Let's be real for a second. Most pop stars spend their entire careers trying to convince us they’re deep. They want you to know about their childhood trauma, their messy breakups, and their "growth" as an artist. But when Ellie Goulding Higher Than Heaven dropped in April 2023, she did something much braver for a musician of her stature: she decided to just have fun. No soul-baring. No tears. Just pure, unadulterated dance-pop.
It was a weird time for her to do it. The world was still shaking off the cobwebs of the pandemic, and the music industry was obsessed with "sad girl" indie-pop. Then Ellie walks in with a record that sounds like a neon-lit nightclub in 2085. It's frantic. It’s glossy. It’s also probably the most misunderstood project in her discography because people keep looking for a "meaning" that she explicitly told us isn't there.
The pivot away from the personal
If you go back to Brightest Blue, her 2020 record, you’ll find a lot of introspection. It was a double album, half of it being this high-concept exploration of her psyche. But Ellie Goulding Higher Than Heaven is the complete opposite of that. She’s gone on record with Rolling Stone and NME saying this was her "least personal" album yet.
Think about that. In an era where "authenticity" is the ultimate currency, Ellie decided to sell us a fantasy. She wanted to make a record where the lyrics didn't require a therapy degree to decode. You’ve got tracks like "Cure For Love" and "Midnight Dreams" that aren't about her husband or her life as a new mom. They're about the feeling of the bass hitting your chest.
Why the production on Higher Than Heaven feels different
The sound of this album is incredibly tight. It’s claustrophobic in a good way. She worked with big-name producers like Greg Kurstin, Koz, and Andrew Wells to craft something that feels like a spiritual successor to Halcyon, but with a much sharper edge. There’s no folk-pop here. No acoustic guitars hiding in the corner.
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Take "Let It Die." It’s an icy, synth-driven track that sounds like something Robyn would have released if she were feeling particularly ruthless. The vocal layering is classic Ellie—that breathy, vibrato-heavy delivery—but the track itself is cold. It’s about cutting ties. It’s lean. It doesn't waste a single second of your time.
Then there’s "By the End of the Night." It’s basically a love letter to the 1980s. It has that soaring, cinematic quality that makes you want to drive too fast. Honestly, it’s one of the best examples of how she can take a retro sound and make it feel modern rather than just a cheap nostalgia trip.
The Calvin Harris factor and the "Free" era
You can't talk about Ellie Goulding Higher Than Heaven without talking about "Miracle." Even though it was technically a Calvin Harris track that appeared on the Deluxe version, it defined the entire era. That song went everywhere. It brought back the 90s trance sound to the mainstream and reminded everyone that Ellie’s voice is the secret weapon of electronic dance music.
When they performed it at Coachella or Ibiza, it clicked. People didn't want "meaning." They wanted to jump. This energy bled into the rest of the album. The track "Higher Than Heaven" itself is a masterclass in building tension. It starts with this pulsing beat and just keeps layering until it reaches this euphoric, almost dizzying peak. It feels like she’s trying to see how much sound she can cram into a three-minute pop song without it breaking.
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Addressing the critics who "didn't get it"
Some reviewers were a bit dismissive. They called it "shallow" or "surface-level." But that's kinda the point? Not every piece of art needs to be a diary entry. Sometimes, the art is the craft itself. The architecture of the song. The way a snare hit correlates with a vocal chop.
If you look at the tracklist, it’s remarkably consistent. There are no "skips." Even the deeper cuts like "Temptation" or "Waiting for It" maintain this high-velocity energy. It’s an album designed for a specific environment: the gym, the pre-game, the drive home at 2 AM.
A quick look at the standout moments:
- Love Goes On: This is the secret gem. It’s got a bit of a disco flair that feels warmer than the rest of the cold-synth tracks.
- Better Man: Probably the closest she gets to a traditional pop narrative, but even then, the production keeps it from getting too sentimental.
- How Long: This one has a weird, infectious groove that sticks in your head for days.
The impact on her career trajectory
Before this album, there was a feeling that Ellie might be moving into "legacy artist" territory. She’d been around since the "Starry Eyed" days of 2010. But Higher Than Heaven proved she could still dominate the charts and the clubs simultaneously. It debuted at Number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, making her the female artist with the most UK Number 1 albums (tied with Adele at the time).
That’s no small feat. To stay relevant in pop for over a decade is hard. To do it by pivoting away from the confessional style that made you famous is even harder. She basically gambled on the idea that people just wanted to dance, and she won.
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Is it her best work?
That’s subjective. If you love the indie-folk Ellie of Lights, this might feel a bit too polished for you. If you like the "Love Me Like You Do" radio-ballad Ellie, you might miss the big crescendos. But if you appreciate the Ellie who lives in the electronic world—the one who collaborated with Skrillex and Diplo—then this is her magnum opus.
It's a very specific vibe. It’s sleek. It’s expensive-sounding. It’s basically a Ferrari in album form.
How to actually listen to this record
Don't listen to it on your phone speakers. You’ll miss the low-end. This is an album that demands a good pair of headphones or a car with a decent subwoofer. You need to hear the way the bass interacts with her higher register. That contrast is where the magic happens.
If you’re looking for a place to start, don't just hit shuffle. Listen to "Midnight Dreams" followed by "Cure For Love." That two-song run tells you everything you need to know about the sonic palette she’s working with. It’s bright, it’s punchy, and it’s completely unapologetic about being a pop record.
Actionable insights for fans and listeners
- Check out the Deluxe Edition: The "Deluxe" tracks, including "Miracle" and some of the acoustic versions, provide a much-needed bridge for fans who find the main album too electronic.
- Watch the live performances: Look up her "Higher Than Heaven" live sessions on YouTube. She strips some of these tracks back, and you realize how strong the melodies actually are under all those synths.
- Follow the producers: If you like this sound, look up the discographies of Koz and Greg Kurstin. They are the architects behind this specific brand of high-gloss pop.
- Explore the remixes: Because this is a dance album, the official remixes (especially for "Let It Die") are actually worth your time. They push the songs even further into club territory.
- Revisit the 2010s EDM era: To truly appreciate where Ellie is now, go back and listen to her early features with Calvin Harris. It puts this album into a much clearer perspective as a "full circle" moment for her.