Brit Music Scene

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Makes Comeback, Or Maybe Not

Posted: 19 Jun 2009 12:47 PM PDT

There are some strange little pop stars who seem to pop in and out of existence time and time again. Dido is one, having been huge on the back of Eminem’s Stan sample, then again in her own right, before disappearing off the face of the planet. And Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the daughter of a Blue Peter presenter who was many young schoolboys’ first crush, is another.

It’s entirely possible that you’ve never even heard of Ellis-Bextor (I’m already sick of writing the double-barreled name), but she’s been in and around the music scene for well over a decade. She’s just never been able to sustain a top level Madonna or Kylie-style career.

She started out in an indie band called theaudience in 1997, before disappearing for a year until a triumphant return in 2000 singing on Groovejet by DJ Spiller. Then came a debut album containing the still-brilliant Murder on the Dancefloor, and there have since been two more albums since, with a fourth on the way.

But she’s set to take the charts by storm again with another dance collaboration reminiscent of Groovejet. This time, she has teamed up with the Freemasons on their new single, Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer). So, does this constitute a comeback for Ellis-Bextor. Popjustice seemed to thing so but were put straight by a slightly testy-sounding Sophie in a recent interview.

“Firstly I don't ever see myself as a comeback kind of person – it's just that I have a life where sometimes I'm doing one thing, and sometimes I'm doing another. Even when I did my third album it wasn't like 'the comeback' kind of thing.”

“Fashions have changed loads – there was a time when there were lots of bands and boys with guitars and I'm just proud that I've weathered that really. It hasn't always been easy putting out the records that I like to put out but I just stuck to my guns and now hopefully I can enjoy coming back into vogue again.”

OK Ms. Pasty-faced High-cheeks Double-barreled Fancypants, there’s no need to get on your high horse. Surely disappearing to have children with the bassist from The Feeling for a few years before returning to the limelight can be considered a comeback? Or maybe I’m just talking out of my behind.

The problem for Sophie Ellis-Bextor is that having these gaps between releases means she’ll always be labeled as the ‘Comeback Queen’, especially when the commercial success of her work seems to go up and down like a yo yo. Here’s a tip: reinvent yourself all you like but at least stay in the public eye while you’re doing so, otherwise there’s a risk we’ll all forget about you and your poppy dance tunes. Which would clearly be a disaster.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene