Ellie Goulding’s “Burn” Video: There’s Lots Of Lights!

Sam Lansky | July 8, 2013 5:53 am

Well! Ellie Goulding has a few tricks up her sleeve, doesn’t she? Seemingly out of nowhere, she dropped her new single “Burn” a few days ago, because sure, who doesn’t have a big commercial radio-friendly Ryan Tedder-produced single at the ready, and now she’s unveiled the music video for the track, which continues to drive a big wedge between this current campaign and Goulding’s darker, gloomier Halcyon era.

Because this is a pop star video — conceptually and aesthetically. It shows Goulding dancing in a field (maybe it’s an airport runway? I think?) and eventually joined by successively large groups of people until the whole space is full, and then they scatter lights everywhere, because Lights, I guess. 

Anyway, it feels more like a wireless commercial than an art film — mainstream and a little bit undifferentiated, even though the song remains pretty listenable and Goulding looks gorgeous. I’m just not entirely sure who she is as an artist anymore. But maybe that’s okay, as long as it sounds this good.

Watch up top.