ONTD Original: The Genre-Defying Legacy of SOPHIE
The music industry is in mourning this weekend, after GRAMMY-nominated multi-hyphenate SOPHIE was confirmed to have died tragically at the age of 34.
In the all-too-brief time since making her formal debut in February 2013, the Glasgow-born Sophie Xeon made a profound impact on the pop landscape. Her avant-garde, no holds barred productions won her critical acclaim and made her a coveted collaborator of artists from all corners of the globe.
Below, five (5) SOPHIE productions that speak to her genre-defying talent.
Namie Amuro - "B Who I Want 2 B" (feat. Hatsune Miku, 2015)
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One of SOPHIE's earliest production credits was for this album cut from the Queen of J-Pop's twelfth studio album (Genic, 2015), featuring Vocaloid software voicebank Hatsune Miku.
Charli XCX - "Vroom Vroom" (2016)
Click to viewCharli XCX redefined her sound when she teamed with SOPHIE for 2016's Vroom Vroom EP. "I felt like I finally found someone who could articulate my ideas sonically," XCX said in an interview. "I was like, 'Wow, you get it, and you get me, and you also make me feel something.'"
Quay Dash - "Queen of This Shit" (2017)
On her second team-up with the Bronx's Dash, SOPHIE added another jewel to a glittering crown of hip-hop collaborations that also includes Vince Staples' "Yeah Right" and Shygirl's "Slime."
Let's Eat Grandma - "Hot Pink" (2018)
British alt-pop duo Let's Eat Grandma received rave reviews for "Hot Pink," the lead single off their sophomore album All Ears, featuring the "pots and pans" production with which SOPHIE became synonymous.
ITZY - "24HRS" (2020)
SOPHIE received her penultimate production credit for this b-side from the first of K-Pop quintet ITZY's two 2020 EPs, IT'z ME, the demo for which (featuring vocals by Lola Blanc) can also be heard on YouTube.
What's your favorite SOPHIE production?