The year is 2024. The Official UK Singles Charts is filled with fresh new releases including Noah Kahan’s ‘Stick Season’, Beyonce’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’, and Ariana Grande’s ‘yes, and?’. Yet, amongst the top 40 lies several iconic bops from the 2000s which are currently enjoying a much-deserved renaissance thanks to the movies Saltburn and Anyone But You.
Let’s begin with Saltburn, the dark psychological thriller directed by Emerald Fennell, starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi. The movie was released at the tail end of 2023 and went viral thanks to a number of bizarre and twisted scenes. The end scene in particular caught the attention of moviegoers and internet consumers alike, with Barry’s character Oliver dancing naked around the mansion of his university friends to Sophie Ellis Bextor’s ‘Murder on The Dancefloor.’
Yes, the very ‘Murder on The Dancefloor’ which was originally released in 2001, well over 20 years ago! The song peaked at number two in the charts upon its release, yet thanks to its new found renaissance, recently managed to achieve the same chart position 22 years later in the week of January 18. In fact, the iconic bop has remained at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart for several weeks and its new found success shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Last week, Sophie went Stateside to perform the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with the track currently sitting at 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. The singer also performed ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ at the BAFTA Awards in front of a star studded audience, including Saltburn star Barry Keoghan. Additionally, the track has received a brand new remix from Australian dance trio PNAU, best known for their rendition of Elton John and Dua Lipa’s ‘Cold Heart’.
Speaking about the song’s success over 20 years later, Sophie Ellis Bextor told the OCC: “I’m always very connected to my music, and one thing I’ve always loved about my work is its ability to surprise me. ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ is a song I’ve been singing for 20 years, and I’m on really good terms with it. I love singing it, I love performing it and what’s happening at the moment is kind of magical, actually.”
Thanks to TikTok, another Saltburn soundtrack song has also been gaining a new found audience. Originally released in 2006, Mason vs Princess Superstar ‘s ‘Perfect (Exceeder)’ has been making huge waves on the popular social media site following its inclusion on the movie soundtrack.
However, Saltburn isn’t the only movie to give new life to a classic song. Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, is the ultimate rom-com where two frenemies decide to pretend that they’re dating when they accidentally turn up single to a mutual friends’ wedding. The movie features Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten’ as a serenity song for Glen’s character, and thanks to viral videos on TikTok, the track has shot up the charts once more.
Despite having been released in 2004, ‘Unwritten’ is currently sitting at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart and is climbing every week. Vevo reported a remarkable surge of 256% in the daily views of the music video, equating to over 3.5 times the average daily views worldwide.
Last week, Natasha joined Glen and Sydney at the People’s Choice Awards for an impromptu rendition of ‘Unwritten’, much to the surprise and delight of the audience. Despite being almost 20 years old, the track remains as fresh and feel-good as it did when it was first released, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see it thriving again.
With both ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and ‘Unwritten’ reveling in unparalleled success in 2024, it begs the question, what other 2000s anthems will gain a new lease of life this year? DJ Jax Jones recently teased a collaboration with Noughties icon Cascada, with singer Natalie Horler treating fans to an acapella version of her hit single ‘Every Time We Touch’. Could this be the next track to enjoy its renaissance moment?