Ellie Goulding – "Here's to Us"

Yesterday, the third volume of the soundtrack to the HBO series Girls was released digitally, including songs that have been featured in seasons three and four, as well as songs exclusive to season five, which premieres tomorrow. Among these previously unreleased cuts is Ellie Goulding's "Here's to Us," a bittersweet break-up number that intersperses somber piano chords with sweeping synths, harking back to her first two albums, Lights and Halcyon. "And I know that your love wasn't here to stay / I gave you all of mine but you gave it away / And now you're the one who hurts / You had to love someone else just to know your worth," she sings in the chorus, possibly addressing an unfaithful ex.

If you're a longtime reader of our blog, you probably remember that I used to vouch a lot for Ellie – pretty much like I do for Sky Ferreira nowadays. I even reviewed Halcyon and its subsequent Halcyon Days re-release. Her mix of synthpop, folk, and ambient sounds was so unique and quite experimental, but her latest offering, Delirium, is a mixed bag. She was intent on making a "big pop album" by enlisting some of the biggest hitmakers out there, such as Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and Ryan Tedder, but it kind of feels like she lost her identity in the process. The album does have some songs which, in my opinion, are really good, namely "Something in the Way You Move" (which thankfully was pushed to single status last month), "We Can't Move to This," "Scream It Out," "The Greatest," and yes, her global smash hit "Love Me Like You Do." On the other hand, lead single "On My Mind" gets old fast, while the cringeworthy "I Do What I Love" is quite possibly the worst song she has recorded so far.

Anyway, "Here's to Us" is definitely one of the best Ellie songs I've heard in recent times. Girls is a rather hit-and-miss show, but I'll be watching it anyway, and I'm curious as to what scene this song is going to soundtrack. It will probably be a scene where Hannah and Adam break up for the gazillionth time.