Pioneering a new sound, Scottish music artist and producer SOPHIE established an unprecedented genre of music that captivates listeners almost instantly. Powerfully upbeat and energetic, SOPHIE’s music creates a space of positivity for everyone who listens.
On January 30, 2021, SOPHIE, who preferred not to use gendered or non-binary pronouns, unexpectedly died at age 34.
The beloved artist slipped and fell while gazing at the full moon from the balcony of the artist’s apartment.
“True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell. She will always be here with us. The family thanks everyone for their love and support and request privacy at this devastating time,” states SOPHIE’s record label.
SOPHIE’s management team also released an official statement confirming the incident:
“It is with profound sadness that I have to inform you that musician and producer SOPHIE passed away this morning around 4 a.m. in Athens, where the artist had been living, following a sudden accident.”
SOPHIE’s death brings a myriad of emotions to many of the artist’s fans. Although SOPHIE’s tragic death brings about immense despair, it also carries positivity since SOPHIE died while doing something that the artist loved to do.
SOPHIE’s death is similar to the artist’s music: both beautiful yet sad.
Listening to a SOPHIE song is not just an action. It’s an experience. SOPHIE’s music takes over your whole body. It demands your attention.
SOPHIE’s breakthrough single “Bipp” designed the blueprint for this microgenre of music. Never been done before, the song uses a combination of high-pitched vocals and warped beats to create a catchy electronic pop tune.
Remarkably talented, SOPHIE won the Innovator Award at the 2018 AIM Independent Music Awards.
Following “Bipp,” SOPHIE released “Lemonade,” which quickly gained popularity because of its irresistible hook.
Adhering to SOPHIE’s hyperpop style, “Lemonade” mixes high-pitched vocals with an upbeat dance rhythm. Contrasting the light-hearted vocals and rhythm, the song also implements a loud synthetic beat.
This combination of elements creates a sensory overload that moves positive energy throughout listeners.
Because of the success of this single, it became the soundtrack to a McDonald’s commercial.
“Faceshopping” is one of SOPHIE’s most iconic singles. The song brings industrial funk into the pop industry. With soft, simple vocals to contrast the loud rhythm, the song creates a hypnotic feeling for listeners.
“Faceshopping” is revolutionary and futuristic. The song is a perfect example of the hyperpop genre that SOPHIE pioneered.
This song is featured on SOPHIE’s album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, which scored a Grammy nomination in 2019 for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
In addition to a musical icon, SOPHIE was also a significant figure in the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite the predominantly male electronic music industry, SOPHIE managed to dominate this genre as a transgender woman.
At the start of SOPHIE’s career, the artist remained anonymous. Early singles demonstrated SOPHIE’s fluidity between femininity and masculinity. Signaling a new era for the artist, SOPHIE came out as a transgender woman in the music video for the artist’s 2017 song “It’s Okay to Cry.”
“For me, transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit so the two aren’t fighting against each other and struggling to survive. On this earth, it’s that you can get closer to how you feel your true essence is without the societal pressures of having to fulfill certain traditional roles based on gender,” SOPHIE expresses in an interview with Paper. “It means you’re not a mother or a father — you’re an individual who’s looking at the world and feeling the world. And it’s somehow more human and universal, I feel.”
SOPHIE’s fearless visibility gives strength to those in the transgender community. As a thriving transgender woman in the music industry, SOPHIE helped to destigmatize transgender identities within society.
SOPHIE is a beacon of hope to thousands of transgender people in the music industry. Additionally, SOPHIE represents acceptance, which is something that we need most in the world right now.
The transgender community is constantly being targeted. According to a 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 46% of respondents were verbally harassed in the past year for being transgender, and nearly 1 in 10 respondents were physically attacked in the past year for being transgender. In 2020, 44 members of the transgender community were fatally killed.
Because hate crimes are so common in the transgender community, it’s extremely devasting when another member passes away.
In a world that continues to patronize people of the transgender community, SOPHIE valiantly expressed the artist’s talents as a groundbreaking musician. Forging the future of the music industry, SOPHIE created the hyperpop genre. SOPHIE brought power to the LGBTQ+ community and continues to do so with the legacy that the artist left behind. SOPHIE embodies innovation, acceptance and kindness.