Charli XCX shares heat-breaking tribute to ‘amazing, special person’ and trans icon SOPHIE
Charli XCX has shared a heartfelt tribute to trans icon SOPHIE, describing her as an “amazing, special person”.
Scottish singer, songwriter and producer SOPHIE tragically died aged 34 on Saturday morning (30 January) after “climbing to watch the full moon” before slipping, according to her record label.
Throughout her life, SOPHIE produced music for artists such as Madonna and Nicki Minaj. She also worked with Charli XCX, who shared a heartfelt tribute on Twitter on Tuesday (2 February).
“It’s really hard for me to sum up the special connection I felt with such an amazing person who completely changed my life,” Charli XCX wrote in a screen-shotted message.
“There are so many memories, so many small details, so many different views and incredible feelings and stories. It’s impossible to summarise the journey I went on with SOPHIE.
“Even the most insignificant things felt enormous. I can’t explain how I feel and I can’t encapsulate what a unique person she was in one small social media post.”
Charli XCX will miss trans icon SOPHIE ‘terribly’
Charli XCX said she will “honour Sophie” in her own time and will process her grief through “writing things only I will read”.
— Charli (@charli_xcx) February 2, 2021
“But for now, all I can [say] is that I will miss her terribly; her smile, her laugh, her dancing in the studio, her gentle inquisitive voice, her cutting personality, her ability to command a room without even trying, her incredible vision and mind.”
She continued: “She taught me so much about myself without even realising. I wish I had told her more how special she was, not just her music, but her as a person. I love you and I will never forget you Sophie.”
SOPHIE, real name Sophie Xeon, died in Athens, Greece, where she had been living. Her death was confirmed by her British record label Transgressive on Saturday in a statement.
“True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and slipped and fell. She will always be here with us,” the label said.
The Grammy-nominated musician first burst onto the European club circuit in the early 2010s before quickly emerging as one of British music’s modern-day pioneers – but she remained shrouded in mystery, choosing to much of her personal life a secret.
She also concealed her identity for much of her career. In 2017, she used her real voice and image in the music video for “It’s Okay to Cry” for the first time.
She later opened up about being a trans woman, telling Paper magazine in 2018: “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.
“It means you’re not a mother or a father – you’re an individual who’s looking at the world and feeling the world.”