Performing the first single off her upcoming studio album, Ellie Goulding paid a visit to The Late Show on Monday night (March 11) to perform an intimate, stripped-down version of her dance hit “Close to Me.”
The singer gave fans a special acoustic version of the song she originally created with Diplo, wearing an oversized blazer and pants on a minimalist, cool-toned set. “And I don’t wanna be somebody without your body/ Close to me/ And if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t want anybody/ Close to me,” she sang on the catchy chorus in her signature husky tone.
The song, whose original version also featured Swae Lee, was released back in October, but has remained on the charts, hanging in the Hot 100’s top 40 for the week of Jan. 12 at No. 31. As Goulding prepares to drop her fourth studio album, she told Billboard what fans should expect.
“This album is the album of my voice, and my songwriting, and that’s kind of what I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “There will be electronic influences and hip-hop influences, and the music that I grew up listening to and that I’ll never be able to shake off.”
Watch Goulding perform “Close to Me” on The Late Show below.