There are some artists who come along and have a very profound effect on their peers and on the music industry as a whole but do not see much mainstream success of their own. These musicians are seen as “artist’s artists.’ They may not get all of the notoriety in the grand scheme of things that they probably deserve, but they inspire and push other musicians to try new things and push boundaries that they normally would not push. SOPHIE was an artist who fit this bill perfectly. SOPHIE was an experimental HyperPop artist who was always thinking outside the box and trying to break the mold of what genres are supposed to be. They made huge, spirited, and sometimes intense music that took elements from all different styles; one could hear various kinds of Electronic music, Industrial music, Pop music, and even Hip Hop music in SOPHIE’s extremely eclectic and unique sound. SOPHIE was seen as a driving force in HyperPop and experimental music as a whole. So many great artists who are known for pushing the limits in their own rights were inspired by and worked with SOPHIE. Charli xcx, Vince Staples, Let’s Eat Grandma, and Madonna are a few of the many artists who received production from SOPHIE and cited them as one of the most important artists in Dance music. SOPHIE was a force in the underground Electronic music scene. After breaking through in the early 2010s with multiple high-quality one-off singles(such as ‘Lemonade/Hard’), they broke through after producing Charli xcx’s iconic Vroom Vroom EP. SOPHIE released their debut album, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-sides, in June of 2018. This album was praised for its flamboyant and raucous sound. SOPHIE created styles of music that were never before heard on this album and that served as an inspiration for so many producers and musicians who came after it. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-sides was so lauded by the industry that it was nominated for a Grammy. This made them the first transgender woman to be nominated for a Grammy. Unfortunately, SOPHIE passed away(RIP) on June 4, 2021, when they fell off of a review while trying to take a picture of the full moon. Their legacy has certainly lived on, though, and so many musicians are continuing to carry the torch for them. Recently, SOPHIE’s family stated that they had been working on an album called SOPHIE before they passed, and they wanted to share this music with their fans. A few singles from this record, such as ‘Reason Why’ with Kim Petras & BC Kingdom and ‘Exhilarate’ with Bibi Bourelly were dropped in the last couple of months, both of which I did a write-up on a few weeks ago. Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite songs from SOPHIE’s SOPHIE, and then go over my overall thoughts on the record to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from SOPHIE’s SOPHIE, and also comment on how you feel about this album as a whole!
‘RAWWWWWW’ FEAT. JOZZY
After a pretty weird Intro track that sounds like the opening theme of some old-school Horror movie, we get what is certainly one of the most hard-hitting and harsh songs on the record. ‘RAWWWWWW’ goes in a direction that I never heard much from SOPHIE. This is a straight-up Trap song. There is not really even any sort of Pop semblance to this one at all; it is all Hip Hop. The beat has a typical, sludgy Trap tempo. The bass on this one pounds and the timing of the drums makes me want to rage around in a mosh pit. The melody for ‘RAWWWWWW’ feels out of tune. Its tone is melancholy, taking on a typically melodic Atlanta Trap feeling, but the way it is pitched almost makes it grating. Jozzy’s vocal performance on this track is great. Her flow fits the timing of the beat so well, and the range that she sings with gives the song emphasis. ‘RAWWWWWW’ is a raucous Trap banger that feels like it could appeal to a large amount of Hip Hop fans if its tune was not so all over the place. It is very riveting for what it is, though.
‘REASON WHY’ FEAT. KIM PETRAS AND BC KINGDOM
Out of all the songs on this list, ‘Reason Why’ may have the most tame sound. In fact, it may be the tamest song on the whole record. Weirdly, that makes it stand out in a cool way. Its simplicity and lightness actually make it pop. ‘Reason Why’ has a pretty prototypical ElectroPop sound. The synths that drive this melody are warm and bubbly, making the song feel pretty all-encompassing. The beat is pretty steady and even-keeled but has a tempo that does make me want to move. The vocals from Kim Petras and BC Kingdom on ‘Reason Why’ are solid. Neither artist does anything to take the song over the top in any way, but they both contribute nicely to the song’s breezy and welcoming sound. ‘Reason Why’ may not be even close to the most thrilling song on this project, but it is a fun banger that can get a dance floor bumping.
‘DO YOU WANNA BE ALIVE’ FEAT. BIG SISTER
‘Do You Wanna Be Alive’ is a track that goes down a route that I did not necessarily expect to hear from SOPHIE. The basis for this track is in its underground Downtempo House beat. I did not know that this kind of Electronic music was something the SOPHIE delved into, so it is pretty cool to hear them go this direction on this one. The song begins with a somewhat stable melody(apart from the creepy, creaking sound effects, of course) and beat, but both get more eccentric and weird as the song progresses. Towards the end of this one, the melody and beat are pretty rapid and all over the place in tone. The vocals provided by BIG SISTER add to the mechanical feeling of the track. These vocals almost sound like an AI delivering some sort of robotic chant. ‘Do You Wanna Be Alive’ is an unusual take on Downtempo House that only SOPHIE could come up with.
‘ELEGANCE’ FEAT. POPSTAR
‘Elegance’ follows ‘Do You Wanna Be Alive’ on the tracklist, and the transition between these two tracks is pretty seamless. The off-kilter, very robotic sound we were getting to close out the preceding track continues in a big way on this one. The tone of the melody on ‘Elegance’ is way more menacing, though. The beat is also faster and even more glitchy. Throughout the track, the melody will cut out and the beat will get bigger, more distorted, and more intense. This gives the song a larger-than-life quality that is very interesting. The vocals from ‘Popstar’ are honestly pretty unsettling. Their machine-like tone feeds into the audacious feeling of the track. ‘Elegance’ closes out sounding a lot more inviting than the way it starts. The melody gets sweet and the beat takes on more of an R&B tempo, which really changes up the essence of this track. ‘Elegance’ is one of the more all-over-the-place songs on this record that still flows very well.
‘EXHILARATE’ FEAT. BIBI BOURELLY
If ‘Reason Why’ is the tamest song on this list(and maybe of the record), then ‘Exhilarate’ probably comes in second. There is a big reason this song sticks out, though. That is because it is the only song on here besides ‘RAWWWWWW’ that feels like it has a bit of a Hip Hop feeling to it. ‘Exhilarate’ feels like it is SOPHIE’s take on Pop-Trap music. The beat for this track is not exactly Trap, but it is definitely adjacent. The synths that drive this melody and are very ethereal sounding. I really like the fatter synths that come in and out, as they give the track texture. I have to say that Bibi Bourelly totally kills it on ‘Exhilarate.’ Everything about her vocals is great; from her flow to her range, she goes above and beyond. ‘Exhilarate’ is a cool take on Trap music from SOPHIE with an awesome performance from Bibi Bourelly.
‘ALWAYS AND FOREVER’ FEAT. HANNAH DIAMOND
‘Always and Forever’ is probably the softest and sweetest song on this record, but that does not make it one of the most simple or straightforward. This is a pretty weird take on R&B-tinted Synth Pop music. To be honest, when I first listened to this one, it made me think of some of the stranger and more atmospheric songs from the new Magdalena Bay record. The melody for this one has a sparkling, bright tone that makes me feel like I am floating through space. The melody is riddled with zany, glitchy sound effects that make the song not so welcoming, however. The beat on ‘Always and Forever’ feels a bit off-center; the way it sits on the melody makes the song feel quirky even if it is so charming. Hannah Diamond’s angelic vocals on ‘Always and Forever’ add to its sugary tone in the best way. ‘Always and Forever’ is a very pleasant track, but it does have a bit of that SOPHIE flair.
‘LOVE ME OFF EARTH’ FEAT. DOSS
SOPHIE opens the record with one of its hardest and most harsh songs and closes it out with one of its most uplifting and cozy-sounding songs. The melody for this one is very ravishing and endearing. It has a tone that ultimately just feels good to listen to. ‘Love Me Off Earth’ brings back the Downtempo House beat that we got on ‘Do You Wanna Be Alive.’ This song has a steady UK House beat that is impossible to not want to dance to. It has a tempo and overall feeling that just makes me want to move when I hear it. Towards the end of the track, the beat switches up, taking on more of a glitchy Trap sound that is sort of grating and welcoming at the same time. The vocals from Doss on ‘Love Me Off Earth’ are solid, but they are nothing to write home about. They do not do a ton to improve or take away from the enjoyability of the song. ‘Love Me Off Earth’ is a joyous closer for this record that sends it off on a positive note.
To be honest, I had very high hopes going into this record. Posthumous albums always make me skeptical, but I forced myself to believe that SOPHIE’s team and family would not put out something that had not been totally finished by the artist themself. Now, I have only heard three albums where this is the case: Pop Smoke’s Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon, Mac Miller’s Circles, and David Bowie’s Blackstar. These albums felt fully complete and crafted by the artist before they passed; the proof is literally in their quality and cohesion. Unfortunately, when listening to SOPHIE, I just do not get that feeling at all. If I could describe SOPHIE in one word, I would say that it sounds unfinished. This record sounds like a collection of very eclectic, fun ideas that were never totally realized. A lot of the mixes on this record are rough, and there are sections of songs that feel out of place. It almost sounds like there are songs that were mashed together at times to make full tracks. Some of the features sound messy as well, almost as if they were picked by SOPHIE’s production team after the fact. Do not get me wrong, there are some very cool songs here that show how great SOPHIE was. This album is certainly full of zany, outside-the-box concepts that only SOPHIE could come up with. It is clear that some of the concepts were not fully developed, though. I know this outro seems negative, but I do enjoy a lot about SOPHIE. I guess I just thought we would get something that sounds more finalized, but that is obviously not the case at all. I am not saying a fast one was pulled on us, but there is something about this record that does feel lacking. SOPHIE is an intriguing collection of tracks where SOPHIE’s potential is extremely evident, but we will never get to see what it truly could have been, which honestly kind of stinks.
EAST SIDE VIBES 