Tributes flood in for trans icon and pioneering musician SOPHIE who has died, aged 34

SOPHIE in the music video for 'It's Okay To Cry'

Sophie Xeon, a trailblazing trans musician who collaborated with the likes of Lady Gaga and Madonna and delighted fans with her “hyperkinetic” pop music, has died. She was 34.

Xeon, otherwise known by her stage-named SOPHIE, passed away Saturday morning (30 January) in Athens, Greece, her representatives confirmed in a statement to Mixmag.

“It is with profound sadness that I have to inform you that musician and producer SOPHIE passed away this morning around 4am in Athens, where the artist had been living, following a sudden accident,” the statement read.

“At this time respect and privacy for the family is our priority. We would also ask for respect for her fanbase, and to treat the private nature of this news with sensitivity.

“SOPHIE was a pioneer of a new sound, one of the most influential artists in the last decade.

“Not only for ingenious production and creativity but also for the message and visibility that was achieved.

“An icon of liberation.”

A ‘pioneer’, a ‘teacher’, a ‘rebel’: SOPHIE remembered by fans for her creativity and vision

Tributes have been flooding in for the Grammy nominee all morning from her fans, members of the LGBT+ community and her peers, including Christine and the Queens, MNEK, Jodie Walsh and Munroe Bergdorf.

“Our community has lost an icon, a pioneer and a visionary bright light,” Bergdorf wrote on Instagram.

“Heartbroken. SOPHIE you will be missed. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I hope we might again soon one day.”

Christine and the Queens noted SOPHIE was a “stellar producer, a visionary, a reference”.

She tweeted: “SOPHIE rebelled against the narrow, normative society by being an absolute triumph, both as an artist and as a woman. I can’t believe she is gone.

“We need to honour and respect her memory and legacy. Cherish the pioneers.”

Countless other tributes recognised SOPHIE for her vision, her creativity and the hope she gave to millions by being a bold, fearless and openly trans artist.

SOPHIE, from Glasgow, Scotland, was best-known for her almost surrealist approach to pop music, her single “It’s Okay to Cry” and for collaborating and working with the likes of Charli XCX, Kim Petras and Camila Cabello.

“It’s Okay to Cry”, released in 2017, and its subsequent music video, was the first time SOPHIE used her own voice and image in her work, appearing nude against a backdrop of blue sky and clouds.

This was widely interpreted as her coming out as a trans woman. She confirmed her identity in subsequent interviews.

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