Downfall) and The Writer might be the next big radio hits. The former is the soppiest song on the album - angelic choral voices and pianos explode into a rhapsody with a chorus.
It doesn't matter where on the chart Lights goes: an artist can't be judged solely on a debut. The 23-year-old Goulding's music shows promise which is yet to be fully exploited.