Sophie Ellis Bextor hates pop

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"I think it would be fantastic if I made enough money from this album to not have to make commercial music for money."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,820467,00.html

I'm disappointed. I hoped she'd become a globe straddling pop star and usher in a new elegant wave of English pop, shoving aside dog-awful Hollyoaks-made-flesh crud like Robbie Williams.

When she says she wants to make uncommercial music does she mean a regression to the dark days of TheAudience?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 23:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I think she's an idiot, and as a music fan I find her attitude not only offensive, but due cause for violent action against her stupid alien-lookin' person.

― Callum (Callum), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 23:47 (twenty-three years ago)

My suspicion is that whether she likes it or not she will end up making 'commercial' music but for no money. I enjoyed the interview. I like Sophie more than her music, "Murder On The Dancefloor" aside.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 23:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't see what was so offensive about that statement taken in the context of the interview.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 00:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I really really wish she'd said that 'ugly face' line to Frank Skinner.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 00:07 (twenty-three years ago)

What a great piece. I think I'm with Tom - she's far more interesting than her records.

And on the face of this - "It would be really easy to get all complacent because people are making it so easy to look better" - she's got the sort of scary Madonna-like drive and arrogance to hang about in a poshtertaining fashion for a few years yet.

I absolutely *wuvs* "Murder On The Dancefloor" tho, esp for the wikkid video.

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 06:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I enjoyed this, and I like Sophie.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:37 (twenty-three years ago)

in the context of the interview it reads fine, shes ok, murder on the dancefloor is a great record

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:44 (twenty-three years ago)

what is this revisionism that says 'murder on the dancefloor' is a great record? i think she's better in theory than in practise, 'groovejet' was rubbish, too, although i didn't mind her latest one.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:51 (twenty-three years ago)

revisionism? what do you mean? i think its a great single. groovejet was ok, nothing special

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:53 (twenty-three years ago)

It's a great pop record, and its supporters on here have been saying so since it came out on single in December last year. Revision shmevision.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:55 (twenty-three years ago)

gareth, that wasn't aimed at you. i remember you liking it at the time and this memory sticks probably because yours was the only positive voice i'd heard. perhaps i was looking at the wrong threads.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I was suspicious cos I'd hated "Take Me Home" but ever since I downloaded it I've loved it. The focus group entry on her sums up the range of opinion pretty well.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I remember thinking "Ugh! Why is she covering Cher" but I've since warmed to it - and the repackaged album is a pretty good listen if you stop playing it before "Everything Falls Into Place" almost ruins the whole damn thing.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I said I liked Murder on the Dancefloor at the time! I gave it a good 7 in the focus group!

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"Get Over You" is sooooo much better than "Murder On The Dancefloor", though.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:52 (twenty-three years ago)

that's the one i meant upthread, thanks dom.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:06 (twenty-three years ago)

theaudience were great,
groovejet one of the best records ever natch,
she loox ace, stayed with her long-term-fella despite
attention from *god knows* who, used the word 'fuck' to
great effect in 'a pessimist is never disappointed' ,
ace singles, ace all round i think.

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:24 (twenty-three years ago)

i've just read the article and take it that she's admitting to making commercial pop but she doesn't really like it. that's fair enough, i suppose.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I recon she's damn sexy too.

― dsico (dsico), Thursday, 31 October 2002 03:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I think she's an idiot, and as a music fan I find her attitude not only offensive, but due cause for violent action against her stupid alien-lookin' person.
-- Callum

sarcasm?
thought that was one of the most reasonable and realistic interveiws with a pop star i've read in a long time.

― dsico (dsico), Thursday, 31 October 2002 04:11 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, but i was perturbed by the nw5 hate. whats wrong with nw5?

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 31 October 2002 10:12 (twenty-three years ago)

When she performs on TV I've noticed that she always seems to wear an expression of vague embarrassment.

― tacit (tacit), Thursday, 31 October 2002 12:25 (twenty-three years ago)

apparently her real name's michelle.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 31 October 2002 12:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Reasonable and realistic the interview may have been, but the fact is it's still an interview with the Guardian, and she still makes pop music that sounds like disco. That is inexcusable. Unless she can do something really cool, like turn invisible or fry things with her mind....

― Callum (Callum), Thursday, 31 October 2002 21:59 (twenty-three years ago)

whats wrong with being interviewed in the Guardian or making pop sound discoey?

― blueski, Thursday, 31 October 2002 22:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't have anything against the Guardian, but newspapers know diddly-squat about music. Also, disco sucks (there's my threatened masculinity again TOOL ROOOOLZ 666)

― Callum (Callum), Thursday, 31 October 2002 22:04 (twenty-three years ago)

i love the way she is portrayed as having startling gifts because she got two a's and a b at a-level and 'was considering going to university'

like thom yorke, master of geopolitics "b-but he's heard of naomi klein!"

― adam b (adam b), Friday, 1 November 2002 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

actually i don't like her at all based on this interview, and callum's right about newspapers and music (for some reason the guardian has always been the worst of the lot), but she's made two brilliant records and that counts for quite a lot in my book

― adam b (adam b), Friday, 1 November 2002 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

The Independant annoy me as well. They described Aereogramme as "the missing link between Nirvana and Travis." How can these people review indie bands, and yet not know about any indie bands to compare them to? Was 'A Story In White' the first indie record they ever reviewed or something? Stupid...

― Callum (Callum), Friday, 1 November 2002 19:02 (twenty-three years ago)

three weeks pass...

Did anyone see her on the Frank Skinner show last night? She was as beautiful and smart as I wanted her to be and made Frank look like an arse. I loved the footage of the Brits where she strode on, all haughty dominatrix and then cutting him down with an intense steely stare when he said the 'wide face' comment to her. But yeah, she was lovely and even told him he had an ugly face and remained adorable. Her new single stinks though.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 27 November 2002 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't believe how much I hate her.

― Callum (Callum), Wednesday, 27 November 2002 21:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Stop! Stop right there!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is FANTASTIC! Theaudience were a GREAT band, criminally under-looked by the great unwashed, and yes, "A pessimist is never disappointed" is one of the finest singles of the 90's. She makes great music in an English accent, she's hot,hot,hot, and a lovely person to go with it.

Music-wise, image-wise and any-other-wise-you-like, she's a top person - and long may her well deserved success continue!

As for anti-pop - she makes pop music, and bloody good pop music at that. Whether or not she's against it is surely a moot point.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 28 November 2002 10:53 (twenty-three years ago)

it's not a moot point. she says it all the time. what i can't figure out with her - and i do think she seems an alright person - is how her stuff is any different to (paraphrase) "all that rubbish" she goes on about.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 28 November 2002 11:13 (twenty-three years ago)

maybe if she actually gave some examples instead of non-comittally referring to "all that" you could understand what she's trying to say.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 28 November 2002 11:15 (twenty-three years ago)

theaudience were a bit rubbish and had a silly name but SEB is great, even though the album is v.patchy

― jamesmichaelward (jamesmichaelward), Thursday, 28 November 2002 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

'theaudiesnce were a bit rubbish' is really understating it!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 28 November 2002 12:29 (twenty-three years ago)

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