苏菲·艾利斯-贝斯特

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is mainstream pop and dance with influences of disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music.

In 2000, Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Italian DJ Spiller on "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)", which reached number one in the United Kingdom and in 2015 became the UK's biggest-selling vinyl single of the millennium so far. Her debut solo studio album, Read My Lips, was released in 2001 and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified double platinum by the BPI, and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Three of its four singles—the Cher cover "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor", and double A-side "Get Over You" / "Move This Mountain"—reached the top three in the UK. Its follow-up Shoot from the Hip (2003) reached number 19 in the UK and spawned two top ten singles, "Mixed Up World" and "I Won't Change You".

Ellis-Bextor's third studio album, Trip the Light Fantastic (2007), peaked at number seven in the UK and its lead single "Catch You" reached the top ten. Her fourth studio album, Make a Scene (2011), and its third single "Bittersweet" achieved top 40 positions in the UK. Whilst signed to Cooking Vinyl, she released a trilogy of albums produced by Ed Harcourt: the folk-influenced Wanderlust (2014), the Latin-infused Familia (2016), and the Japanese-inspired Hana (2023). She experienced a resurgence in popularity when "Murder on the Dancefloor" was featured in the 2023 film Saltburn, which led to the song matching its original peak of number two on the UK Singles Chart. Her eighth studio album Perimenopop was released under Decca Records in September 2025 to critical praise.

Early life

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor was born on 10 April 1979 in Isleworth, London to Janet Ellis, who was a presenter on BBC's children's television programmes Blue Peter and Jigsaw, and Robin Bextor, a film producer and director. They separated when she was four. As a child, Ellis-Bextor occasionally appeared on Blue Peter alongside her mother, who co-presented the programme.

She attended St Stephen's School, Twickenham, and the independent Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith. Some of her earliest public performances were with the W11 Opera children's opera, beginning at age 13, and she is now a patron of the organisation.

Ellis-Bextor has said, "I didn't see myself as a good-looking girl and that was good, because I didn't rely on it. [...] I've now found lots of like-minded weirdos, so it's OK."

Career

1996–1999: Theaudience

Ellis-Bextor began her professional musical career in 1996 while singing lead vocals in indie band theaudience. The band released four singles, including the UK Top 40 hits "I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)" and "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed", and a self-titled album (theaudience (1998)). Videos for the band's singles were directed by her father, Robin Bextor. While in Theaudience, readers of Melody Maker voted Ellis-Bextor number five in a poll of 'most sexy people in rock'.