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 “huge 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 strengthened by the grouping of assorted tracks made with the identical collaborators. Possibly this can be a means of emphasizing her perception in them; perhaps it’s like a runway present, when a designer sends all of the yellow clothes out collectively. By some means, it units them into competitors. Take the second facet’s bunch of BC Kingdom collabs. Every takes on the form of syncopated organ base which has been a dance-pop constructing block since not less than “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 a giant 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, individuals. 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 plain, with lyrics like “Please save the drama to your mama/And your daddy/And your granny” which might be so dumb you simply need to 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 mentioned that the album’s techno heart was largely created stay, like a DJ making mixes. It sounds that means. If SOPHIE’s finest work usually performed prefer it was beamed absolutely 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 symbolize the lengthy custom of knob twiddling. Tracks additionally look again: “Gallop” is slightly gabba gem for the generations of girlies who gained’t decelerate, whereas “Berlin Nightmare” frets and struts like prime Inexperienced Velvet. I suppose we’ll by no means know if these moments had 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.”
