Sophie Ellis-Bextor on returning to NZ and being Dan Webby's first ever CD

Pop queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor is coming back to Aotearoa, and The Edge Breakfast team are fully in their feelings about it.

The British icon is set to play at the brand new Waikato Regional Theatre in Hamilton on February 3, followed by the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch on February 4. 

Yes, the singer of ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’. Yes, the one that lives rent-free in all of our heads.

Things got nostalgic real quick when Sophie chatted with Clint, Meg and Dan. Dan casually dropped a huge flex, telling her, “Sophie, this is a real joy for me to talk to you because you are the first ever CD single I ever purchased, ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’ - iconic.”

Her response? Pure joy. “Thank you!” she said, clearly loving the full-circle moment.

With her massive resurgence thanks to 'Murder on the Dance Floor' having a proper renaissance moment, the team asked Sophie what feels different this time around. Her answer was very on brand.

“One of the biggest changes is that I get to come back to New Zealand again,” she said, revealing she’s only spent three days here her entire life. Three days. Criminal, honestly.

With the song having a big revival moment, the team had to ask if she knew she was onto something back when it was recorded. Turns out, not really.

“You know what, it’s funny,” Sophie said. “I know that there are other songs I hear of other people’s, and I think, ah, they must have walked out of the studio high-fiving each other on that one.”

Instead, Sophie said she’s always trusted her gut in the studio. “I’m quite selfish when it comes to my days in the studio. I just want to make music that makes me feel good,” she explained. 

“That’s always been my starting point and my end point pretty much.”

When it comes to surviving an industry that loves to chew people up and spit them out, Sophie reckons it comes down to commitment and good people. “A little bit of having no plan B, to be honest with you,” she said. “It’s always been music, literally since I left school.”

She also shared how tight her circle still is, working with the same director over the years across nearly 20 music videos together, and having her hair and makeup artists as godparents to her kids. “I’ve got really long roots now,” she said.

Long roots, timeless bangers, and finally more than three days in NZ. We love to see it.

Listen to the full chat here with Edge Breakfast.