That’s Just What Humans Do

Ellie Goulding “Anything Could Happen”

The big keyboard hook in “Anything Could Happen” is so bright and bouncy that it seems to make the whole world sparkle. The song is arranged like a fireworks display, with the big moments bracketed by verses and breakdowns that only seem smaller in scope and intensity because of their proximity to that ecstatic chorus part. At one point, a bridge leads directly into another breakdown, just for extra dramatic flair. This isn’t empty bluster, by the way: This song is a direct descendent of The Knife’s “Heartbeats” on both a musical and lyrical level, and taps into the fierce emotional energy of Björk in her early solo career. Goulding’s wide-eyed optimism is contrasted with lines that soberly accept the worst possibilities implied by “anything could happen,” and in the bridge, she comes to an important realization that while she’s willing to give her lover everything they need, she might not actually need them. The beauty at the core of this song is in how she doesn’t need to know, and how she’s equally open to the possibility of things succeeding or failing. She just wants to be fully alive in every moment, and to avoid the sort of neuroses that stand in the way of true romance.

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