Niccijade Reeves-Alhark
Staff Reporter
In honor of her untimely death, this week’s artist is Sophie Xeon. Xeon was born on September 17th, 1986, in Glasgow, United Kingdom. As she claimed in an interview with Lennylettter, her father was a musical influence on her throughout her childhood, giving her rave cassette tapes and taking her to raves at a young age. At the age of 10, she already wanted to be an electronic music producer and so her career path was set.
This aspiration led to her style of music now, a vibrant mix between voice and sound that is very expressive with few words. She says herself in an interview with New York Times that the purpose of her music is to “condense particular feelings down to the most concise, shortest form possible...To try and create this immediate feeling, through sound and lyrics, that communicates itself instantaneously.” Her music could be put in the still upcoming genre of hyperpop, along with Electro. Hyperpop, also known as glitchcore, is a microgenre that consists of other music genres; artists like 100gecs, Lil Darkie, and Sophie are good examples of the music under the new genre.
Xeon released her debut song, Nothing More to Say, in February 2013 under the label Huntleys+Palmers. After that, she released more singles, collaborating with other artists, Charlie XCX being one of them, to produce unique tracks and beats. For most of her career, Xeon had remained a faceless producer. This came to an end in 2018, when she released her first music video for her song It’s Okay To Cry, where she sings the lyrics facing the camera.
She released her first album, titled OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES, on June 15th, 2018. The album consisted of 9 tracks, including It’s Okay To Cry. Each song carries its own vibe and sound- each had an individual atmosphere. Xeon dedicated the album to herself, her friends, and those who supported and inspired her.
My two favorite songs off the album, though it is hard to choose, are Is It Cold In The Water? and Immaterial. Is It Cold In The Water? has an ethereal atmosphere to it, with high pitched, consistent synths and Xeon’s smooth voice singing lyrics of fear and curiosity. A thing I also noticed while listening to this song is how emotional it makes me feel; it paints an image in my head of someone being lost and not knowing what to do, creating a small story in my head as I listen. Immaterial is more fast-paced and upbeat- more ambitious than the previous song. What I love about Immaterial is the lyrics, and how they easily dismiss the boundaries of the world. This is especially clear with the lyrics “ I could be anything I want, anyhow, any place, anywhere, anyone, any form, any shape, anyway, anything I want” They provide this sort of weightlessness when you listen. Another thing I liked in this song was the small monologue Xeon speaks, as she speaks her voice changes pitches, exaggerating on certain words and deepening on others. As a whole, I think the album is amazing and recommend you listen to it if you want to start listening to her music.
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