Sophie (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sophie
Sophie performing in June 2018
Background information
Born	(1986-09-17)17 September 1986 Glasgow, Scotland
Died	30 January 2021(2021-01-30) (aged 34) Athens, Greece
Genres	Experimental pop hyperpop electronic avant-pop dance-pop bubblegum bass
Occupation(s)	Music producer songwriter DJ
Instruments	Elektron Monomachine Akai AX60 Clavia Nord Rack Yamaha Motif Native Instruments Razor Apple Logic Pro Ableton Live Ableton Push
Years active	2009–2021
Labels	MSMSMSM Future Classic Transgressive Numbers Huntleys + Palmers
Associated acts	A. G. Cook Charli XCX Cecile Believe Vince Staples QT GFOTY Flume Kim Petras

Sophie Xeon (born September 17, 1986 – died January 30, 2021), known simply as Sophie, was a talented Scottish music producer, songwriter, and DJ. Sophie was famous for creating a bold and unique style of pop music that helped start the "hyperpop" sound in the 2010s. Sophie's music was special because of its experimental sounds, "sugary" electronic textures, and influences from underground dance music styles.

Sophie first kept her identity a secret, but later shared that she was a transgender woman. She became well-known with hit songs like "Bipp" (2013) and "Lemonade" (2014). These songs were later part of her album Product (2015). Sophie's only studio album, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides, came out in 2018 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. Sophie worked closely with artists from the PC Music label, such as A. G. Cook and GFOTY. She also produced music for famous artists like Charli XCX, Vince Staples, Kim Petras, and Madonna.

Sophie passed away in January 2021 after an accidental fall from a building in Athens, Greece. The Fader magazine called Sophie a "pioneering Scottish artist whose vibrant electronic productions expanded modern pop music's scope." Pitchfork said Sophie's influential work "molded electronic music into bracingly original avant-garde pop".

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Sophie was born on September 17, 1986, and grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. From a young age, Sophie loved music. Her father would play electronic music cassettes in the car and even took her to raves. Sophie quickly fell in love with these sounds. She once shared that she spent all her time listening to those cassette tapes, even "stealing them from the car." After getting a keyboard as a birthday gift, Sophie became interested in making her own music.

Around the age of nine or ten, Sophie wanted to leave school to become an electronic music producer, but her parents didn't allow it. Sophie continued to create music throughout her teenage years, often saying, "I'm just going to lock myself in my room until I've made an album." Sophie also learned to DJ after a half-sister asked her to DJ her wedding, thinking Sophie was already a DJ.

Music Career and First Releases

Sophie's music journey started in a band called Motherland. They performed live shows in Berlin and the UK between 2008 and 2009. Sophie also worked with bandmate Matthew Lutz-Kinoy on performance art. In 2010, Sophie remixed a song called "A Certain Person" by Light Asylum. This remix was later released on vinyl for DJs. In 2011, Sophie created music for a short film called Dear Mr/Mrs.

Early Sophie Music

Sophie's first solo song, "Nothing More to Say," was released in February 2013. Her next single, "Bipp"/"Elle," came out later that year. "Bipp" became very popular with music critics. XLR8R named it the best song of the year, and Pitchfork ranked it highly.

In 2014, Sophie worked with Japanese pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. She also teamed up with A. G. Cook and artist Hayden Dunham for a project called QT. They co-produced QT's first song, "Hey QT." This project even included a made-up energy drink called the QT Energy Elixir, which was mentioned repeatedly in the song.

Sophie's next single, "Lemonade"/"Hard," was released in August 2014. Both songs appeared on the Billboard Twitter Real-Time charts. "Lemonade" and "Hard" were also listed among the best songs of the year by many music magazines. "Lemonade" was even used in a McDonald's commercial in 2015!

Product Album and Big Success

In March 2015, pop star Charli XCX announced she was working with Sophie. They created several songs for Charli XCX's upcoming album. In September 2015, Sophie's first album, Product, was announced. It included her earlier hit songs and four new ones: "MSMSMSM," "Vyzee," "L.O.V.E.," and "Just Like We Never Said Goodbye."

Sophie performing in 2015

In February 2016, Charli XCX released her Vroom Vroom EP, which Sophie mostly produced. This EP was a preview for Charli XCX's next album, also produced by Sophie. Sophie then went on tour with Charli XCX. Sophie also appeared in the music video for the song "Vroom Vroom."

Sophie continued to work with Charli XCX, helping produce her song "After the Afterparty" in late 2016. Sophie also had production credits on two songs from Charli XCX's 2017 mixtape Number 1 Angel and one song from her mixtape Pop 2. Sophie also collaborated with producer Cashmere Cat on his album 9.

Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides Album

In October 2017, Sophie released "It's Okay to Cry," her first new music in almost two years. The music video for this song was the first time Sophie's own voice and image were used in her work. After this, Sophie openly spoke about being a transgender woman. Later that month, Sophie performed live, playing new songs from her second album. The song "Ponyboy" was released with a music video in December 2017, followed by "Faceshopping" in February 2018.

On May 1, 2018, Sophie announced that her new album would be called Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides. It was released on June 15, 2018, through Sophie's own label, MSMSMSM. Sophie also shared that she had contributed to Lady Gaga's latest album.

In July 2018, Sophie mentioned working on four new projects, saying, "I'm going to release four albums this year." She also said she had done so much collaborating that she had "done a whole new album in the last two weeks." Sophie was also working with Kim Petras, Charli XCX, and other artists.

At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album. This made Sophie one of the first openly transgender artists to be nominated in this category. Sophie also confirmed plans for a remix album of Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides. This remix album was released as two videos on YouTube in July 2019.

In September 2020, Sophie released the song "Metal" with Jimmy Edgar. In January 2021, just two days before her passing, the song "Unisil" was released. Sophie had made this song earlier and initially released it as a digital bonus track.

Sophie's Unique Sound and Style

Sophie mainly used the Elektron Monomachine synth-sequencer and Ableton Live software to create music. Instead of using pre-made sounds, Sophie created her own unique electronic sounds from basic waveforms. She compared building a song to making a sculpture out of different materials, creating sounds that resembled "latex, balloons, bubbles, metal, plastic, [and] elastic."

AllMusic described Sophie's music as "sophisticated, hyperkinetic productions" with a "surrealist, clearly artificial quality." Her songs often featured high-pitched female vocals, "sugary synthesizer textures," and beats from underground dance music styles, along with "experimental sound design."

The New York Times said Sophie's work was "giddy fun" but also made listeners think about pop music's pleasures, structures, and commercial status. The Fader compared her music to K-Pop, J-Pop, Eurodance, and even turn-of-the-millennium American/UK boyband sounds. Variety and The New York Times recognized Sophie's work as a pioneer of the "hyperpop" style in the 2010s.

Sophie's early visuals featured colorful images described as "Homemade Molecular Cooking." Her single covers often showed objects made from plastic or industrial materials.

Personal Life and Identity

Sophie was known for being a private person, and her limited media appearances added to the mystery around her. In early interviews, her identity was hidden using voice masking and by covering parts of her body. Before she shared that she was a trans woman, some people wrongly assumed Sophie was a man using a female stage name. In a 2013 interview, when asked about choosing "Sophie" as a stage name, she replied, "It tastes good and it's like moisturizer." At one show, a drag performer named Ben Woozy pretended to DJ while Sophie acted as a bodyguard.

The music video for "It's Okay to Cry," released in October 2017, was the first time Sophie's own voice and image were used in her solo work. In later interviews, Sophie confirmed her trans identity. She also spoke about feeling limited by labels and described music as "my chosen method of communication" and a way to express herself.

Sophie's Passing

Sophie passed away on January 30, 2021, at the age of 34, at Attikon University Hospital in Athens, Greece. She was taken to the hospital after accidentally falling from the rooftop of a three-story building while trying to take a picture of the full moon. Her partner, Evita Manji, said it took police and fire services about 90 minutes to rescue her before she arrived at the hospital.

Many artists, including Rihanna, Sam Smith, Vince Staples, Charli XCX, and Christine and the Queens, shared their sadness and condolences. On June 4, 2021, Sophie's brother announced plans to release some of her unreleased music.

Legacy and Impact

On June 16, 2021, the International Astronomical Union honored Sophie by naming a minor planet, 1980 RE1, as Sophiexeon.

In March 2022, Charli XCX dedicated her album Crash to Sophie.

At the 2023 Grammys, Sophie's former collaborator Kim Petras became the first transgender person to win an award in the Best Pop Duo/Vocal Performance category. In her acceptance speech, she thanked Sophie for helping to open doors for her.

Discography

• Product (2015)
• Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides (2018)
• Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides Non-Stop Remix Album (2019)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

• 

  Sophie (left) produced "Hey QT" with A. G. Cook (right).

See also

In Spanish: Sophie (artista) para niños