This album starts off with one we all know, "It's Okay to Cry". This was one of my favorite tracks of last year, by far. It's just so delicate and beautiful. It has a sort of bubblegum flair to it like most PC Music affiliates do. But it also has that wildly futuristic SOPHIE feel to it. It's pristine and just so clean, but in this case, it's totally fine. Now, you have to realize this was a lot of peoples first glimpse at SOPHIE without massive effects. And in that case, it makes this tracks and it's meaning so much more beautiful. This isn't a banger, this isn't a club track, it's a truly stunning and emotional ballad to loving yourself and being what makes you happy. It's also an anthem of understanding who you are, no matter what. And it's absolutely beautiful. Not to mention, it all ends off with this gigantic, explosive climax that still gives me chills. But don't let that trick you into thinking that Sophie has left monumental bangers behind her. Because with "Ponyboy" SOPHIE rewrites every rule in the book. This sounds like any given club banger on her excellent "Product" compilation. But here, everything is maximized. The production is absolutely fucking crushing, and I dare you to sit still with this massive beat hitting from all angles. And, if that's not your cup of tea, there are plenty of more melodic and straightforward moments on this one. Not to mention, the over-sexualizing of everything in sight just works so well for SOPHIE. More of this, please. Now, I'm gonna be real with y'all, "Faceshopping" is my least favorite track here. Let's start out with some positives though. The production is still wild and crushing, and SOPHIE is just constantly pushing herself to bigger and better sounds. Not to mention, the entire concept of the lyrics here is fascinating. But this isn't nearly as instantly engaging as every other track here. And there are some great things about this track, like just how freakish it is at points. But SOPHIE could have taken this so much further and maybe even made it poppier. But I do still love that really haunting breakaway verse that pops in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uERIXLWeik0
But instantly "Is It Cold in the Water?" reels you right back in, no pun intended. I love how immediately how cold and uninviting this is. I love the playful synths, that in a way almost remind me of the early days of Crystal Castles. All of that is between SOPHIE's very unsettling and freakish performance. But oh my lord, this track is just so beautiful and intense in every way. Like, I haven't heard these wild and such prominent vocals on a SOPHIE track ever. So all around, this is just jaw-dropping. I love some of the imagery as well, it just makes me want to dive deeper and deeper. This is an album all about SOPHIE, not only that, but her coming out of her shell more by the day. On the other hand, "Infatuation" brings in those very classic, effect-drenched vocals. But that's not a bad thing at all if you're a fan of and PC music affiliate, this is nothing new to you. This is absolutely a mysterious, beautifully layered and emotional track. While it's not nearly as freakish as some of the other tunes here, SOPHIE's absolutely incredible production makes this genuine ear candy. I love the layers and layers of different vocals coming at you, and just how gigantic some of these instrumentals are. So far, this is just an incredible album that does nothing but excite me for the future of Electronic music and Pop music. Then we have "Not Okay" which is the shortest track here by far and is sort of an interlude. But trust me, it's just as mind-numbing and genuinely out there as other tracks. Between some of SOPHIE's most abrasive and crushing production yet, some heavily drenched vocals and some samples of what sounds like Pop tunes from another dimension, this is wild. It's a short track and all, not even reaching 2-minutes. But, SOPHIE has packed enough genuine experimentation into these bars for 5-minutes, and it's exhausting in the best way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laWPXcUx35E
On the other hand, “Pretending” takes it’s entire first minute to just build up this barren wasteland of an atmosphere. I mean, this is something out of the dystopian book of Oneohtrix Point Never. Hell, screw the first minute, SOPHIE takes the first 2 really establishing herself. But it’s actually incredibly cinematic and wildly adventurous. Some of SOPHIE’s sound effects are incredibly raw and matched with her booming production create this absolutely chilling atmosphere. For SOPHIE fans and people who have waited years for her to truly encapsulate herself in an album, and to really branch out and create a truly cinematic atmosphere that you know she could, this is just going to be one brilliant track after another. Then we have “Immaterial” which is the sort of Pop tune that I really needed to hear right about now. To an extent, this actually does sound a whole lot like something from SOPHIE’s past, maybe even from a collaborating with Charli XCX or something. I love the bubblegum approach to this one and just how genuinely sweet this track is. But while this is much more instantaneous, SOPHIE isn’t letting anything go, no she’s still working with divine production and beats you aren’t going to hear anywhere else. And I love just how soaring and all over the place, these vocals are. “Immaterial’ is nothing short of a blast. Then we have this colossal finale “Whole New World/Pretend World”, which honestly may be my favorite of the bunch. I love how instantly how straightforward this one is. Sure, it’s a Pop tune at heart, most of Sophie’s material is. But these urgent and abrasive synths are just so funky and end up creating one of the most genuinely amazing beats I’ve heard all year. And this sung hook is the brilliant meeting of a rejected track from the “Night at the Roxbury” soundtrack and the theme song to a new Kingdom Hearts game. It’s freakish and remains hard to place for well over 9-minutes. But it’s also the mission statement for this entire album and sums up almost every musical concept here. It’s just catchy enough to have you singing the rest of your day, but it proves that as far as SOPHIE’s ideas go, she’s so far from done that it’s almost scary.
Rating: 8.7/10
Give A Listen To: “It’s Okay to Cry”, “Ponyboy”, “Is It Cold in the Water?”, “Whole New World/Pretend World”
Least Favorite Track: “Faceshopping”, sue me!
Genre: Electronic / Experimental Pop / Avant-Pop / Bubblegum Pop
Overall Thoughts: SOPHIE on this album comes out of her shell in more ways than one. She’s slowly over the past few years come out into the public more, revealing her identity and sexuality. And all of that is a gigantic part of this album, but it goes even deeper. Musically, this is SOPHIE coming out of her shell just as much. There are only a few of the Experimental Pop bangers that we all fell in love with years ago. The rest of this album is a sprawling, often freakish, and highly experimental Pop album diving into love, lust, and who you are. And if you’re like me, and you’ve been waiting for this album for years, it’s just going to be all ear candy. It’s wildly adventurous, to levels I honestly didn’t see coming, and Sophie’s song concepts and immense production deserve a round of applause in itself. The future is looking brighter by the minute.
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