It’s tempting to think about the sequencing as a queering of custom, with a gap part of largely noise and spoken-word sci-fi ruminations to preemptively drag any worries of “the tough second album” syndrome. But it’s additionally structured in the usual dance music “large night time out” combine, with an ambient starting, vocal pop warmup, deep and drugged-out techno heart, and blissed-out sendoff. Sophie might sequence in each sense of the phrase, however SOPHIE feels preprogrammed.
It’s a sense bolstered by the grouping of varied tracks made with the identical collaborators. Perhaps this can be a approach of emphasizing her perception in them; possibly it’s like a runway present, when a designer sends all of the yellow attire out collectively. Someway, it units them into competitors. Take the second aspect’s bunch of BC Kingdom collabs. Every takes on the type of syncopated organ base which has been a dance-pop constructing block since a minimum of “Present Me Love.” “Cause Why” is the trap-pop model, “Dwell In My Fact” rings out with early 2000s R&B sass, and “Why Lies” brings a freestyle beat to the get together.
Lined up in a row, you kind of simply need to pull one off the stage with an enormous hook. “Dwell In My Fact” is all party-hearty aphorisms and, pay attention: The stakes of celebrating are too usually life-and-death for queer, and particularly trans, folks. Generally we get eye-watering monuments to resilience and pleasure on a observe like “Immaterial.” Right here, it’s only a hand elevating up a Solo cup. However the candy-coated joie de vivre of “Why Lies” is simple, with lyrics like “Please save the drama in your mama/And your daddy/And your granny” which might be so dumb you simply must sing alongside. As for the glistening if sluggish “Cause Why” and Kim Petras’ “getting cash like a DJ” line, not a lot.
SOPHIE’s brother has stated that the album’s techno heart was largely created dwell, like a DJ making mixes. It sounds that approach. If SOPHIE’s finest work usually performed prefer it was beamed totally from her mind, tracks like “Magnificence” and “One Extra Time,” each that includes Popstar, present their hand rather more—their BPMs slide round, their beats crossfade, they signify the lengthy custom of knob twiddling. Tracks additionally look again: “Gallop” is a bit gabba gem for the generations of girlies who received’t decelerate, whereas “Berlin Nightmare” frets and struts like prime Inexperienced Velvet. I suppose we’ll by no means know if these moments have been her laying breadcrumbs of early influences on her path to someplace new, or simply the pleasure of remembering. Time will inform if any of them are as memorable as, say, “Ponyboy.”