The fabulous life of Ellie Goulding, who just announced she's taking a 'break' from music

Associated Press

Ellie Goulding is a successful international recording artist and one of the most popular British women on Instagram – she has 9.7 million followers to prove it.

But the 29-year-old singer and songwriter, who plays the guitar and drums, recently announced she's taking a "break" from her music career.

"I’m not writing new stuff. I’m not sure when I’ll release a new album. It might not even be next year. I need time off for my own head," Goulding told The Sun.

"I’m not in a relationship any more and that’s been hard," she said, confirming that she and boyfriend Dougie Poynter had split. "Having a break will be a good thing for me and my head.”

Goulding is currently on her "Delirium" world tour, which ends in October 2016. She plans to take a break after that for at least a year to focus on charity work and travel, according to The Sun.

"I like the idea of not really knowing what’s going to happen," she said. "If people forget about me, they do. I’ll just come back at some point."

Take a look at her enviably successful life below, from a teenager learning to play the guitar to a world-renowned pop star.

Elena Jane Goulding was born on December 30, 1986, in Hereford, Herefordshire.

Source: Ace Showbiz

She was raised in the nearby town of Lyonshall. Her parents, Arthur and Tracey Goulding, separated when she was 5. She has three siblings, an older brother Alex and two younger sisters, Isabel and Jordan, with whom she would stage Spice Girls shows. The family's background was "humble," her mother Tracey told The Daily Mail.

Sources: Ace Showbiz, Telegraph, Daily Mail

She learned how to play the guitar and began writing songs as a teenager. "As soon as Ellie picked up a guitar, that was it. She taught herself to play," Ellie's mother Tracey told The Daily Mail.

Sources: Ace Showbiz, The Daily Mail