The disco-pop classic was used in a dance scene in the film’s finale, one of the most memorable moments of the twisted black comedy starring Barry Koeghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike.

After Saltburn was released on Amazon Prime on 22 December 2023, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ re-emerged in the top 10. It peaked at number two on the charts and stayed there for five weeks. Ellis told the BBC, “It was over Christmas last year, we were at home, and just seeing the numbers going crazy for people interacting with the song on streaming and TikTok.”

Tik Tok helped to give a second wind to Sophie’s hit, with the ‘#MurderOnTheDancefloor’ hashtag garnering 43 million views on the social media platform. The track featured in more than 290,000 TikTok videos – including one from Ellis-Bextor herself recreating the dance scene from the film, racking up 4.3 million views.

@sophieebtiktok Heading into 2024 like… Happy Saltburn New Year! Xx #murderonthedancefloor #sophieellisbextor #saltburnmovie ♬ original sound – Prime Video

Darina Connolly, head of music partnerships UK & Ireland at TikTok, called the nostalgic hit an “undeniable banger”, praising the surge in popularity, adding that “We love that TikTok breathes life into classic tracks and has become a home for fans to share their appreciation for films of the moment like Saltburn.”

Sophie’s comeback didn’t only reward her with chart success and a boom in bookings. She made her US TV debut as the musical guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and set out on her first ever headline tour of America. She also sung at the BAFTA’s, featured in DJ Peggy Gou’s Glastonbury set, and performed at the Royal Variety Show in front of King Charles. The sensation around the song also led to Ellis-Bextor being signed again by her former label, Universal, with new music on the way soon.

Yesterday, to cap off a thriving 2024, she held her own New Year’s Eve Disco on the BBC, with guest appearances from Jessie Ware, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, and The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts. You can watch it here on iPlayer.

Y2K, PUNKY, INDIE-SLEAZE AESTHETIC COMPLEMENTED BY THE SUBVERSION OF PRADA JACKETS AND LONDON STREET STYLING @buckbetty Tickets on sale FRIDAY! pic.twitter.com/spJewslv6D

— Exchange Bristol (@exchangebristol) November 20, 2024

Her debut EP, ‘Mind Over Matter‘, showcases her talent and has contributed to her recognition as a promising artist in the music scene. The EP features six tracks that delve into themes of personal growth, vulnerability, and emotional resilience. Her blend of indie pop and soulful melodies creates an introspective soundscape that resonates with listeners. The tracks ‘Mum Says’ and ‘Not Enough’ have gained over 100,000 listens since the EP’s release in July 2024.  The EP is described as a heartfelt journey through her adolescence, combining raw emotion with polished production.

The debut EP ‘Mind Over Matter‘ was first performed at a vibrant event in Notting Hill in July 2024. The live performance highlighted her vocal prowess and personal connection to the material, blending elements of R&B and indie pop. Her Notting Hill debut has been described as a memorable and intimate showcase of her artistry, garnering enthusiastic support from fans and critics alike.

Hanging with BuckBetty in Notting Hill tonight, bloody guestlist, Mind Over Matter out tomorrow !! pic.twitter.com/dyaqZ9X8zF

— Ali Krausova (@ali_krausova) July 3, 2024

Betty’s TikTok account, @buckbettyy, features a mix of original music content, relatable humour, and engaging snippets that showcase her personality. With over 1 million likes, her videos resonate with viewers who enjoy her unique blend of wit and artistry. Popular posts often include previews of her songs or behind-the-scenes looks at her life as an emerging artist, helping to build a loyal following. Through the platform, BuckBetty effectively reaches a younger, tech-savvy audience, positioning herself as a rising star in the digital music era, where others often promote her music in their own videos. The song ‘Not Enough‘ has so far been used in 82 different TikTok videos.

You can check here for tickets or Betty’s Instagram for more updates.

TikTok is a short-from video sharing platform that allows content creators to use copyrighted music in their videos. This feature is central to TikTok’s appeal, with viral trends on the platform often featuring copyrighted music. One such trend involved Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ which became one of the most used tracks on the app after its feature in Emerald Fennel’s 2023 film Saltburn. As a result, the 2001 dance track shot up the UK top 100 as well as charting in the US for the first time. In light of TikTok’s reliance on copyrighted music, much of which is owned by UMG, the label has said: “Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”

UMG’s open letter states concerns over artist compensation, the use of AI songs, a topic that UMG has been critical of before, and the poor moderation on the platform. Although all these issues are common on TikTok, the timing of UMG’s open letter would suggest that an inadequate licencing deal was the catalyst for UMG’s dissatisfaction with the platform. UMG stated that the social media company’s offer was “worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their [TikTok’s] exponential growth.”

The same day that UMG released their open letter, a representative from TikTok responded, saying: “Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” TikTok’s response aimed to portray the platform as one that “serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their [UMG’s] talent.” Although it is true that artists often see an increase in attention from exposure on TikTok, this increased traffic is rarely sustained on a long-term basis.

Artists on TikTok are paid per video rather than per view. According to the music promotion company, SoundCampaign, artists with an 100% share of their own royalties receive $0.003 (£0.0024) per video that features their music. Artists receive no payment with regards to views on individual videos that include their work.

UMG has accused TikTok of “selectively removing the music of certain… developing artists, while keeping on the platform… audience-driving global stars.” In response to these poor negotiations, UMG has pulled some of its music from TikTok. Aiming for maximum disruption UMG has, at time of writing, removed both Drake’s and Taylor Swift’s official music from TikTok.

Universal’s actions have already been received poorly by many TikTok creators. TikTok creator Evan Cronin, who spoke to The New York Times today, has had music retroactively removed from his videos, making his content an “essentially a dead post”.

Artists have responded with their own reactions to the UMG dispute, with indie singer Beabadoobee acknowledging the removal of her work from TikTok. In her response, Beabadoobee posted a video that includes a version of her song ‘Talk’ played at two times speed in order to circumvent automated copyright recognition on the platform.

Whether this dispute reaches a resolution or not, it is clear that, for now, many of the world’s largest artists will have their music entirely removed from TikTok. With UMG having no current disputes with other short-form video platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, it remains to be seen whether TikTok creators will end up migrating to other platforms which have working relationships with UMG.

On TikTok, the track has been used in a trend where people show of their luxurious houses, drawing a parallel to between their own home and the film’s Saltburn House. The use of the track, particularly on TikTok, where the average user is likely to have missed ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ the first time round, has given the song a new lease on life. Back in 2001, Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ peaked at the #2 spot on the UK’s top 100. Since Saltburn’s release ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ has climbed its way back up the top 100, finishing in second place last week.

Not only has the track from Ellis-Bextor’s debut album regained popularity domestically, but it has managed to squeeze itself into the US Billboard Top 100, taking the 58th spot. Unlike the track’s original 2001 run, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ is seeing popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Speaking to Vulture about the song’s cultural resurgence, Ellis-Bextor said: “the song is actually providing all the momentum and I can just sit back and be like, “Wow, this is special, is really unique.””

Again, speaking with Vulture, Ellis-Bextor said: “luckily for me, I had already starting working on the new album”. For Ellis-Bextor, the stars have aligned, and her new project will release off the back of her recent success. According to The Mail this project has been signed to Ellis-Bextor’s former label, with a music industry insider having said: “Sophie has become a global star again. Universal, her old record label, have snapped her up and she will be releasing new music later in the year.”

For those wanting to see Ellis-Bextor live, she is performing in a few venues across London, as well as touring throughout Europe in March of this year. Whether you are a new fan, drawn in by one of the catchiest hits of the 2000s, or you are a long-time fan of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 2024 is proving to be an exciting year for the star.

Prior to release, PinkPantheress shared three singles: “Mosquito,”, “Capable of love” and “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” with Bronx rapper Ice Spice, the cutesy summer bop that vaulted up the charts earlier this year. While all three tracks maintained the signature glossy early-2000s club sound that had catapulted the singer to fame, they also unmistakably hinted at a new chapter in the artist’s musical journey.

Listen to “Capable Of Love” below:

Indeed, on Heaven Knows, much of the new material feels more mature and complete. PinkPantheress, a homemade superstar who initially rose to fame with viral internet pop bites that clocked in at under two minutes to appeal to the short-form media zeitgeist, largely dispenses of her original approach on this new record.

In an interview with NME earlier this year, the singer had expressed a desire to make “a shift towards other styles of music” – a vision that has now materialised on Heaven Knows. Here, PinkPantheress reveals the depth of her artistic versatility, flexing her abilities as a writer, producer, and expert curator of guest spots.

The long-awaited 13-track project sees the Bath-born artist enlist a crew of both familiar and new collaborators on writing and production duties, including two-time Grammy producer of the year Greg Kurstin, Caroline Polacheck producer Danny L. Harle and “Boy’s a Liar” co-writer Mura Masa, whose contributions as an additional producer are manifest on most songs.

Listen to “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”, co-written by Mura Masa and featuring rapper Ice Spice, below:

Upon announcing her debut LP in October, PinkPantheress explained:

“This album is an accumulation of music I’ve made over the last two years, with some beloved tunes that might sound familiar and some cutie features who I can’t wait to announce. I love everyone here, I cried the other day thinking of how lucky I am to have people willing to listen to me, you are never taken in vain.” 

A press release further revealed that Heaven Knows is about “grief for a loss, but being at peace with yourself in your aloneness. Journeying from hell into purgatory, but I’m OK with being there.”

“Labour” has quickly taken off on social media, with thousands of women being inspired by and relating to the feminist anthem. The track tackles the misogyny that women face in every day life, inspiring a wealth of TikToks of women sharing their fury with “Labour” as the soundtrack.

Being compared to the work of Hozier, Paloma’s new single is a folk anthem, with its Pagan vibes conjuring images of all the women that have gone before us in societies plagued with sexism and inequality.

Paloma discussed the meaning behind the track with The Big Issue, saying, “Women are just doing more and more, and men are not doing any more than they’ve ever done. There’s still expectation for women to have this very traditional archaic role as a caregiver and a servant and a wife and a mother and a homemaker, but women have had enough of existing to serve other people.”

The ‘female rage’ label has been attributed to Paloma’s song, but she states “it doesn’t need to be romanticised,” as social media can be wont to do.

“Labour” has incited passionate responses from its listeners, and Paloma herself says she’s “not at the centre of this song anymore.”

not now honey mummy’s listen to labour by paris paloma and crying over the horrific levels of misogyny women have faced for hundreds of years

— ًhades (@milfnyras) March 24, 2023

ok BUT LABOUR BY PARIS PALOMA IS THE SONG OF FEMALE RAGE AND EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW IT GOODBYE — specs (@aroamingspectre) March 23, 2023

Discussing female rage further, Paloma told The Big Issue, “It can be amazingly empowering, and I think so many women are relating to it as just this concept of just having had enough, and the refusal to be convenient anymore.”

She goes on to say, “It starts with holding men and boys accountable for this behaviour, and making it less normalised and making them sort of aware that their actions or lack thereof have consequences. You don’t get to be in a relationship and treat another person like less than a human being and then be blindsided when that person wants to end that relationship.”

Paloma says that she hasn’t experienced being “the put-upon wife but I’ve watched it happen. But I’ve seen what it does, and it’s what I think about and have thought about since I was becoming more conscious of my surroundings as a young teenage girl.”

Since its release, “Labour” has inspired over 27,000 video responses on TikTok, allowing a cathartic outlet for listeners and gracing Paris Paloma with an ever-growing platform.

Stream “Labour” here.

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At 2 pm last week, the band’s catalogue was made accessible via the app meaning that users are now able to utilise Pink Floyd’s music within their own creations. TikTok creators can access official sounds from the group’s tracks, all fifteen of the band’s studio albums are featured within the recent collaboration. Included within the full list of tracks accessible to fans are “See Emily Play”, “Money”, “Comfortably Numb”, “Wish You Were Here”, “High Hopes” and the group’s era defining anthem “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)” plus many more.

The iconic band are no stranger to visually pleasing artforms and have utilised such processes throughout their career. The London formed rockers’ partnership with TikTok continues such creative practices whilst combining their unique aesthetic with modern and digital processes. The band’s first TikTok was posted via their account with the caption “Pink Floyd has arrived”, by the morning of Tuesday 31st May 2022 the band’s profile had acquired over 14,000 followers.

@pinkfloyd Pink Floyd has now arrived #pinkfloyd #learningtofly #fyp ♬ Learning to Fly (Remix 2019) – Pink Floyd

The group have joined a long list of successful artists who have utilised TikTok to benefit their careers, many established acts have seen the potential held by TikTok and have utilised the app’s global reach to propel their popularity. The social media platform has also been responsible for the success of many new artists, with over 1 billion users TikTok has become a vital tool for any new and emerging acts.

The TikTok launch date coincided with another important landmark of Pink Floyd’s storied career, the 30th May 2022 marked the fiftieth anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon. It has been half a century since the initial recording stages for the seminal album took place, the band recorded the influential album at the iconic Abbey Road Studios within two sessions. The album was released on 1st March 1973 via Harvest Records and marked the group’s eighth studio album.

Pink Floyd have become known for their talented virtuosic musicianship and humanistic lyrical content, the band’s songs have historically dealt with such issues as social injustice, war, oppression and morality. Formed in the early 1960s, Pink Floyd now consists of surviving members David Gilmour and Nick Mason, both band members have joined a roster full of artists voicing their support for Ukraine.

Earlier in the year, Gilmour and Mason released a song in aid of the recent conflict, “Hey Hey Rise Up” was released with Ukrainian artist Andriy Khlyvnyuk, funds occurred through the track’s sales and streams were donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund. Gilmour spoke to Rolling Stone concerning the single, “The following that we have as Pink Floyd — the size of the platform. When I spoke to Nick, and he said he was willing to do it as Pink Floyd, it seemed like a no-brainer, We want to spread this message of peace, and we want to raise the morale of the people who are defending their homeland there in Ukraine. So why not?”

Speaking of the motivations behind ‘Pink Champagne’, Roberts said to NME: “I wrote ‘Pink Champagne’ because I wanted to have a go at writing a love song but without making it cliche, there’s so many love songs out there and I didn’t wanna be all soppy!”

She then went on to say “It’s essentially a breakup song reminiscing about the nicer parts of a not so perfect relationship, I think it’s super visual and manages to bring you on a journey with the dreamy vibes.”

The track’s official video, directed by Grow Up Sad depicts Roberts getting into a car and then suddenly shifts to her dancing with a retro 90’s video effect. Throughout much of the video we see her sitting in the back of a car whilst occasionally flipping back to the 90’s retro feel and she is also seen later drinking and sitting in a glass. You can watch the full video below.

After gaining much success and a large following on TikTok Roberts recently chose to pursue music. Having gained fame through the platform with posts about make-up, beauty and art that have received many millions of views, Roberts has since worked with the likes of Yungblud, Zara Larsson, Liam Payne and more.

Additionally there is an EP on the way and speaking to NME earlier this year for an she spoke of her upcoming six-track debut EP. During the interview she explained that she hadn’t played guitar before the EP. “Guitar came to me before I knew that I wanted to ever put music out there. I just wanted to know how to play an instrument, because who doesn’t want to just be able to pull out a guitar? It was slightly more difficult than I anticipated.”

The singer is also set for a number of UK festival appearances including London’s Community and The Great Escape in Brighton as well as a summer tour of the US in support of American pop singer Halsey.

ready for some performers? here’s who will be taking to The BRITs stage:@Santandave1@DojaCat@edsheeran@HolHumberstone@liamgallagher@LittleSimz

+ more to be announced

don’t miss The #BRITs on Tuesday 8 Feb on ITV (UK) and https://t.co/QjEmDoNxZW (International) pic.twitter.com/8sUq91d90T

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) January 21, 2022

This year’s BRIT Awards will be held on Tuesday the 8th of February on ITV and on their YouTube channel, which can be accessed here.

The awards ceremony is becoming increasingly digital and social-media oriented, with a new public voting system taking place on TikTok. Covered here on mxdwn by Izzy Eddies last month: “Voters will be free to access the ‘BRIT hub’ specialised voting platform via the organisations Tik Tok on January the 20th and will be free to cast their votes until the 3rd of February.”

On top of this, the 2022 iteration will be perhaps the most inclusive we have seen the BRIT awards, “with there being more female artists on the shortlist of nominees than we have encountered in more than a decade.” Additionally, Jack Whitehall stepped aside from the presenter role to allow newcomer Mo Gilligan to present, alongside Maya Jama and Clara Amfo (see featured image).

Nominations for the award ceremony were revealed in December last year, with Dave and Little Simz taking the biggest swoop of four nominations each. Both their albums, We’re All Alone in This Together and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert respectively were huge international successes deserving of the highest acclaim within the UK.

Of the nominations, Little Simz said: “It’s an honour to be nominated for 4 BRIT Awards and I can’t wait to be performing on the night too. I’m so happy and grateful the music has connected and resonated. Congratulations to everyone nominated.”

Other nominees for this years BRITs include Central Cee, who controversially won the inaugural Best Drill Artist award at the MOBOs, and Tion Wayne and Russ, whose hit ‘Body’ became the first drill track to reach No.1 in the charts. These three artists owe much of their success to TikTok, whose music went viral as sounds on the platform, so it is fitting for the BRIT Awards to be incorporating TikTok into their electoral system.

Voting for the BRIT Awards closes on the 3rd of February and can be found here.

It started a couple of weeks back on January 1^st when O’Connor returned to Twitter, after having been absent for over 8 months. He replied to a fan’s tweet asking about the release of the new album. In it he simply said “oops … sorry for delay … do you still wan[n]a hear it?“.

oops !… sorry for delay… do you still wana hear it ? https://t.co/oAUocYWIsV

— rex orange county (@rexorangecounty) January 1, 2022

Ramping the mystery up even more (as well as the generous fan service), last week saw fans receiving postcards in the mail with a phone number, the voicemail of which said “I know it isn’t easy, and you may have had enough. But I promise that it’s worth it, if you try and keep it up“. Following this was a snippet of a new, as-of-yet unreleased song.

Here’s what happens when u call pic.twitter.com/rw7cETbeUv — E (@mendescollector) January 13, 2022

And yesterday he went to TikTok to post a snippet of what appears to be the same song from the voicemail, with the video showing him lip-syncing to the lyrics. The track was captioned “Keep It Up” and gives fans hope of an upcoming single soon to come from the artist.

@rexKEEP IT UP♬ original sound – rex orange county

NME quotes the lyrics as “Every time I open my mouth, I have regrets in my mind.  Every time, and no one seems to figure me out. I guess it’s stress. It’s making me feel so depressed. Most my life I felt so tired, but every now and then when I try I say keep it up and go on, you’re only holding out for what you want. No longer owe to strangers. It’s enough. It’s enough.“

Despite the lack of new material, O’Connor did find time to release a live album back in 2020, entitled Live at Radio City Music Hall. The singer-songwriter grew up in Surrey, and first rose to fame after featuring on famed US rapper Tyler, the Creator’s 2017 album Flower Boy. Like many new artists these days, he started out making music as a teenager, producing his own songs with Apple’s Logic software and releasing a debut album on SoundCloud/Bandcamp back in 2015, which you can listen to here. It caught the attention of Tyler, the Creator and English musician Two Inch Punch, and the rest is history.

With only three studio albums to his name, fans can be pleased to hear something new is finally close to surfacing. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait and see what’s coming next from this elusive artist, who seems ready-in-waiting for a comeback any time now.