Sophie Ellis-Bextor has revealed that she has done over 100 shows following the release of the 2023 film Saltburn.
- READ MORE: Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the return of ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ – and watching ‘Saltburn’ with her mum
The singer’s 2001 disco-pop hit ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ was used in the final NSFW scene of the comedy and psychological thriller which featured lead actor Barry Keoghan dancing naked. The song went viral on TikTok at the start of the year and reached Number Two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Ellis-Bextor’s first Top 10 appearance on the chart since 2007.
The song went on to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January and peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Global 200. She previously responded to the revival of the song calling it a “spectacular” moment.
While appearing on BBC Breakfast earlier today (December 31) ahead of her New Year’s Eve Disco TV programme tonight, the singer opened up about how the revival of her song led her to perform over 100 shows this year.
“There were some things I knew I was doing this year and there were so many things that I wasn’t expecting. I think there’s a lot to reflect on. I’ve never done so many shows in my life. I’ve done about 110 gigs this year,” she said (via Music News).
She continued: “That’s not just me, that’s all my band and crew as well. Amazing. There’s been some real highlights. It’s an extraordinary thing to get to my stage in my career and to still be doing things, new excitement. So I’ve just wanted to really grab hold of that. And this is very much part of that as well.”
Speaking to NME at the beginning of 2024, Ellis-Bextor said she had “nothing at all” in terms of awareness or success in America until Saltburn. “That’s what’s been quite extraordinary,” she explained. “To them it’s a new song, and that’s bonkers.
“It didn’t do anything there the first time around, and I’m fine with that. If I’ve learned anything along the way it’s that you’ve got to go where the momentum is.”
She continued: “The glamour of being big in America would have meant a lot of time away, and I’d rather go where there are already things happening. I had an absolute ball with the first record in Latin America, South East Asia and all these places – but if this ends up being something that takes me there now then let’s see what happens.”
Ellis-Bextor will host her New Year’s Eve Disco concert tonight (December 31), where she will bring in 2025 with a headline set on BBC One and iPlayer at 11:30pm (GMT).
Speaking about her performance tonight, the singer shared: “New Year’s Eve is such big deal and I don’t take it lightly if people are choosing to spend it with us, so I want to make sure that we try and create the ultimate New Year’s party. Sometimes you’re thinking about the year that has gone, and there’s so much pressure with resolutions and entering January. I just want to give this last boost of escapist fun.”
In other news, Ellis-Bextor recently released a new single called ‘Freedom Of The Night’ and announced a UK headline tour for next year. Find any remaining tickets here.
Back in April, ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ came in at Number Three on a list of the UK’s biggest songs of 2024 so far.
