Sophie Ellis-Bextor has issued a festive reworking of a track from her most recent album, releasing (Christmas) Time , a seasonal version of the Perimenopop song Time , through Decca Records.
Time, which appears on Ellis-Bextor’s eighth studio album Perimenopop, was originally framed as a love song about the pressure of modern life and the need to be present. The new version adds traditional holiday flourishes , such as sleigh bells , and alters the lyrical emphasis to underline spending time with loved ones during Christmas. Ellis-Bextor said the idea came while performing the song on tour and that she and collaborators ‘wove some Christmas into the production’ to create a ‘festive magic’ for the record.
Perimenopop, released earlier this year, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart , the singer’s first Top 5 album in more than a decade and her sixth Top 10 album overall. The record, her first for Decca, has been presented as a celebration of mid-life and a return to big pop, and features collaborators ranging from Nile Rodgers, Sigrid and MNEK to long-term co‑writers such as Biff Stannard, Hannah Robinson and Ed Harcourt. Singles from the album include Freedom of the Night, Relentless Love, Vertigo, Taste and Dolce Vita.
The upbeat single Freedom of the Night has received airplay on BBC Radio 2 and Ellis-Bextor closed 2024 with a performance of the song as part of the BBC’s New Year’s Eve Disco. Her 25‑year career includes six top‑10 albums and eight top‑10 singles, and a string of hits including Murder on the Dancefloor, Take Me Home and Get Over You.
Murder on the Dancefloor saw renewed popularity this year after being used in Emerald Fennell’s film Saltburn, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and returning to the US Billboard Hot 100. The track’s resurgence contributed to the song achieving billions of streams globally and led to high‑profile live appearances, including a New Year’s Eve performance in New York’s Times Square.
Ellis‑Bextor has spent much of the year touring, with sold‑out headline dates across Europe and the United States, a 16‑city UK tour that included a sold‑out Royal Albert Hall show, and festival appearances such as Glastonbury and Reading. She has also worked as a support act for artists including Take That, Nile Rodgers and The Human League. An Australia and New Zealand headline tour has been announced for 2026.
Hear (Christmas) Time on Spotify etc.
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