"Murder on the Dancefloor" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Sophie Ellis-Bextor | ||||
from the album Read My Lips | ||||
B-side | "Never Let Me Down" | |||
Released | 3 December 2001 | |||
Studio | Mayfair (London, England) | |||
Genre | Disco-pop [1] | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Sophie Ellis-Bextor singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Murder on the Dancefloor" on YouTube |
"Murder on the Dancefloor" is a song written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe for Ellis-Bextor's first album, Read My Lips (2001). Released on 3 December 2001, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and became a top-10 hit worldwide, charting within the top three in Australia, New Zealand, and four European countries. In the United States, the single reached number nine on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart. "Murder on the Dancefloor" is reported to have been the most played song in Europe in 2002. [2]
In January 2024, following its use in the film Saltburn and its popularity on TikTok, "Murder on the Dancefloor" again reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Ellis-Bextor's first top-10 appearance since 2007. It entered the US Billboard Hot 100 the same month, making it Ellis-Bextor's first appearance on that chart. It also peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Global 200, her first overall and top-10 entry on the chart. [3]
The music and the chorus of the song were written by Gregg Alexander, and the lyrics were completed by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The song initially started out as a partially completed demo by Alexander, with only half of the lyrics done. The song was originally intended to be finished as a New Radicals song, but was not completed due to Alexander quitting and dissolving the group. Alexander met Ellis-Bextor in early 2001, providing her with his unfinished demo. They ultimately re-tooled parts of the song and completed the lyrics together later that year. [4] It was released as a single on 3 December 2001 by Polydor Records. [5] [6] In 2019, a re-recorded orchestral version was released on Ellis-Bextor's greatest hits package The Song Diaries . [7]
The song is Ellis-Bextor's greatest hit internationally, reaching the top 10 in several European countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as on the US Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart. In the UK it peaked at number two and spent 13 weeks in the top 40. Since its release, it has accumulated one million chart units and 71 million combined audio and video streams in the UK. [8] It was a hit in Australia, peaking at number three, staying in the top 50 for 20 weeks, being accredited platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and becoming the 12th-highest-selling single of 2002. [9] [10] [11]
After appearing in the film Saltburn , the song gained new popularity and re-entered the UK Dance Singles Chart, reaching number one on the chart dated 18 January 2024. [12] The same week, it re-peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. [13] It entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 98 on the chart dated 13 January 2024, making it Ellis-Bextor's first song to chart on the Hot 100, before peaking at number 51 three weeks later. [14] Commenting on the song's new popularity as a result of its use in the film, Ellis-Bextor was quoted as saying, "It actually feels really magical. And if I'm honest, I don't think I've completely processed it really...It's extraordinary. It's a song I've been singing for over 20 years, I still love singing it. I love the way people react when I do it live. But for new people to be discovering it, for it to be making new memories with people is kind of beautiful". [15] In February, a cover performed by Royel Otis on Triple J's Like a Version charted in the ARIA Top 50 Singles and the Official New Zealand Music Chart. [16]
The music video was directed by Sophie Muller, [1] and it centres around a dance competition that spoofs the gym dance sequence in Grease (1978). The winner's prize consists of a pair of golden high-heel shoes and a substantial amount of money. Desperate to win and sizing up the competition, Ellis-Bextor proceeds to sneakily injure and disqualify the majority of the other dancers. She trips one then unties another's dress and snatches it off her, causing her to run off. Next she slyly poisons a trio of potential rivals by spiking the punch during a refreshment period. Then she causes another to slip on a pat of butter and finally frames a dancer for cheating on his partner by planting a G-string on his person; this results in his partner slapping him and exiting the dance floor.
Ellis-Bextor also turns her attention to the trio of judges. By using what seems to be chloroform, she incapacitates the only female judge on the panel. Noticing that the lead judge (played by Colin Stinton) has a weak spot for beautiful women, Ellis-Bextor approaches him when he is alone and beguiles him. Lovestruck, the lead judge succeeds in persuading the remaining judge to have Ellis-Bextor declared the winner, much to her fellow dancers' disapproval.
The video concludes with the other dancers grudgingly applauding (before promptly deserting) Ellis-Bextor and her dance partner, as she happily clutches her cash prize and the golden shoes on the winner's podium.
|
|
|
|
Credits are lifted from the Read My Lips album booklet. [23]
Studios
Personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [10] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Belgium (BEA) [109] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [110] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [111] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [112] | Gold | 250,000* |
Italy (FIMI) [113] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [114] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [115] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [116] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [117] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [118] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 3 December 2001 | Original | Polydor | [5] [6] | |
Australia | 11 February 2002 | CD | [119] | ||
United States | 9 September 2002 | Universal | [120] | ||
Various | 12 January 2024 | Remixes | Polydor | [121] | |
19 January 2024 | Sped up V2 | [122] | |||
26 January 2024 | Sped up | [123] | |||
2 February 2024 | Edits | [124] | |||
Italy | Radio airplay | Original | Universal | [125] | |
Various | 9 February 2024 |
| PNAU remix | Polydor | [126] |
United Kingdom | 14 February 2024 |
| Original | [127] [128] | |
8 March 2024 |
| David Guetta remixes | [129] |
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is a mixture of mainstream pop, disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music influences.
Read My Lips is the debut studio album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 3 September 2001 by Polydor Records. After the disbandment of the Britpop group Theaudience, in which Ellis-Bextor served as vocalist, she was signed to Polydor. Prior to the LP's completion, the singer collaborated with several musicians, including band Blur's bassist Alex James, Moby and New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. The record was described as a collection of 1980s electronica and 1970s disco music.
Shoot from the Hip is the second studio album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 27 October 2003 by Polydor Records. It was produced by Gregg Alexander, Matt Rowe, Jeremy Wheatley and Damian LeGassick.
"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" is a song by Italian electronic music producer Spiller with lead vocals performed by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Various versions of the single were later featured on the German reissue and some UK editions of Ellis-Bextor's debut solo album, Read My Lips. The single was released on 14 August 2000 by Positiva Records and was involved in a highly publicised chart battle against "Out of Your Mind", the first single by Victoria Beckham outside the Spice Girls, in the United Kingdom.
"Take Me Home" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Cher for her fifteenth studio album. The album, released in 1979, bore the same name as the single. "Take Me Home" is a disco song conceived after Cher was recommended to venture into said genre after the commercial failure of her previous albums. The lyrics center around the request of a woman to be taken home by her lover. It was released as the lead single from the Take Me Home album in January 1979 through Casablanca Records, pressed as a 12-inch single.
"Get Over You" and "Move This Mountain" are two songs by British pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. In most countries, "Get Over You" received a solo release, but in the United Kingdom, the two tracks were issued as a double A-side single on 10 June 2002. The former track was taken off the Read My Lips album reissue, while the latter was an album track in the original album release.
"Music Gets the Best of Me" is a song by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released as the fourth and final single from her debut solo album, Read My Lips (2001). The single was one of two new tracks that appeared on the re-issue of the album in 2002, along with previous single "Get Over You". The song peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 in Italy and Romania. Two music videos were made for the song.
"I Won't Change You" is a song written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gregg Alexander, and Matt Rowe for Ellis-Bextor's second album, Shoot from the Hip (2003). The song was released as the album's second single on 29 December 2003, reaching number nine on the UK Singles Chart and selling 34,000 copies.
"Mixed Up World" is a song by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 13 October 2003 as the first single from her second studio album, Shoot from the Hip (2003). The single includes a B-side called "The Earth Shook the Devil's Hand". "Mixed Up World peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and was especially successful in Denmark, where it debuted and peaked at number three. It has sold 35,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The music video for the song features various dancers wearing a mix of bright and dark colours.
Trip the Light Fantastic is the third studio album by British singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It was released on 21 May 2007 by Fascination Records following the release of the lead single, "Catch You" and the second single, "Me and My Imagination". The album was available to stream via the internet on 18 May 2007, three days before the official release date. It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 7.
"Catch You" is a song by the British recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her third album, Trip the Light Fantastic (2007). It was written by Cathy Dennis, Rhys Barker and Greg Kurstin and produced by Kurstin. It was released as the album's first single on 19 February 2007. "Catch You" is a pop rock song and talks about Bextor chasing the guy that she wants.
British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has released seven solo studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one remix album, one extended play, one video album, thirty-seven singles and twenty-seven music videos. Ellis-Bextor debuted in 1997 as frontwoman of the indie music group theaudience, whose single "I Know Enough " reached the top 25 on the United Kingdom singles chart. They released a self-titled album. A follow-up was shelved by label Mercury Records, but selected tracks circulate as bootlegs.
"Me and My Imagination" is a song by British recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her third studio album, Trip the Light Fantastic (2007). It was written by Ellis-Bextor, Hannah Robinson and co-written and produced by Matt Prime. It is a dance-pop, disco song and its lyrics advise an overeager suitor to play harder to get. Some critics noted that it recalls the songs from her first studio album, Read My Lips (2001).
"Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" is a song by English production duo the Freemasons and English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The song was written by the production duo James Wiltshire and Russell Small, Richard Stannard and Ellis-Bextor, and production by Wiltshire and Small. It was released on 15 June 2009 in promotion of the Freemasons' second studio album, Shakedown 2 (2009), and as the lead single from Ellis-Bextor's fourth album, Make a Scene (2011).
"Crying at the Discoteque" is a song by Swedish band Alcazar from their debut studio album, Casino (2000). The track samples Sheila and B. Devotion's 1979 hit "Spacer". Alexander Bard produced the song and can be heard in the middle of this song. Released in April 2000, "Crying at the Discoteque" became Alcazar's first international hit single the following year, reaching number one in Hungary and the top 10 in Flanders, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland.
"Evacuate the Dancefloor" is a song by German group Cascada from their third studio album of the same name. The song features a rap by Afro-German rapper Carlprit and was released as the album's lead single on 29 June 2009.
Wanderlust is the fifth studio album by English singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 20 January 2014 by EBGB's. The album marks a sharp shift from Ellis-Bextor's electronic dance roots, incorporating elements of folk, baroque and orchestral music. It was featured as BBC Radio 2's "Album of the Week" on 18 January 2014.
Songs from the Kitchen Disco is the first greatest hits album by English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 13 November 2020 by EGBG's, although it was previously announced for 23 October. It features singles from all her studio albums: Read My Lips (2001), Shoot from the Hip (2003), Trip the Light Fantastic (2007), Make a Scene (2011), Wanderlust (2014) and Familia (2016), as well as a number of cover versions of songs by other artists. Songs from the Kitchen Disco serves as the follow-up to her previous release, the 2019 orchestral compilation album The Song Diaries.