23 Years Ago, Sophie Ellis-Bextor Released Her Viral Saltburn Song

In December 2001, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” peaked at No. 2 on the official UK Singles Charts.

Over two decades later, the song is experiencing an unexpected resurgence after being featured in the 2023 film Saltburn. The song’s legacy stretches further back than the Emerald Fennell-directed thriller.

Penned by Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, and produced by Spice Girls collaborator Matt Rowe, the song was the second cut from Ellis-Bextor’s debut album Read My Lips.

Thanks in part to its accompanying music video directed by Sophie Muller (known for her work with the likes of Gwen Stefani and Selena Gomez), the song enjoyed an impressive six weeks inside the UK Top 10.

The Song’s Resurgence

“Murder on the Dancefloor” has enjoyed a wave of renewed appreciation over 20 years since it debuted. The track was featured in The Traitors UK Season 1 as an unsuspecting contestant was, rather fittingly, eliminated on the dance floor.

Most notably, however, the song can be heard in the 2023 dark comedy Saltburn.

Starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, the film follows university student Oliver (Keoghan) as he develops an obsession with his college friend Felix (Elordi), who invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family estate.

During one memorable scene, Keoghan’s character dances totally naked through the Saltburn house to Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor,” kick-starting the “Saltburn effect.”

The Saltburn Effect

The song has climbed the charts globally after Saltburn’s Amazon Prime release in December last year, and on Jan. 5, the track re-entered the official UK singles chart at Number 8.

“Thank you for such a magical adventure,” Ellis-Bextor said of her chart resurgence, adding that she is “so proud” of the song’s success.

As per People, the track also saw a 360% streaming increase on Spotify in the United States during the first week after Saltburn’s release.

“‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ is a song I’ve been singing for 20 years, and I’m on really good terms with it,” she continued. “I love singing it, I love performing it and what’s happening at the moment is kind of magical, actually.”

The song has also taken off sharply on TikTok, with users recreating Keoghan’s infamous Saltburn scene, including Ellis-Bextor herself, while the #MurderOnTheDancefloor hashtag has amassed 44 million views — a figure that is likely to grow.