There is a specific kind of performer whose ability to bring the house down at Glastonbury tends to come as a shock to those watching – they tend to be women, they tend to lean towards pop (or at least dabble in it), and they tend to never have achieved the kind of international stardom their litany of recognisable bangers probably deserved. Case in point: Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
A consummate pop machine for more than 20 years, Ellis-Bextor has long perfected a brand of cheery warmth encased in rubbery synths and cyborg metallics. Her Sunday Pyramid Stage set toggles between both extremes, nodding both to the icy cool of her early career and the joyous ease of her modern work, best exemplified by her lockdown-era kitchen discos and her reputation as a star who is just really, really nice.
