Halcyon is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 5 October 2012 by Polydor Records.

Goulding worked with several producers on the album, including Jim Eliot, Starsmith, Billboard, Justin Parker, Monsta, Madeon and Mike Spencer, in addition to collaborating with artists such as Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris.

Halcyon received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Goulding's more aggressive showcase of her voice and the album's bold production.

[6] The majority of the tracks on Halcyon were recorded with producer Jim Eliot of Kish Mauve in a converted barn near Lyonshall, Herefordshire, the village where Goulding grew up.

"[12] In March 2011, when asked about the album's musical direction in an interview with gossip website Dean Piper's World, Goulding stated, "It's started to sound very dark and very weird.

"[13] Goulding added, "This album for me is a journey from dark into light from confusion to understanding [...] I didn't set out to write a break-up record but I think it became one.

"Dead in the Water" is the final song on the album,[16] besides the bonus track "I Need Your Love", a collaboration with Scottish musician Calvin Harris.

[15] Goulding previewed the album with the release of a cover version of the Active Child song "Hanging On", which features Tinie Tempah, as a free download on her SoundCloud page on 10 July 2012.

[27] A 90-second music video for "Only You" was exclusively filmed for online fashion retailer ASOS as part of their #BestNightEver holiday campaign, and was officially released on 5 November 2012.

[48] "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.

[65] Opening acts include Yasmin and Sons & Lovers for the UK,[66] St. Lucia for North America,[67] and Charli XCX for Europe.

[68] On 20 February 2013, Goulding was announced as the support act on select North American dates of Bruno Mars's The Moonshine Jungle Tour from July to August 2013.

[71][72] She also toured Europe in promotion of Halcyon Days in January and February 2014, visiting countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Poland, France and the Netherlands.

[73] On 18 November 2013, a North American tour was announced for spring, which kicked off at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 12 March 2014 and ended at the Kool Haus in Toronto on 9 May.

"[80] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly commented that the album has "harp solos, digitally tweaked cyborg harmonies, and at least one tribute to bodily fluids ('My Blood').

"[81] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times remarked that on Halcyon, Goulding "marries thoughtful ruminations on young love to whooshing synth riffs and hard-edged machine beats; the album claims electronic dance music as the natural province of sensitive singer-songwriters.

[87] AllMusic editor Matt Collar stated that Goulding "dresses up her powerful lark of a voice with a delicately laced veil of digital effects."

"[79] In a review for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes expressed, "If the songwriting doesn't quite measure up to U.K. art-pop divas like Kate Bush, the hooks always go to town, and her voice—Dolly Parton-dazzling in the upper register—mates gorgeously with electronics".

[15] Geoff Nelson of PopMatters concluded, "On Halcyon Goulding amplifies her music genealogy, both who she is and who she's been, in what is an often successful attempt to transition to iconic stardom [...] The outcome is a bit flawed and a very loud version of her biggest and smallest self.

"[85] USA Today's Jerry Shriver viewed that on Halcyon, Goulding "presents an edgier, more aggressive showcase for her swooping, stratosphere-piercing vibrato", while noting that "[h]er tone, balanced between girlish and womanly, is appealing, as is her clear intent to be an Artist.

"[86] Despite calling the album a "well-crafted, stylish piece of work", Andy Gill of The Independent felt that "it's hard to love songs that try to hide.

"[83] The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson opined that the album "isn't nearly as wet as its predecessor", but added that "the main flaw of Halcyon is that it occasionally feels a bit too much—and that's something Goulding, perennially painted as the timid type, may not be so sad about.

"[82] Hayley Avron of NME critiqued, "Mainly, Halcyon sees Goulding's quirky-as-usual vocals lazily spliced into factory-standard chart dance.