Her set began with a three-minute intro of “Delirium,” which was visually-striking and instantly lured the listener in her show. It was followed by “Aftertaste,” “Holding on for Life” and “Goodness Gracious.”
“Something in the Way You Move” was the highlight song from the opening shots, since it is her infectious radio single, and she delivered a high-energy vocal performance. She managed to get the Madison Square Garden audience to get up on their feet on the dance hit “Outside.”
She showcased her tremendous vocal ability on “Devotion,” as she backed herself on acoustic guitar. For anybody who ever doubted Goulding’s vocal prowess, with this tune she was able to prove all her naysayers wrong. She possesses the crystalline voice of an angel.
“I Do What I Love” was sassy, while “Keep on Dancin'” was futuristic with a liberating vibe to it, and the same was true for “Don’t Need Nobody,” as Goulding was dressed in her jumpsuit.
“Heal” was a breathtakingly beautiful dance number amongst her two male back-up dancers, and it was performed with maximum soul and passion. She displayed her tremendous pipes during the vunerable “Explosions,” as she was dressed in her elegant white dress.
“Lights” was sheer vocal perfection, especially since she began the tune a cappella and continued it in an acoustic fashion, and she brought out the rawness of its lyrics. Most impressive was the fact that a fan handed her an LGBT flag during this performance and she placed it around her neck throughout both songs.
She continued with “Army,” which included neat images of her fans in the crowd on the giant televised screen, as well as “Lost and Found” and “Figure 8.” “On My Mind” was equally catchy and fun, and she went on to introduce her song “Codes.”
Goulding went on to share the story behidn the relationship-inspired “Don’t Panic,” and it was followed by “We Can’t Move to This” and the EDM-flaired “I Need Your Love.”
Prior to closing with “Burn,” she encouraged the audience to light up the venue with their iPhones’ flashlights, and subsequently asked them to make a pact with her, to not record “Burn” with their iPhones, especially since she would rather see faces than phones. The vast majority of the venue obliged to the pop princess’ request.
The British songstress returned for an encore, which featured “Anything Could Happen,” and her smash single “Love Me Like You Do,” as confetti drizzled from Madison Square Garden venue. It garnered her a huge standing ovation for a stellar concert.
The Verdict
Overall, Ellie Goulding proved that she was born to entertain. She put on a top-notch show in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Her live “Delirium” concert garnered an A rating.
