![Standing center stage, senior Ananya Akula conducts the Phoenix Chorale. “[Conducting and teaching] is really fun,” Akula said. “Music education is what I want to do.” On the day of the choir assessment, Akula found out that she received the President’s Music Scholarship – a full ride to the University of Miami Frost School of Music.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ananya-1200x800.jpg)
![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
Remembering SOPHIE, the Transgender Pop Trendsetter
A year since her death, SOPHIE’s legacy is still remembered through her iconic beats and hyperpop music.
SOPHIE poses for her album cover of “OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UNINSIDES.” When naming her album, she stated that she was under the influence and thought that it sounded cool. “I told it to other people and they were like, ‘That’s annoying and really pretentious sounding,’” SOPHIE said. “I thought, ‘Everyone hates it. I’ll use it.’”
February 25, 2022
Reflecting on the past was never musician SOPHIE’s top priority. “I am way more excited about the future. The future seems more real,” SOPHIE said in an interview with GlamCult.
If you’re a fan of the pop industry, you have to know who the brash pop artist, SOPHIE, is. Sophie Xeon, known by her stage name as SOPHIE, was a transgender Scottish pop music producer. SOPHIE’s career highlighted her work with famous names such as Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kanye West, Kim Petras, and more.
Her career first began as a keyboardist in the band Motherland. She played live shows with her bandmates from 2008 to 2009. She then went under an anonymous disguise of the stagename ‘SOPHIE’ on Soundcloud. Her first tracks, “Nothing More to Say” and “Eeehhh,” released in 2011, would be deleted and re-uploaded as her first debut singles in 2013.
SOPHIE would go on to collaborate with musician Charli XCX in “Vroom Vroom.” Her presence in the music industry began to grow in 2016.
SOPHIE faced the industry again in 2018 with the release of her single, “It’s Okay To Cry.” With the release of her song and video, she reveals to her fans her appearance and vocals. Her soft tone, whispering voices, and sympathetic lyrics offered the comfort of a hug.
Consequently, with the reveal of SOPHIE’s appearance and voice, others speculated about her identity or even questioned her resurface as a “coming out video.” In an interview with Teen Vogue, SOPHIE stated, “I don’t really agree with the term ‘coming out’.… I’m just going with what feels honest.”
Shortly after, SOPHIE released her album, “OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UNINSIDES.” Her album created a revelation in the pop industry. Breaking in with her own unique style, her songs created a rapid effect in the pop community for hyperpop artists. Each song features rapid beats and a variety of intense lyrics that send listeners to a completely different dimension. Some of her hyperkinetic most popular songs include “Immaterial” and “Faceshopping.”
SOPHIE sadly passed away on Jan. 30, 2021 due to an accident. Fans and colleagues were devastated at the loss of SOPHIE. Close friend and collaborator, Charli XCX, shared her thoughts on Twitter: “It’s really hard for me to sum up the special connection I felt with such an amazing person who completely changed my life… I wish I had told her more [about] how special she was, not just her music, but her as a person. I love you and I will never forget you Sophie,” she said.
A year since her passing, SOPHIE still leaves a mark in the pop industry. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, SOPHIE was seen as an inspiration and voice for those unseen. Furthermore, her unordinary approach to the pop industry inspired other artists to take on the hyperpop approach.
“Food House,” a hyperpop band created during the boredom of quarantine, released “mos thoser” in 2020. As fans of SOPHIE, they dedicated an aspect of their lyrics, highlighting her as a god and mentioning one of her singles “Trophy:” “New world order /No more gods, only SOPHIE /Y’all know God is trans /So let’s pray to her and stream Trophy”
SOPHIE’s mark on the industry has created an effort into a more inclusive and open genre, not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for all types of artists. “We want to dictate what happens in culture and how music is received and how it is delivered,” SOPHIE said in an interview with Glamcult.
At the anniversary of SOPHIE’s passing, take this moment as not one of silence, but rather a racket to remember her impact on the music industry.
