Two years ago (give or take), I was trolling one of the many music subreddits I haunt when I happened upon a post that featured a song by an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter. The track was called “Strawberry Milkshake” by an artist named SOPHY (always capitalized). The track was a subdued bit of electronic pop with some amusing, though extremely frank, lyrics. I was charmed but wasn’t expecting to hear from SOPHY again. 

But I did. In 2023, after releasing a string of catchy singles, SOPHY released an EP titled CHAOS & COMMOTION. Despite not technically being an album (I guess), it was the best record I heard in 2023. The EP’s opener, “Yoyo,” is a spooky Britpop track that harkens back to when Oasis and Blur battled for the top of the charts. Similarly, “Ashely Cole Type Beat” (named for a soccer/football player…I think) recalls the British club tracks of the late ’90s/early 2000s. “Socks” and “Breathing Exercises” are two sugary pop tracks that somehow ride the line between pleasantly and sickeningly sweet. 

It’s funny in a tongue-in-cheek way when in “WET PAINT,” she talks about running over the object of her affection’s girlfriend, but it also paints a portrait of a very relatable situation. The fact that the track before, “No Drama,” is all about being chill and not getting caught up in drama is not an accident. The fun and the drama of SOPHY’s music come from the swings between the absurd and the painfully real.

Pop stars come in various flavors, but my favorites have always been the kind who are somehow incredibly brash and over-the-top while also writing songs that peel back the top layer of bravado, revealing a sensitive, doubt-filled author. Yes, I realize this is very specific. SOPHY falls into this type of artist–she can be very direct and confident sometimes but not above running around to fake an asthma attack to cozy up to a dude with a girlfriend. Somehow, even though I’m not a 20-something British woman and I’ve never done such a thing, I totally get it. 

When SOPHY’s latest track, “togethertogether” launched, I was with 27 other weirdos watching the countdown for the music video online. This was an important release in the SOPHY story (at least for me) because this was the first post-CHAOS & COMMOTION track. Would this new track reveal that the EP was a fluke? Thankfully, “togethertogether” is more great pop music! The track continues the grand SOPHY tradition of pining for an unattainable (or are they?) lover. At this point, I’m not sure I want her to get with whomever her muse is–the music is just too good. Like the majority of SOPHY’s songs, “togethertogether” is crazy catchy.

Hopefully, SOPHY will continue releasing music and release a full album soon. In the meantime, if you like self-aware pop music, I highly recommend checking SOPHY out.