Is 'Saltburn' Turning Sophie Ellis-Bextor Into The New Kate Bush With 'Murder On The Dancefloor'?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s iconic 2001 disco-pop tune Murder On The Dancefloor has gone viral following a needle drop during the final scene of the popular new Amazon Prime film directed by Emerald Fennell, Saltburn.

The final scene where actor Barry Keoghan dances nude has encouraged hundreds of thousands of recreations on TikTok, with Ellis-Bextor partaking herself in a sequined outfit.

Due to the film’s success (and meme-ability), Murder On The Dancefloor has reached a new generation of listeners and encouraged fans from the early days to re-listen. The song and film’s impact can’t be understated – on the first UK Singles Chart of 2024, Murder On The Dancefloor is at #8, its first chart success since peaking at #2 in 2001.

@sophieebtiktok

Heading into 2024 like… Happy Saltburn New Year! Xx #murderonthedancefloor #sophieellisbextor #saltburnmovie

♬ sophs awful edit thats gone viral - sophie

The song hasn’t made the same impact on the ARIA Singles Chart, but one can wonder, can this new run at success make Sophie Ellis-Bextor the next Kate Bush – who dominated charts all over the globe after Stranger Things synched Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)?

In response to her resurgence on the UK charts, Ellis-Bextor told BBC, “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.”

She continued, “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.”

According to BBC, the single reached 1.5 million streams on New Year’s Eve - the most streams it’s ever had in one day - and has gained over four million views on TikTok via the hashtag #MurderOnTheDancefloor.

Upon its original release, Murder On The Dancefloor peaked at #3 in Australia and #1 on the ARIA Australian Dance Chart.

In June 2022, Kate Bush achieved her first #1 single in 44 years, with Stranger Things featuring her song. 

Kate Bush first charted in Australia in April of 1978 with her debut single, Wuthering Heights, which logged three weeks at the top of the Kent/AMR charts from 22 May 1978 until 5 June, holding for three weeks at #1. 44 years and one week later, she landed her second chart-topping song in Australia, albeit with a 1985-issued single.