Sophie Ellis-Bextor knows how to fill a dancefloor. Across 8 albums, and a double indemnity hit in "Murder on the Dancefloor", she's made a name for herself as a pop-disco queen. When she’s not on stage or in a recording studio, Sophie is throwing a kitchen disco, hosting her Spinning Plates podcast, and publishing books.

Sophie’s latest album Perimenopop takes stock of where she is today. The lessons learned, the way love evolves, and the place she finds herself. It's through-line is liberation, so I asked her to choose her favourite songs of freedom.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's song choices:

• Sylvester — 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'
• Madonna — 'Express Yourself'
• George Michael — 'Freedom 90'
• Sigrid — 'Mine Right Now'
• Prince & the Revolution — 'Let's Go Crazy'

00:34 Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Musical Journey

02:15 Making new music 25 years after debut

04:55 Disco escapism and the queer community support

09:23 Sylvester – 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'

06:23 Indie rock beginnings and Groovejet 

15:40 Obsession with Madonna and pleasure

13:39 Madonna – 'Express Yourself'

19:08 Is it better for women in pop music now?

22:37 Loving completely and opening for George Michael 

26:32 George Michael – 'Freedom! '90'

27:18 Writing new album and mid life

29:09 Sigrid – 'Mine Right Now'

29:50 Going through Murder on the Dancefloor resurgence 

34:06 The drama of Prince 

35:25 Prince & the Revolution – 'Let's Go Crazy'

38:11 Conclusion, Susan Rogers Prince story + next week's guest!

Show Notes

Check out the Take 5 episode with Prince's sound engineer Susan Rogers!