Singer Ellie Goulding has candidly revealed the profound emotional journey behind her forthcoming album, which she describes as a 'divorce album' born from her separation from art dealer Caspar Jopling. The 39-year-old chart-topping artist, known for hits like River and Burn, married Jopling in August 2019 and welcomed their son Arthur in 2021, but the couple parted ways after nearly five years of marriage.
From Heartbreak to Healing in Music
In a recent interview, Goulding explained that she did not initially set out to create an album centred on divorce, but the creative process naturally evolved in that direction as her marriage unravelled. 'I didn't know it was going to be a divorce album, but that's the way it started heading,' she confessed. 'When I married my ex-husband, I thought it was for life. That will never go away and that will always stay with me.'
The album's tracks reflect a spectrum of emotions, from raw sadness to eventual acceptance and hope. Goulding noted that some songs were 'necessary to acknowledge that time in my life and to be respectful of it,' while others were 'extremely reactionary and sad' but ultimately not serving her long-term wellbeing. Despite the personal nature of the material, she revealed that even her ex-husband appreciates the songs, indicating an amicable post-divorce relationship.
The Creative Process Amid Personal Turmoil
Goulding detailed how she channelled her experiences into her music, drawing inspiration from literature and personal reflections. She told Nylon magazine that she would jot down lines from poets and authors like Nora Ephron, Deborah Levy, and Lisa Taddeo, using their words to navigate her own feelings. This period was compounded by the challenges of new motherhood, which she described as a transformative yet overwhelming experience.
'I had a baby and, again, talking about women just being expected to be equipped to deal with this all the time - I was not equipped to deal with the aftermath of suddenly being a mom and having to carry on like nothing's happened,' Goulding shared. 'You brought a life into this world, and it's changed your brain makeup and changed your body, and you just got to go on as if it's nothing. So that, plus the fact that I knew that my marriage wasn't working out, it was dark times.'
Finding Light After the Darkness
Despite these 'dark times,' Goulding emphasised that divorce does not have to carry a negative stigma. 'We're lucky to be in a position where we don't have to be married and we don't have to necessarily rely on somebody,' she explained, highlighting a perspective of empowerment and independence. Her outlook has brightened significantly since finding love with actor Beau Minniear, with whom she is expecting her second child, announced towards the end of last year.
The evolution of her album mirrors this personal growth, transitioning from darker, angrier themes to more uplifting and humorous tones. 'It's so funny that the process over the years is so indicative of how I was feeling at the time,' Goulding reflected. 'The songs have gone from so dark and angry, to cynical, to funny, to coming out the other side, to meeting a new guy and being excited.'
A New Chapter in Music and Life
As a Brit award-winner with four UK number-one albums, including 2023's Higher Than Heaven, Goulding is poised to release this deeply personal project following her latest single, Destiny, in November 2025. She expressed a sense of renewal and lack of pressure with this upcoming work, supported by her label and friends. 'It feels new. It feels different, this feeling of finally going to a place and releasing something and I don't feel any pressure,' she said, signalling a positive turn in both her career and personal life.
