Ellie Goulding's new single is "very different".

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding

The 28-year-old star is gearing up to release her third studio album later this year and has teased fans can expect a new sound from the LP's first single, which has been created with top pop producer Max Martin.

She hinted: "The first single? I really like it, it's very different for me.

"But I think it's a good different. Max Martin [produced it]."

The 'Love Me Like You Do' hitmaker continued to say the track will be accompanied by a 'Thelma & Louise'-style video, which she promised will be released in the next month.

She told Capital FM: "Well it involves me and another girl who's really hot and we're sort of like 'Thelma & Louise'.

"I guess [you'll see it] in about a month's time. I'm very excited about it."

Ellie - who has been dating McBusted's Dougie Poynter for the last 18 months - recently revealed she had almost completed the album and would be releasing it before the end of the year.

She said: "I don't really know why this word seems appropriate but it's definitely bigger.

"Whether that means it's more adventurous, or a bit more ambitious, or a bit more daring, I don't know. But I'm certainly taking on something a lot bigger than I have before and sonically it's a lot bigger.

"So that album is coming out and what people make of it I don't know, but it is coming. It's nearly finished and it will be out this year. Even if it's out on December 30, which is my birthday, it will be out this year."