electro-pop zodiac

Almost like the Chinese Zodiac has an annual animal, there’s almost always a electro-pop starlet that stands out as the hallmark of the year. You’ve had “The Year of Little Boots” last year, and maybe “The Year of Lily Allen” the year before that, but I’m calling it now: 2010 is going to be “The Year of Ellie Goulding.”

I’ve been raving about this Brit since the creation of audiocandy (WERW-supported audiocandy, aka old-school, college-style). I first heard her single “Starry Eyed” when I was randomly surfing MySpace pages. And I was hooked.

Goulding only has an EP out, but that alone has won her the Critics Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. She also beat out Marina and the Diamonds, Delphic, Hurts and the Drums (home boys are currently on a completely sold-out tour) to win the BBC Sound of 2010 title, which was won by, conveniently, Little Boots last year.

The 23-year-old is releasing her first full-length Lights Monday, through Polydor (UK) and Neon Gold (US). Rising electro-pop group Passion Pit and Boston, Ma.’s Yess Giants (who were at BlissPop‘s anniversary party this past August) are both on Neon Gold Records, along with other pop acts.

Check out the single, “Starry Eyed,” that opened me to the wonderful world of Goulding, as well as her work with Starsmith on a remix of Passion Pit’s breakout track “Sleephead.”

Pre-order Lights through iTunes here. Listen for it on sugar-free next week.