Sophie Ellis-Bextor is going from dancefloor murders to midnight freedom. On Friday, the pop star, whose 2001 song “Murder on the Dancefloor” went viral thanks to Saltburn, returned to the song’s disco pop flair as she released “Freedom of the Night” Friday.
“I have always been someone that needs music to help me recalibrate, and ‘Freedom of the Night’ is all about that feeling,” Ellis-Bextor said in a press release. “Music as a form of release and a little bit of hedonism. I’ve always needed that energy in my life, and I know I’m not alone.”
She added: “As the song says, sometimes you need to give in to what you want.”
“Freedom of the Night” marks the start of a new album era following 2023’s Hana, which she made with producer Ed Harcourt, who also helped her make her two albums before that.
Next week, the singer will release the music video for “Freedom of the Night,” which is set to pay homage to the original “Murder on the Dancefloor” visual. She even tapped the video’s original director, Sophie Muller, for this new one.
In an interview with the BBC in January, Ellix-Bextor said the “Murder on the Dancefloor” resurgence felt “really magical” and “extraordinary.”
“It’s a song I’ve been singing for over 20 years. I still love singing it. I love the way people react when I do it live,” she said at the time. “But for new people to be discovering it, for it to be making new memories with people is kind of beautiful.”
Since 2023’s Hana, Ellis-Bextor has released numerous remixes, edits, and live versions of “Murder on the Dancefloor.” She also joined Felix Jaehn for the single “Ready for Your Love” and Lufthaus for “Immortal” earlier this year.
The singer has three shows left of her 2024 North American tour, with stops in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 12, Orlando on Nov. 13, and Atlanta on Nov. 14.
