all eyes on Ellie

The frigid climes of January. The barren wasteland of winter is the perfect metaphor for the sparse release schedule between the run up to Christmas and the new year releases that start showing up in the beginning of February. It's also the time when people start ramping up expectations for new artists and bands.

This year's top tingle is Ellie Goulding. She is the one to watch. She's currently shooting the music video for her forthcoming single, "Starry Eyed", a gorgeous, lushy produced, electronic number. So here is the lovely lass with an update from the secret location where she is lensing the clip.



Her laugh is incredibly infectious. You really get the sense that she's having a wonderful time throughout the entire process as she's being heralded as the "next big thing" and "savior of the music biz".



However, I can't help but think "Under The Sheets" is a stronger song to lead with the "campaign" for "Lights", her debut longplayer. An early listen to "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)", which seems to have a gloriously towering and ebullient chorus, feels like it might have been a better start, as well. Maybe the label is going for the more muso, less immediate song first in order to avoid any sense of Ellie coming across twee.

So far, the material I've heard has all the makings of a stunning launch into the pop stratosphere. There is something slightly folky about the songs but they've been dressed up in a bright, sparkly jumper which give the tunes their pop sheen.

Hopefully, the hype won't suffocate the artist or the album. In these days of the 24/7 news cycle, it's often impossible to jump on or off the treadmill without damaging consequences. It's far too easy to have interest in a new artist peak as their album hits the streets. The column inches and blog entries dedicated to Paloma Faith's debut nearly dried up the moment the album was released. The entire campaign for Frankmusik's major label debut is a textbook example of blowing one's wad too soon. People move on more quickly these days.