Music Industry Mourns SOPHIE Three Years After Tragic Death

Three years after the unexpected death of SOPHIE, her impact on music is more prevalent than ever. 

As it’s been three years since Scottish producer and DJ SOPHIE passed, the music industry remembers her legacy. Ever since her untimely passing in Greece, as the artist fell while trying to view the full moon, it’s been hard to fill the shoes of such a prolific musician.

SOPHIE’s work is known for its experimental twist in pop music through intricate sound design, “sugary” synthesized textures, and sound influence from underground dance styles. Through this experimental take on what it means to make a pop song, she helped pioneer an entire subgenre, with frequent collaborators Charli XCX and A.G. Cook, called Hyperpop.

Alongside XCX and Cook, SOPHIE produced songs for other artists like Charli XCX, Madonna, Cashmere Cat, Kim Petras, Flume, Arca, K-pop group ITZY, and others. Besides creating music for others, the DJ and producer had her a catalog of hits like “VYZEE,” “Ponyboy,” and “Immaterial.”

With only one post on the artist’s Instagram, her comments get flooded with messages from fans on how they miss her. One user, @lylys_music_lover, commented today, “Rest in peace, queen of electro music 🤍🕊️ I miss u.”

In her debut album, ‘OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES,’ the artist strayed from sampling, which is not typical for contemporary electronic music today. Instead, the artist created inventive soundwaves of music that captured the essence of what a balloon inflating or bubbling water would sound like. What made the artist’s work genius was that she could take these bizarre sounds and create magic with them.

Beyond the innovative music created, SOPHIE put thought behind every aspect of her musical work. Even the album title was curated to be an alliteration, so when spoken, it would sound like “I love every person’s insides.” Although it’s been three years since the producer passed, she left behind the music that gives a special kind of future nostalgia.