Halcyon is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 5 October 2012, by Polydor Records. It was recorded at multiple studios across the United Kingdom and Canada, including locations in Wales, London, Brighton, and Montreal. She worked with several producers on the album, such as Jim Eliot, Starsmith, Billboard, Justin Parker, and Monsta, in addition to collaborating with artists Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris.

Halcyon is a pop and electropop album that expands on the electronic foundations of Goulding's debut studio album, Lights (2010), through influences from synth-pop, electronica, R&B, and EDM. Characterized by synthesiser-driven production, layered vocal arrangements, piano, and percussion, the album features Goulding's breathy vocals across lower-register and falsetto passages. Its lyrics were shaped by a period of personal transition and explore themes of heartbreak, love, desire, longing, and emotional vulnerability.

Music critics provided generally positive reviews for Halcyon, complimenting Goulding's more aggressive showcase of her voice and the album's bold production. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, selling 33,425 copies in its first week. In January 2014, it topped the UK Albums Chart and gave Goulding her second number-one album. Halcyon also debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 in the United States, while reaching number one in Ireland, the top five in New Zealand, and the top 10 in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland.

"Anything Could Happen" was released as the lead single from Halcyon, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, "Figure 8", reached number 33 on the chart and seven on the New Zealand Singles Chart, while the third single "Explosions" peaked at number 13 in the UK. To further promote the album, Goulding embarked on a nine-day promotional tour across the United Kingdom. Titled the Halcyon Days Tour, it was unveiled along with North American dates, beginning in Miami Beach, Florida. The album was reissued twice in 2013 and 2022, as Halcyon Days and Halcyon Nights, respectively.

Background After signing a recording deal with Polydor Records in July 2009, Goulding's debut studio album, Lights (2010), met generally positive reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, having since sold 807,000 copies in the United Kingdom and 1.6 million copies worldwide. In April 2012, Goulding stated that she hoped her then upcoming second studio album would be released in October.

Goulding had stated that Halcyon did not begin as a break-up record, but later evolved into one. She detailed this in an interview with The New York Times; although Goulding had already begun writing songs for the album, she said that it "came alive" following the end of a relationship, when she felt "lost and all over the place". Goulding later wrote "Anything Could Happen" after beginning a new relationship, which she said marked another turning point in her life. Speaking with Carson Daly on his 97.1 AMP Radio show on 6 August 2012, Goulding explained the inspiration behind the album's title: "[Halcyon is] like a bird that basically during the winter, it would lay its eggs by the sea and bring calm to the stormy waters and a lot of my songs on this record are about the ocean and water." In retrospect, Goulding described the record in 2015 as "very self-indulgent", stating: "It was all me, every single lyric on the album."

Composition In March 2011, Goulding described Halcyon as sounding "very dark and very weird", and added that she wanted the album to remain hopeful despite its emotional themes. She later depicted it as a journey "from dark into light" and stated to MTV News that Halcyon reflected her personal growth as well as expanded musical influences since her debut, Lights. Goulding also described Halcyons sound as more "tribal and anthemic" with a greater emphasis on piano and vocals, considering it "very electronic" and more pop-oriented than Lights.

Halcyon is an electropop and pop album, incorporating elements of techno, synth-pop, electro-soul, electronica, R&B, dance-pop, EDM, and rock. Throughout the album, her vocals shift between lower-register passages and falsetto delivery. Halcyons production incorporates synthesiser-based production, reverb-heavy choir vocals, and club-oriented rhythms. Compared to Lights, it places greater emphasis on electronic production while maintaining Goulding's singer-songwriter lyricism and reflecting a more ambitious approach to her overall sound. Goulding's prominent vocals are also featured on the album, alongside piano flourishes, and forceful percussion, while its lyrics explore themes of love, longing, desire, and emotional vulnerability. Entertainment Weekly author Melissa Maerz and USA Todays Jerry Shriver noted Halcyons features like harp passages, vibrato-driven vocal performances, and processed vocal harmonies.

Songs The opening track, "Don't Say a Word", is an electronic song, featuring Goulding's ethereal vocals and a repetitive lyrical structure. She cited "My Blood" as a favourite from the album and explained that it was about someone taking so much from her emotionally that she felt she had "nothing left". Critics believed that it echos the vocals of English singer Adele. "Anything Could Happen" is an electro ballad that adopts staccato piano arrangements and club beats. The fourth track "Only You" is built around glittering synthesisers and soul vocal loops, while its lyrics depict the intertwined feelings of love and heartbreak. An electronic song, the title track combines ballad influences and gradually shifts toward a more dance-oriented sound in its chorus and closing passage. "Figure 8" is an electro-rock song that combines harp instrumentation with dubstep-influenced production.

"Joy" has a more restrained arrangements than much of the album. BBC Music's Ben Hewitt described the track as a "string-laden affair that showcases her helium-powered pipes". The next song, "Hanging On", is a goth-driven disco track, rendition of the Active Child's 2011 song of the same name. "Explosions" showcases a subdued side of Goulding's sound through its string-led arrangement, piano accompaniment, and dramatic percussion. The tenth track on the album, "I Know You Care", explores attempts to preserve a deteriorating relationship and maintain hope for reconciliation. "Atlantis" is a break-up song that explores moving on while struggling with lingering feelings after the end of a relationship. "Dead in the Water" is a piano- and string-led ballad whose lyrics explore heartbreak and despair. The song's arrangement gradually builds through the addition of percussion and choir-backed vocals.

Release and promotion Recording and marketing The majority of the tracks on Halcyon were recorded with English producer Jim Eliot of Kish Mauve in a converted barn near Lyonshall, Herefordshire, the village where Goulding grew up. Recording sessions for the album also took place in Wales (Splendido), London (The Ballroom, Air, EMI, Fly Eye, Strongroom, and Sarm) Montreal (Red Rhino and Troublemakers), and Brighton (Biffco).

Goulding previewed Halcyon with the release of a cover version of the Active Child's "Hanging On", which features English rapper Tinie Tempah, as a free download on her SoundCloud page on 10 July 2012. On 3 August, Goulding released a trailer on YouTube containing snippets of tracks from the album, including "Anything Could Happen". Six days later, Goulding appeared on Fearne Cotton's BBC Radio 1 show for the premiere of "Anything Could Happen". A video for the song "I Know You Care" was released online on 24 September, containing footage from the 2012 romantic drama film, Now Is Good, which features the track. It was released digitally on 20 September 2013, in support of Save the Children's #song4syria campaign, serving as the soundtrack to a film dedicated to the children of Syria by director Beeban Kidron. A 90-second music video for "Only You" was exclusively filmed for online fashion retailer ASOS as part of their #BestNightEver holiday campaign, being released on 5 November 2012.

Live performances and usage in media In conjunction with British music retailer HMV, fans had the chance to vote for Goulding to perform live and sign copies of Halcyon at their local store on the day of the album's UK release on 8 October 2012; it was announced on 20 September that the event would take place at Manchester's Market Street store. Goulding played two London shows prior to the release of Halcyon—the first on 26 September as part of the iTunes Festival at the Roundhouse, which was streamed live via an iTunes application, and the second on 5 October as part of the Q Awards 2012 gigs series at Camden Town's Jazz Café. Goulding also played three intimate shows in North America during the release week of Halcyon—at New York City's Santos Party House on 11 October, at Toronto's Sound Academy on 14 October and at Los Angeles's the Troubadour on 16 October.

Goulding performed "Anything Could Happen" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on 10 October 2012, Today on 11 October, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Conan on 17 October, Top of the Pops on 31 December, Good Morning America on 22 January 2013, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 12 February. She also performed "My Blood" on Later... with Jools Holland (16 November 2012), "Figure 8" on the British chat show Sunday Brunch (30 December), and "Explosions" on the British television programme This Morning (22 February 2013). On 14 December, Goulding performed "Anything Could Happen" on The X Factor UK final with finalist Luke Friend.

"Hanging On" was used in the CW shows—Gossip Girl and Nikita—in addition to the film Divergent (2014) and soundtrack to The Host (2013). The song's Living Phantoms remix was featured in a trailer for the 2013 PlayStation 3 video game God of War: Ascension. "Dead in the Water" was featured on the 15th episode of the ninth season of the American Broadcasting Company medical drama Grey's Anatomy on 14 February. On 15 April, an exclusive album containing remixes of tracks from Halcyon was released by Nike for free streaming and download to coincide with the Nike Women Half Marathon that Goulding would be partaking in, which took place in Washington, D.C., on 28 April. "My Blood" was included in the deluxe edition of the Divergent soundtrack, in addition to appearing in the trailer for Disney's live-action version of Cinderella (2015).

Singles In late July 2012, Goulding announced on Facebook that the lead single would be "Anything Could Happen", asking fans to contribute to a lyric video for the single by submitting photos related to the song's lyrics via Instagram. The lyric video premiered on YouTube on 9 August, and was followed by the release of the single via all digital retailers on 17 August. "Anything Could Happen" reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Goulding's third top-five entry in the UK, while peaking at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single charted moderately worldwide, reaching the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, and the top 40 in Belgium and Canada.

"Figure 8" was released as the album's second single on 13 December 2012, peaking at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. Although failing to enter the Billboard Hot 100, the song was more commercially successful in New Zealand and Finland, where it reached numbers seven and eight, respectively. "Explosions" was released on iTunes in Ireland on 3 August and in the UK on 1 October. In late January 2013, the song was confirmed to be the album's third single. It reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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