Advertisement
Set against the backdrop of the United Kingdom in 2006, Emerald Fennell’s film “Saltburn” has rekindled the flame of nostalgia with its eclectic soundtrack, featuring a blend of indie sleaze and timeless hits. The film, starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan, has not only reawakened interest in songs like Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor,” MGMT’s “Time to Pretend,” and Flo Rida’s “Low” but has also initiated a streaming and viewership surge for these 20-year-old singles.
Released on Amazon Prime Video on December 22, “Saltburn” has propelled “Murder on the Dancefloor” back into the limelight, reminiscent of the cultural phenomena sparked by shows like “Stranger Things” and TikTok-driven resurgences of classic tunes such as Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”
The film revolves around Elordi’s character, Felix, an Oxford University student, and Keoghan’s character, Oliver, who becomes captivated by Felix’s aristocratic lifestyle during a summer at the family estate in Saltburn. As the plot takes a dark turn, Oliver becomes obsessed with seizing the family fortune, culminating in a viral scene of him dancing through the estate’s halls to “Murder on the Dancefloor.”
The 2001 hit for Sophie Ellis-Bextor experienced a remarkable return to the Official Singles Chart Top 10 in the UK after 22 years, reaching No. 8 with its best-ever streaming week, boasting 2.2 million streams. Fennell shared that the song was chosen for its fitting resonance with the film’s conclusion, describing the film as a “dark, twisted, and witty ride.”
On New Year’s Eve, “Murder” achieved its highest daily global streams on Spotify at 1.5 million, marking a 340% increase compared to the previous year. The song entered the Global Spotify chart for the first time at No. 130 and sits atop the Viral 50 chart in the United States, with similar success in Nigeria and Brazil. TikTok has also embraced the song, with users replicating Oliver’s dance in lavish hallways, paralleling the success of “Running Up That Hill.”
The music video for “Murder” witnessed a 496% increase in viewership globally, according to Vevo, and the artist experienced a 142% lift in global views for her catalog. “Saltburn’s” influence extended to other songs on the soundtrack, such as MGMT’s “Time to Pretend,” which saw a 115% surge in global views, and Princess Superstar’s club mashup with Mason, “Perfect (Exceeder),” currently at No. 5 on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart in the U.S.
DJ and producer Mason acknowledged the revival of “Perfect (Exceeder),” expressing its success on various charts and platforms. In the United States, both “Murder” and “Perfect (Exceeder)” are making waves on TikTok charts, and “Murder” re-enters Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs charts, reaching its highest peak on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Song Sales chart at No. 3. While the journey to Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs chart is underway, “Saltburn” has shown us that the possibilities are limitless when it comes to the resurgence of standout singles from the film’s soundtrack.