# Hypnotized (Anyma and Ellie Goulding song)

"Hypnotized" is a song by Italian-American electronic musician and DJ Anyma and English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding.
Anyma debuted the track during his set at the Sphere residency in Las Vegas, which included visuals of Goulding's face projected in the sphere. The performance gained attraction, and the song release became highly anticipated. It was released on January 10, 2025 under Afterlife, a division of Interscope Records to critical acclaim.

## Background

According Christian Eede of DJ Mag, the track is a "melodic techno cut". He described the lyrical content as a showcase of fighting with our "internal feelings for someone", only for those feelings "to grow stronger" as we attempt to hide them. "Hypnotized" was written by Ellie Goulding, Jack Rochon, Scott Harris, Anyma, and Cassian Stewart-Kasimba, with the last two producing the track.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Anyma said that the entire making process of the song felt "so natural" thanks to Goulding's "voice" and "creativity" input, despite this being the first time they work together.
   "Ellie's voice and creativity made the entire process feel so natural from when we first started exploring working together ... "Of course premiering our song at Sphere Las Vegas with such an immersive visual made our collaboration all the more rewarding. Sharing that moment live with Ellie at Sphere was a personal highlight for me.... It's been great to see the track receive so much early love and support before its release – it's definitely a song and piece of visual art I'm proud to have shared with Ellie."
In the same interview, Goulding expressed admiration for Anyma for being able to understand "the nuances of my vocals and how I wanted to approach the track".
   "Collaborating on 'Hypnotized' with Anyma has been an incredibly enriching and wildly exciting ride" ... "He is a creative visionary with an unmatched ability to marry sound and visual art in a way no one else can. ... Joining him at the Sphere in Las Vegas to bring the song to life felt like an immersive fever dream that I won't soon forget."

## Promotion

The pair performed the song live on stage for the first time during Anyma's second night at his Sphere residency, just hours before Goulding's 38th birthday. The visuals used at Anyma's show were released alongside the song on January 10, on Anyma's YouTube channel. The visuals which focus on Goulding's face were made by the artist Tobias Gremmler.
DJ and producer, John Summit started teasing a remix for the song the day after its release, with Goulding reposting Summit teasers on her social media accounts. The official remix was released on February 28.
The live performance at the Sphere was officially released on January 24, on Goulding's Youtube channel.

## Reception

Upon release, the song received universal critical acclaim from electronic media outlets and music critics alike, with many critics highlighting Ellie Goulding's vocal performance, calling it "ethereal", "mesmerizing", and "captivating".
Jason Heffler of EDM.com wrote that the song "doesn't just describe hypnosis, but administers it, leaving listeners happily trapped in its dreamlike soundscapes", he went further praising the duo artistic partnership, stating that: "the marriage of Anyma's brooding techno production and Goulding's ethereal delivery creates something properly hypnotic, like being slowly pulled into a dancefloor of quicksand." Derek Lavezzo for This Song Is Sick called the song "stellar" showing emphasis on Goulding's "iconic vocals", stating that "any track with Ellie Goulding is a surefire hit." He also stated that with "Hypnotized" and his recent residency, Anyma "continues to explode on the scene both visually and sonically". Oliver Tryon of Cultr praised both artists for blending their "unique artistic visions in a track that not only highlights their individual strengths but also showcases their ability to craft a hauntingly beautiful collaboration". Tryon praised Anyma for his "rich" production and "mesmerizing" visuals, and Goulding for her "captivating" vocal performance, which he wrote "elevates" the song.
FOTISM of Hit Channel defined the song as a "significant moment in the crossover between pop and dance music" thanks to the "groundbreaking" collaboration between the "emotional depth of Goulding’s artistry with the innovative soundscapes crafted by Anyma.", and highlighted the "ethereal vocals" of Goulding and the "immersive electronic production" of Anyma.
Jordi Bardají of Jenesaispop described "Hypnotized" sound as a "powerful future disco, techno and house production" that "fits Goulding's ethereal voice like a glove", describing Goulding's performance as "beautiful". The site also highlighted 'Hypnotized" as their "Song of the Day", with Bardají calling it another hit for Goulding, made to tear up the dance-floor.
The Groove Cartel praised Anyma's for not sacrificing his artistic roots, as he approaches a more mainstream sound with Goulding, stating that Anyma might have discovered a way to "transfer the raw intensity of underground electronic music into a language mainstream listeners can grasp", dubbing the song as his most "physically interesting component" track to date.
Writing for Rolling Stone, Tomás Mier included the track in the magazine section "Songs You Need To Know" which highlights the best music released of the week, and dubbed 2025, as "the year of Ellie Goulding‘s comeback." Katie Bain of Billboard also included the song in the magazine "best new dance tracks of the week" playlist, as well praised Anyma for "clocking one of the splashiest new music rollouts in recent memory", complimented Goulding's "captivating" contributions, and dubbed the song as an "urgent dance-pop earworm".

## Personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music.
* Ellie Goulding – performer, composer, vocals
* Matteo Milleri – performer, composer, producer, keyboards, drum programming
* Jack Rochon – composer
* Scott Harris – composer
* Cassian Stewart-Kasimba – composer, producer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Hypnotized" :
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Version | Ref. |
| Various | 10 January 2025 | Digital downloadstreaming | Interscope RecordsAfterlife | Original | |
| Various | 28 February 2025 | Digital downloadstreaming | Interscope RecordsAfterlife | John Summit Remix | |