Critic Jonni: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Murder on the Dancefloor - Sophie Ellis-Bextor |

This was my TUNE back in the day, can you believe it's 16 years old! Since it's Sophie Ellis-Bextor's biggest hit to date, we can definitely expect her to perform the song on stage at Birmingham Pride 2017 - hence why I'm reviewing it for my Birmingham Pride Special, and it sounds so good right now. Why has a DJ not revamped this yet? Seriously, we've had some great revamps in the last year or so, there has to be one for this coming out soon, although this in its original format sounds perfect, and I actually think it could be a hit all over again. Watch Sophie Ellis-Bextor stomp all over the competition in this music video for "Murder on the Dancefloor".

Sophie Ellis-Bextor was one of the defining female British singers back in the 00's, with this song being her biggest hit to date. It became a top ten hit in nearly every country around the world. It's not surprising that it became a hit as it is really catchy. It was the follow-up to her debut single "Take Me Home", which also hit number two on the UK singles chart alongside this massive track, that is still in my head since watching the music video. The song was written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander.

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller, and shows Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the dance floor with her partner, battling it out to win a dance competition. This is the sort of thing I always wanted to be a part of, and yet these sort of competitions were no longer around as I grew older. I love how they include a group dance sequence, called "The Altogether", which is a nice added bonus.

The scene reminds me of the iconic dance competition in Grease the film. Although, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is on a mission to win and will do everything she possibly can to do so.

We see her spike drinks, unravel a woman's dress, plant various objects to make contestants fall over or have arguments with their partners. It really is murder on the dancefloor. She then decides to put the charm on the main judge, who is played by actor Colin Stinton, by acting sexily towards him. The judges crown her and her partner as the winners of the competition; she wins a cash prize and some golden glittery heels.

This music video is a killer. It's fun to watch, and it's great to see Sophie Ellis-Bextor play this intricate character. Comparing this song to what she has been releasing lately, it's quite saddening to see that she has taken a completely different route and really shows why she isn't charting in the UK anymore; however, I'm glad she is releasing songs she wants to release. This song is still stuck in my head, and it was totally my tune back in the day, I hope it comes around again and hits the charts hard for a second time because it's just as catchy as it was back then.

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Death of Love - Sophie Ellis-Bextor |

Here is another act who will be performing at Birmingham Pride 2017. I have to admit I used to be a fan of Sophie Ellis-Bextor when she was releasing those amazingly catchy chart-worthy disco hits, but now she's gone down a more relaxed music route and it's just not for me. She has clearly lost a lot of her fanbase going down this different route, hence why she no longer charts on the UK Singles Chart, however she does well on the albums chart every now and again. On the other hand, it's nice to see her release the music that she wants. Watch Sophie Ellis-Bextor go about life in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in this music video for upcoming single "Death Of Love".

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a big name from back in the day. She had many amazing hits, including "Take Me Home", "Murder On The Dancefloor" and "Get Over You"/"Move This Mountain", back in the early 00's, but it went downhill from there, with her follow-up singles underperforming, before not charting at all. She's actually quite lucky that there is a buzz around her, and that she still manages to chart on the UK Albums Chart. Her latest album Familia, which this song is the fourth single from, charted at number 12. She recently made an appearance as one of the judges on the UK's national selection show for Eurovision 2017, titled Eurovision: You Decide - she received great comments from Twitter as she wasn't over the top or fighting for attention like the other two judges. This song was written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Ed Harcourt.

This music video is intricate, it was filmed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and shows Sophie Ellis-Bextor off as if this is a place where she lives. She goes about her day, singing her song and doing what she wants.

It's really serene to watch, but there's just no substance to keep the viewers gripped. I feel that she isn't enjoying performing this song as if it's just a song she chose on a whim. She's completely relaxed throughout but it's all too relaxed as if she has no passion for this song.

The town is clearly beautiful, and this visual really shows off Puerto Vallarta perfectly, I just wish there was more of a performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The whole thing just feels unrelatable, and I'm not that interested in seeing her at Birmingham Pride 2017.