Sophie Ellis-Bextor says LGBT+ community has ‘shaped who I am’
The singer has enjoyed a revival thanks to her song Murder On The Dancefloor being used at the end of the film Saltburn.
British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has said the LGBT+ community has “shaped” who she is.
The Murder On The Dancefloor singer discussed her music, which has a strong LGBT+ following at Glastonbury Festival’s new “femme-queer” space, Scissors.
Speaking to the PA news agency after the event, Ellis-Bextor said: “Being part of Scissors and all that it represents, and that amazing celebration of the queer people here at Glastonbury is – I think it’s a really important space to have.
“I think it’s completely part of Glastonbury’s ethos that they have, that wonderful, welcoming spirit.
“And one of the questions was about being an icon in the LGBT+ community, but I always feel a bit that I’m not very good with thinking about myself objectively.
“But also I feel like, all I really do know is that for me, the fans that I have in that community have helped me become the performer I am now.
“So whether I’m an icon is completely subjective, but the significance it has to me, in terms of having that community has literally shaped who I am. It’s very precious.”
The 45-year-old, who played on the Pyramid Stage last year, has recently seen a revival thanks to her song Murder On The Dancefloor being used at the end of Emerald Fennell’s film Saltburn, when Irish actor Barry Keoghan danced naked around a stately home.
Earlier, she told the session at Scissors that Glastonbury was “part of what’s happened” with her 2001 hit track being popular in the charts once more.
She added: “I was lucky enough to perform on the Pyramid, actually at about this time last year.
“Oh my god, I was in such a good mood. It was like all my birthdays are come at once and when I say murder at the end, and people were letting off their flares, and I was like this is magical.
“And I do believe that even though obviously Saltburn and everything that happened with having that amazing scene in the movie has been the sort of tipping point.
“There were little bubbles that were happening with that song over the course of last year, actually … other … festivals … so I think it’s all contributed actually.
“But … murder is like a really good friend of mine and we’ve been having adventures over the years and now we’ve just gone away on like this amazing unexpected trip together and it’s wild but it’s so much fun, and I’ve just been trying to enjoy it without any expectation outside of enjoying it.
“You know what I mean? Because it’s a very unusual thing to have a song like that come back and have this moment this year, and I just want to enjoy what this is about.
“And I’m also I suppose I’m trying to challenge how long I can dine out on one song as well.”
Elsewhere, Ellis-Bextor spoke about how she was “trying to feel less guilty” while coping with five children.
“When I had my first baby at 25 I think it was a huge deal for me and I think also I’ve sometimes struggled to navigate the balance of what I do and, give space to it,” she added.
“And I think actually, funnily enough, lockdown (made me) kind of hit a bit of a boundary because I realised I’d played down my work so much, when I was at home that when I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I didn’t actually have much space for it in the house either.
“And that’s not really fair on anybody.”
