U.K. singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is in the middle of a renaissance few pop stars ever experience. More than two decades after her 2001 disco-pop anthem “Murder on the Dancefloor” first lit up clubs, the track has been reborn for a new generation, thanks to its starring role in Emerald Fennell’s 2023 black comedy Saltburn. The placement launched the song back into the global charts, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. for the very first time (peaking at No. 51) and climbing to No. 2 in the U.K., matching its original peak 25 years ago.
Reflecting on the past year, Ellis-Bextor says it felt “like after you have a glass of champagne and you’re a bit heady.” The success reignited her global profile, brought new audiences to her catalog, and even led to her first-ever U.S. tour. “In the beginning of last year, I’d never even done a radio interview [in America],” she recalls. “I started those gigs thinking, ‘Is this going to be a room full of people waiting for me to sing one song?’ But I was met with people who clearly had been supporting what I’m up to from far away.”
Now, Ellis-Bextor is channeling that momentum into her new album, Perimenopop, set for release on September 12. The 12-track collection delivers glittering dancefloor-ready jams infused with honesty, humor, and confidence — not unlike its cheeky, instantly memorable title. Among her collaborators is disco legend Nile Rodgers, whose unmistakable guitar work and stories of music history left a mark. “To hear all the stories and just be imbued with someone [who] direct-line influenced and inspired me so much was really cool,” she says. “My favorite bit was Nile talking about Madonna, and I asked, ‘Have you seen her recently?’ He went, ‘Yeah, we went roller skating together.’”
The album’s name, Ellis-Bextor explains, reflects a candid embrace of midlife. “For me and all my girlfriends in our mid-40s, there’s a bit of a narrative about some aspects that might sound a bit gloomy,” she says. “I just wanted something that would flip the script — and also invite into the room the fact that I’m not the way I was when I was 20. I think it’s quite a good indicator of how much more ballsy I’ve gotten as I’ve gotten older. But how lucky am I that I’ve been able to have a career long enough to feel that comfortable?”
Ellis-Bextor is also keeping an eye on her fellow U.K. pop innovators. She praises Charli XCX’s breakout Brat era, calling it “brilliant” for how it “lets the mask fall” in a way she says her teenage self would have resonated with. And while 2024 may have belonged to Brat Summer, Ellis-Bextor playfully suggests the sequel: “Maybe Perimenopop is your autumn?”
With a legacy hit reinvigorated, a globe-trotting tour behind her, and an album that embraces both disco euphoria and grown-up perspective, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is proving that reinvention doesn’t always mean starting over — sometimes, it just means pressing play again.
