Singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor has publicly shared the pivotal email from 2022 that she credits with transforming her career, leading to an extraordinary resurgence for her hit song 'Murder on the Dancefloor'.
The Email That Sparked a Phenomenon
Ellis-Bextor, who first found fame in the early 2000s with tracks like 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)' and the aforementioned 'Murder on the Dancefloor', recently participated in a social media trend where users post life-changing moments. Her contribution was a screenshot of a brief email exchange from 2022 with the subject line "Saltburn (film)/Sophie Ellis-Bextor".
The message, which simply read "Hi Sophie/Derek, hope you’re well. We’ve had a request in for an upcoming film. Please let us know if you’d like to approve," was met with an equally concise reply from the artist: "All good with me, thanks". This seemingly minor approval would set in motion a chain of events that reintroduced her music to a massive new audience.
Saltburn's Viral Dance and Chart Domination
The film in question was writer-director Emerald Fennell's 2023 black comedy 'Saltburn', starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi. The film's climactic scene features Keoghan's character, Oliver Quick, dancing naked through a stately home to the unmistakable sound of Ellis-Bextor's 2001 disco-pop anthem.
This scene exploded across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with countless users creating their own recreations. The viral momentum propelled 'Murder on the Dancefloor' back into the UK charts and broke streaming records decades after its original release. In her video, Ellis-Bextor overlaid text on clips of these recreations and chart success stories, advising: "In 2022, you’re going to get an email asking to use your song in a film. It’s very important that you say yes."
Public Reaction and Lasting Impact
Sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter), the 46-year-old artist captioned it: "The email from 2022 that changed everything.. thank you, Saltburn and the magic which continued into 2025. Another fun year with adventures a-plenty! Let’s see what 2026 holds... xxx".
The post garnered warm reactions from fans. One supporter referenced her popular lockdown 'kitchen discos', writing: "You deserve this for all the good you did for so many people during Covid." Another praised her enduring talent, stating her music "isn’t for one decade or generation." A third comment highlighted the broader lesson: "a great reminder of how such a seemingly small decision can be so life-changing".
The Saltburn sync has cemented a remarkable second act for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's career, demonstrating the unpredictable and powerful impact of film and social media on the music industry.
