... because you're going to be hearing her name a lot over the next few days! Elton John may be attending Prince William and Kate Middleton's big wedding tomorrow, and George Michael gave the happy couple the unsolicited gift of song, but 24-year-old British pop singer Ellie Goulding will actually be performing at the event's after-dinner reception. According to the BBC, the royals caught her set at Radio 1's Big Weekend last year and the Prince was so charmed, he called it "brilliant." Goulding coincidentally does a wicked good cover of John's "Your Song," which we'd imagine will be on the set list.
So who is Ellie Goulding? She's a BRIT Award-winning singer/songwriter who added a bit of electro-pop to her folky sound thanks to the influence of producer Starsmith (for those old enough to remember Beth Orton's excellent Central Reservation, that LP is a clear reference point here). In March 2010, she released her debut album, Lights, in the U.K.; the disc didn't reach U.S. shores until exactly a year later (we think it's a solid album). Live, Goulding exudes a gleefully youthful energy, energetically strumming her acoustic guitar or pounding the hell out of drums stationed near her mic. And in case the royal wedding isn't your cup of tea, she'll be back in the States on May 7th as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
[Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images]