

She takes the reigns and makes the song her own. The drums are massive, and Goulding saddles up to them with an overwhelming amount of confidence. Give it to me solid. Goulding is a club queen over this classic Calvin Harris disco beat. This is all of our collective fragility on display as we turn to each other and say, “I know you are flawed, and I accept you, even if I can’t accept your love right now.” Oof, right in the feels.ĥ.

This is the part of the show where you light the stadium with your lighters and phone flashes. All the elements are there for an arresting, tear jerker experience. It’s just her raw power and emotion up against some strings, piano, and dramatic percussion. Here we get a look at the softer side of Ellie.

“Outside” is one of the most memorable tracks off Harris’ Motion LP, and it’s so good, it had to make its way onto Goulding’s Delirium as a bonus. There are definite moments of tenderness, but there’s also determination. Even as she finds herself confused at her lover’s betrayel, Goulding remains firm and ferocious. In great dance tradition, it’s not the kind of song where the heroine is full of tears and remorse. Goulding and Calvin Harris make a great pair, and “Outside” makes for one helluva great break-up anthem. It’s an Ellie Goulding song that hits deep and sticks to your bones.Ĩ. “Powerful” is a good name for this collaboration. Major Lazer gave Ellie a cool new groove to cozy up to, and her high-pitched rasp is a cool counterpart to Tarrus Riley’s deep-rooted roar. “Powerful” has a touch of that swinging soul, a bit of the delta blues in its rumbling wave. The song is the album's standout track and sees the group pair their distinctive country style with a pulsating electronic beat alongside lyrics that tackle topics including gun control, abortion rights and climate change.Ooh yeah, give it to me with some grime, Ellie. Current band members Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire's new material seems keenly attuned to the politics of today despite their 14-year recording hiatus.Īs the band released protest song March March last month amid the Black Lives Matter movement, they announced they were dropping the word Dixie, which has ties to Confederacy in the US, from their name. Gaslighter sees The Chicks return with a new name and a renewed vigour for taking on contemporary issues. The 13 three-minute songs mostly have catchy choruses, with Emily Kempf (bass) and Jason Balla (guitar) trading vocals anchored by Eric McGrady's drums.ĭehd clearly have all the right influences, yet transcend them and come up with a fresh sound that manages to be both timeless and also entirely 2020. They keep it simple, with pared-back instrumentation, like The White Stripes - and also with a complex inter-band relationship that adds an edge to their songs of love won and lost.
