Ellie Goulding never expected to release a "divorce album". Speaking to Nylon magazine, Ellie said: "It had always been the goal to start this album. I didn't know it was going to be a divorce album, but that's the way it started heading. There are some songs that are necessary for me to acknowledge that time in my life and to be respectful of it. Goulding revealed how she took a "back to basics" approach for the new album.