Ellie Goulding’s tour of her first album to be released in three years, Higher Than Heaven, caused the Manchester Academy to sell out on 20 October. Yet, it wasn’t the new album which drew in the crowds: it was her older music, from beloved albums such as Lights 10 and Delirium, which dominated the spotlight and the setlist.
Groups of people in their late twenties and early thirties dominated Goulding’s audience. As a student, I seemed to be the only person who wasn’t wearing a denim jacket, clutching a plastic pint, and remarking on how Jane from HR forgot that it was dress-down Friday in the office.
The office chat was hushed as the stage, adorned with a foil backdrop, was bathed in a red light. The headliner’s surprisingly minimal band took their positions: only one pianist, one drummer, and five backing vocalists were present on the stage. Perhaps the reason for such a small set-up is because Goulding doesn’t need any frills or fuss. She is authentically herself; as she reminded the audience, she gets “kind of shy” and “a bit nervous” onstage. Despite this, she dominated the stage with her electric energy, leaving no areas untrod as she danced her way from the left to the right-hand side, while taking regular “beer breaks” and interacting with the most loyal fans at the barrier.
The show kicked off with the moody single ‘Better Man’, which I mainly watched through the phone screens of the millennials around me. The crowd clearly loved Goulding, with many fans constantly cheering, face-timing people who didn’t manage to get a ticket to the sold-out event, and whooping whenever she performed hip-concentrated choreography.
Goulding’s musical range is certainly eclectic and multifaceted: she has collaborated with huge names in the music industry, such as Calvin Harris, Juice WRLD, Sigala, and Diplo to name a few. She’s also supplied the soundtracks for several movie franchises like Fifty Shades of Grey and Divergent. It’s hard to find another artist with such an expansive repertoire. Such diversity allowed the setlist to be incredibly varied, as the audience was treated to classics such as her tender 2010 cover of Elton John’s ‘Our Song’ and the fast-paced ‘Starry Eyed’.
The atmosphere in the Academy suddenly escalated as Goulding and Calvin Harris’ high-energy track ‘Outside’ blasted through the crowd. The crowd was no longer politely two-stepping. The choice of having the synthesised dance track on an otherwise calmly lifting setlist attested to the demographics of the night.
While Goulding’s new album was definitely enjoyed and well-received, the majority of the crowd was most enthused by her continuous string of hits from the 2010s. Doing some quick mental calculations, most of the crowd were in their teenage years when Goulding was making a name for herself in the industry. Yet, given their reactions to both her old and new hits, their love for Goulding hasn’t diminished in the slightest.
Goulding’s artistic and musical breadth was showcased as she bounced from acoustic versions of the mellow song ‘Halcyon’, even using a sample pad on ‘Starry Eyed’. Her distinctively airy vocals are what sets her apart from other artists. She took the crowd on a roller coaster of artistic styles, all of which managed to sustain the vivacious atmosphere in the Academy. Despite stating that she often goes into “tangents and waffles” during her set, throughout the show she remained incredibly focused and absorbed in what she wanted to deliver to the crowd. Not only did her two-piece suit give girlboss; she also gave girlboss.
There was something quite nostalgic about the night: the older songs in the setlist provoked a sudden, eager spike in the energy of the room as the crowd sang verbatim, enraptured by the memories of the songs, most of which were released over a decade ago. The lyrics of ‘Anything Could Happen’ and ‘Burn’ were passionately repeated back to Goulding as the crowd were suddenly transported back to the iconic 2010s pop scene. Nonetheless, songs from her new album, such as the electronic ‘Let it Die (a track about breaking off from a toxic relationship) still left their mark on the crowd.
Ellie Goulding’s set at the Academy proved that while the artist can release refreshing new music, the older songs never lose their appeal. Her iconic 2010s repertoire withstands the test of time.
