Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer, songwriter and model. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving success in the early 2000s. Her music is a mixture of mainstream pop, disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic influences.
Her solo debut album, Read My Lips, was released in 2001. The album reached number two in the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The record experienced international success, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide. It produced four singles, three of which reached the top three in the UK. In 2003, Read My Lips won the Edison Award for “Best Dance Album”. Ellis-Bextor’s second album, Shoot from the Hip, was released in 2003. The album reached number 19 in the UK and produced two top ten singles.Trip the Light Fantastic, her third album, was released in 2007 and reached number seven in the UK. The album produced three singles, one of which reached the top ten in the UK.
Her fourth studio album, Make a Scene (released in 2011) and its third single “Bittersweet” achieved top 40 positions in the UK. In 2014, Ellis-Bextor released her fifth studio album, Wanderlust which became her highest charting album since Read My Lips. Her sixth album, the Latin-inspired Familia earned critical acclaim in 2016.