SOPHIE – Legendary PC Music Trendsetter Passes Away at 34

Sophie Xeon, better known by the mononymous stage name of SOPHIE, has passed away after an accidental fall at Sophie’s home in Athens, Greece tragically passing away at the young age of 34 on January 30th, 2021.

SOPHIE, a Grammy-nominated musician, was known as one of the hallmark figures in the PC music genre, a form of electronic music that utilizes an intense combination of disjointed computer-generated sounds with a futuristic take on the pop genre. SOPHIE’s debut album, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-insides, was released in 2018 and the artist had previously worked as a producer and collaborator for musicians as varied as Charli XCX, Vince Staples, and Madonna.

Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, SOPHIE entered the music scene in the early 2010s after posting several tracks to a public SoundCloud account. In 2013, SOPHIE’s release of the single “BIPP” garnered considerable media attention, which included having the song make Pitchfork’s list of the best songs of 2013.

SOPHIE primarily wrote and produced music that utilized other’s vocals for much of the artist’s career, but with the 2017 release of single “It’s Okay to Cry,” SOPHIE’s voice and image were used for the first time in a release by the artist. This same year, SOPHIE also began to speak to media outlets about the artist’s identity as a transgender person while also stating that music was SOPHIE’s ultimate form of self-expression and identity. (Since SOPHIE’s passing, the musician’s UK label, Transgressive, has stated that the artist did not ascribe to any set of pronouns, whether traditionally gendered or non-binary.)

SOPHIE will forever be known as a musical pioneer, having created genre-defying hits such as “Lemonade,” “Ponyboy,” “Faceshopping” (be aware there is frequent flashing imagery in the “Faceshopping” video), and “Immaterial,” along with co-writing and producing a variety of hit music such as Madonna’s “Bitch I’m Madonna,” Charli XCX’s Vroom Vroom EP, LE1f’s “Koi,” and “Yeah Right” by Vince Staples.

Besides being a music pioneer, SOPHIE was also a transgender icon and a beacon of hope for many in the wider LGBTQ community. After the news of the artist’s death, many LGBTQ musicians and figures paid tribute on social media, including musicians such as Christine and the Queens, Sam Smith, and Rina Sawayama. Munroe Bergdorf, an internationally-acclaimed model and transgender activist, shared her thoughts on Instagram regarding SOPHIE’s passing, stating that

“our community has lost an icon, a pioneer and a visionary bright light. Heartbroken. SOPHIE you will be missed. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I hope we get to meet again one day. Rest in peace sister…Sending love to all of Sophie’s family, friends and fans at this time.”

Munroe Bergdorf

The memory of SOPHIE lives on within Sophie’s music and the memories of loved ones, friends, collaborators and fellow musicians.

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