Three Years After Tragic Fall From 3-Story Rooftop, Musician SOPHIE’s Family Sets Posthumous Album Release

The family of the late producer SOPHIE has revealed plans to release a posthumous album nearly three years after the artist’s untimely death. SOPHIE, born Sophie Xeon, tragically passed away at the age of 34 in January 2021 following an accidental fall in Athens while attempting to watch the full moon.

The self-titled album, simply named SOPHIE, is slated for release on Sept. 27, 2024, and represents the culmination of work that the artist was deeply involved in before her passing. This project serves as both a debut and finale, marking SOPHIE’s first and last posthumous album release.

SOPHIE’s record label, Transgressive, and management company, Future Classic, have been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. The album, co-produced by SOPHIE and Benny Long, was reportedly near completion at the time of the artist’s death. In a press release, it was described as “the final SOPHIE album release,” signaling its significance as the artist’s last musical testament.

 “A couple of years ago Sophie’s family approached us regarding an album release honouring her legacy, drawing from the material that she was so close to completing,” Transgressive wrote on X. “Since then this self-titled and final Sophie album was lovingly brought into being by Sophie’s family. As label partners, we’re humbled and overjoyed to share this music in celebration of Sophie’s life and her extraordinary impact on culture. The official statement of the family will be the only statement made at this time.”

The family’s decision to release this album stems from a desire to share SOPHIE’s final artistic vision with the world. In a heartfelt statement, they said on X, “When we, Sophie’s family, took our first steps towards bringing this project to fruition, we contacted the dear friends with whom she envisioned the album. We wrote, ‘We have been finding comfort in the music Sophie left us. It is a gift that we truly cherish as we try to find a way forward, with Sophie forever at the center of our worlds.’”

The message continued, “Sophie didn’t often speak publicly of her private life, preferring to put everything she wanted to articulate in her music. It feels only right to share with the world the music she hoped to release, in the belief that we can all connect with her in this, the form she loved most. Sophie gave all of herself to her music. It’s here that she can always be found.”

The album is anticipated to be a showcase of SOPHIE’s unique soundscapes, described as “a cacophony of skill and creative vision eclipsing time and genre.” It aims to encapsulate the artist’s distinctive style, which often emphasized contradictions in sound and material, transcending pure auditory experience to create multidimensional sonic landscapes.

As a trailblazing transgender musician and producer, SOPHIE collaborated with and wrote music for numerous high-profile artists, including Madonna, Charli XCX, Kim Petras, and Lady Gaga. Her innovative approach to pop music, which included the use of vocal modulation to explore gender identity, earned her critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase.

In 2018, SOPHIE’s debut album, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, received a Grammy nomination, solidifying her status in experimental pop music. The first single from the posthumous album, titled “Reason Why,” was released on June 24, 2024. The track features pop singer Kim Petras and R&B duo BC Kingdom, offering fans a glimpse into the collaborative nature of SOPHIE’s final project. Petras took to Instagram to express her feelings about the release, writing, “Soph you’re still changing music!!! I’m so happy to have this piece of you with me, I love you forever.”

In a 2018 interview with Billboard, SOPHIE spoke about her identity as a trans woman in the music industry, stating, “Transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit so the two aren’t fighting against each other and struggling to survive. On this earth, it’s that you can get closer to how you feel your true essence is without the societal pressures of having to fulfil certain traditional roles based on gender.”