Sophie Ellis Bextor’s song “Murder on the Dancefloor” from 2001 has returned to its original peak position on the charts, reaching No. 2. This is due to its inclusion in Emerald Fennell’s successful movie Saltburn.
The song “Murder on the Dancefloor” rose to No. 8 on the UK Top 40 last week following the release of “Saltburn” on Amazon Prime on December 22nd. The film by Fennell explores destructive desires between people from different social classes during the holiday season. Many viewers were shocked by the debauchery depicted in the 2007 country-house setting, making it even more extreme than a typical episode of “Downton Abbey.”
Oliver, played by Barry Keoghan, is an unpopular student at Oxford University. He becomes enamored with Felix, portrayed by Jacob Elordi, a wealthy and privileged individual who invites him to his family’s grand estate. The song “Murder on the Dancefloor” is featured in the final scene, as Oliver dances naked through the estate that he has gained ownership of without any legal documentation. A fan asked Ellis-Bextor if she had envisioned her song being used in this manner, and she confirmed that she had.
44-year-old Ellis-Bextor has previously expressed feeling like she didn’t belong when she attended a private school. However, she acknowledges that her experiences cannot be compared to those portrayed in the film. She shared with the Guardian that upon reflection, many others also felt like outsiders. Ellis-Bextor praises Emerald for capturing the relatable feeling of entering a new environment and realizing that others were raised differently, leading to a sense of being completely different from them.
Fennell comes from a privileged background and attended Oxford University. According to Ellis-Bextor, she has been observing these behaviors for a significant period of time, which are reflected in her caricatures. However, these depictions still ring true, showcasing the effortless and entitled privilege that comes with having every advantage in life. This is something that many of us have witnessed – people gliding through life experiences because they have a safety net of options. For some, this is a way of life.
A popular trend on TikTok in Saltburn features wealthy individuals dancing through their extravagant homes to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s song, despite being fully clothed. This sparked discussion about whether they truly understood the message of the film or if the intended satire on class by director Emerald Fennell had missed its mark. Ellis-Bextor herself found the videos “insane” and “hilarious.” As the song gained popularity, she even created her own TikTok dance in a hotel on New Year’s Eve, which resulted in some mistaking her location for a humble pub. Other notable figures, such as Richard E Grant and Paris Hilton, have also joined in on the trend by creating their own videos using the song.
Despite receiving mixed reviews, Saltburn has gained popularity among Generation Z. Critic Simran Hans was among those who criticized the film, suggesting that its bold music-video-style scenes, like Oliver’s naked dance, have a tendency to become easily shareable memes and screenshots, making them more effective when taken out of context. This is evident as Saltburn-themed videos on TikTok have amassed a total of 4 billion views. Hans also noted that the film has resonated most with a Gen Z audience, who have likely only experienced bits and pieces of it online.
This week, the song “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Gregg Alexander, originally a demo for the New Radicals, debuted on the US Hot 100 chart at No 98. This is another example of a previously released song experiencing a surge in popularity due to being featured in a popular TV show or going viral. For instance, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” reached No 1 in 2022, 37 years after its initial release, thanks to its use in Stranger Things. Similarly, Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” returned to the charts in 2020, over 40 years after its original release, after gaining attention from a viral skateboarding video on TikTok.
Tom Gallacher is the head of Rhino UK, a label under Warner Music. He oversaw the viral campaigns for both songs. According to him, managing or taking advantage of these viral moments can be tricky for artists, as insincerity is frowned upon by the authenticity-obsessed Generation Z. This was evident when Fleetwood Mac and Bush both participated in the meme, with Bush even granting a rare interview to BBC Radio 4. Within the industry, labels may update a popular artist’s greatest hits playlist with their rising song, such as Universal’s quick release of a Murder on the Dancefloor remix EP to profit from the buzz. They may also request for the hit track to be added to various themed playlists on Spotify in order to reach a wider audience. These strategic moves can result in a boost in overall music sales and attract new, recurring fans.
The hashtag for the song on TikTok has received more than 92.2 million views and has been included in over 418,000 videos, marking a 444% increase in the past week. The oldest members of Generation Z were likely around five years old when Murder on the Dancefloor was initially released. Ellis-Bextor shared that her five sons have grown up listening to the song, but now, it has transitioned from being a part of their mother’s history to a part of their social world. She explained, “My 14-year-old son has seen it on TikTok, while my oldest has heard it played in clubs in the US by his friends.” Even her 11-year-old has heard it on the radio and remarked, “I think this song is overrated.”
Although this popular moment will eventually fade, the song holds a lasting importance for Ellis-Bextor. In her 2021 autobiography Music, Men, Motherhood and Me, she discussed being in a relationship with an older man at the same time as the release of the song. She described him as abusive and controlling, recalling instances where he wouldn’t allow her to walk alone and even physically hurt her. She credited the success of the original single for giving her the opportunity to travel and hear others’ stories, which ultimately helped her leave the relationship.
“I worked alongside many older women who shared their wisdom with me,” she explained. “Piece by piece, it equipped me with the strength to eventually leave this situation. It was an interesting paradox, but it’s not uncommon for someone in an unhealthy dynamic to also experience increased visibility at work. Unfortunately, the person who doesn’t like that may try to bring them down even more at home.” Several months after the song came out, Ellis-Bextor crossed paths with her future husband, Richard Jones, who plays bass in the pop-rock group the Feeling.
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She attributes her pop success to a moment of “failure” and sheer luck. In 2000, she collaborated on the song Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), which was inspired by a track from Italian DJ Spiller. The song became a hit, surpassing Victoria Beckham’s debut single in a highly publicized chart showdown. Despite the pressure, Ellis-Bextor handled the situation gracefully and even made a public appearance wearing a shirt that said “Peckham”.
The intense and demanding environment of the pop industry in the early 2000s has been closely examined in recent times, particularly in regards to artists such as Britney Spears and former contestants of talent shows. In Michael Cragg’s oral history of the British music scene, “Reach for the Stars,” the topic is explored. Prior to her success in pop music, Ellis-Bextor was a member of the indie band Theaudience, who were signed to Mercury but eventually let go when she turned 20. Reflecting on her experience, she stated that being a woman in her early twenties in the pop scene was much less chaotic compared to being a teenager in the indie scene, which she described as “hardcore.”
She successfully navigated the challenging early stages of her career, with four Top 3 hits and a debut album that reached No. 2, by finding her support system. This included director Sophie Muller, who helmed the music video for Murder on the Dancefloor and is also the godmother of one of her children. In the video, Ellis-Bextor chose to portray a villain, sabotaging her competition in a dance competition, as a way to rebel against the kid-friendly “smiley, jazz-hands” pop that was popular after the Spice Girls. “By taking on this extreme persona, I felt shielded from being vulnerable and seeking approval from others,” she explained. “It allowed me to distance myself from any criticism or negativity that came my way.”
Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, many years after her successful career in the 2000s, Ellis-Bextor let her guard down and regained popularity when she spontaneously live-streamed “Kitchen Discos” on Instagram, charmingly performing iconic songs in sparkly outfits with her children by her side. This became a huge hit, leading to a radio show on BBC Radio 2, a tour with a revue-style format, and finally, Ellis-Bextor’s first appearance on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury last year.
The star’s latest music release, her seventh solo album entitled Hana, was not as well-promoted. It was co-written with songwriter Ed Harcourt, making it their third collaboration. She does not believe that nostalgia is a trap for older female musicians, as it often ties them to their past works. She expressed gratitude for the privilege of being able to create these three albums without any doubts or second-guessing, simply following her heart. She also mentioned that not everyone is fortunate enough to have such freedom in their creative process, without worrying about public opinion or radio airplay. She opened up about feeling like a failure at a young age and how it left her feeling lost. Since then, her main goal has been to overcome that and continue to push herself creatively.
According to the artist, it is important to follow the energy and momentum in order to fuel creativity. Interestingly, she mentioned that she was already working on a dance-focused album before the unexpected success of “Murder on the Dancefloor,” collaborating with Cathy Dennis and Richard X. This experience has given her a sense of the universe being in her favor.
After defeating Victoria Beckham in 2000, Ellis-Bextor’s current competition on the charts is Liam Gallagher and John Squire with their first joint single “Just Another Rainbow”. Can she surpass them? When asked, she responded, “I won’t fall for that! I already had to deal with all of that the first time. Cut me some slack! It’s a bit rude to be demanding my hit from two decades ago to come back and be number one. Regardless of the outcome, it’s all magical.”
With that being said, she suggested, “Perhaps if Liam is in first place, he can perform a nude dance around a grand mansion.”
Source: theguardian.com
