The pop singer, DJ, and dance music producer Sophie (often stylized as SOPHIE and sometimes called Sophie Xeon) has died in an accident in Athens, Greece according to reports. “True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell,” her record label, Transgressive, said in a statement. She was 34.
Sophie first gained traction in the European club scene in the early 2010s with hits like “Bipp” and “Lemonade.” Her first full album Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, was released in 2018. Pitchfork called it “sprawling and beautiful, while still keeping the disorienting, latex-pop feel of her fascinating production technique.” It received a Grammy nomination for the Best Dance/Electronic Album.
As a producer or co-writer, Sophie worked with Charli XCX, Kim Petras, Let’s Eat Grandma, and Madonna. (This last collaboration was on the track “Bitch, I’m Madonna.”)
Sophie was intensely private for much of her career, but came out as transgender in 2017. In an interview with Paper magazine, she said that embracing her trans identity meant “structures of control disappear” and “transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul.” She also said she believed in God and that “God is Trans.”
Musicians Sam Smith, Nile Rodgers, and Finneas O’Connell were among those who offered thoughts on social media.
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