Disco queen
Known for her irresistible pop hits and legendary dancefloor fillers, such as the timeless classics Murder on the Dancefloor and Not Giving Up on Love, Sophie Ellis-Bextor will perform her greatest hits and new favourites including Freedom of the Night this autumn.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor first made herself heard in the mid-1990s as the frontwoman of Britpop sensation Theaudience. The group disbanded after just one record, followed by a collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller, good for the mega-summer hit ‘Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)’. It is immediately the dreamed confidence boost she needs to launch her solo career in the new millennium. Both her debut ‘Read My Lips’ - which included ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ as the most-turned song in Europe in 2002 -, successor ‘Shoot From The Hip’ and the two albums that followed met with worldwide acclaim.
New musical paths are being explored in 2014 with friend, producer and co-writer Harcourt. Her recent record ‘Hana’ is the third of a trilogy built around the thematic framework of a location. ‘Wanderlust’ (2014) drew inspiration from Eastern Europe, ‘Familia’ (2016) immersed itself in Latin America. ‘Hana’ embraces East Asia with a title referring to the Japanese word for ‘blossom’. The new songs sound morning dew-fresh, navigating between pure, understated reflection and exuberant synthpop with an alternative edge. For instance, ‘Hearing In Colour’ refers to a state of synesthesia in which she links shapes to music and associates colours with certain days of the week.
More recently, after her performance in the epic final scene of Emerald Fennell's film Saltburn, Sophie's beloved 2001 hit Murder on the Dancefloor experienced a huge revival. The song was streamed more than 11 billion times worldwide.
With an impressive music career spanning more than 25 years, Sophie has five top 10 albums and eight top 10 singles to her credit. With hits such as Murder on the Dancefloor, Take Me Home, Get Over You, Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer) and many others, Freedom of the Night marks the beginning of a return to Sophie's signature sound, embracing her musical roots in pop, disco and dance.
Those who have already seen her live at work know that she likes to reinvent herself on stage and loves the surprise effect. Elton John therefore knew what he was doing when he had her open at London's 02 Arena during his farewell tour.