This weekend, the queer and electronic music communities were rocked by the news of Glasgow-born producer SOPHIE’s death at just 34 on 30 January. Now, there are calls for the musician to be given the celestial tribute she deserves.
Fan Christian Arroyo has created a petition asking NASA for the planet TOI-1338 b to be made SOPHIE’s namesake. “I am requesting, at the discretion of the incredible scientists who discovered the planet, that TOI 1338 b be named in honor [sic] of the great LGBT+ influence, SOPHIE.” Christian writes in a change.org appeal. “Her fans would love to pay homage by having her name be remembered in this way and for her influence to continue to flourish for years to come.”
TOI 1338 b is a circumbinary planet, meaning that it orbits around two stars, and was discovered in 2019 by 17-year-old intern Wolf Cukier. Images of TOI 1338 b show that it has a similar pastel, marbled surface to the backdrop featured in SOPHIE’s debut studio album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. At the time of writing, the petition has over 55,000 signatures and has been shared by the likes of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek.
SOPHIE’s music was known for its experimental nature and synthetic sounds, drawing on mainstream pop and trance to contribute to the creation of the hyperpop genre. Initially affiliated with the PC Music movement alongside AG Cook and Danny L Harle, she struck out on her own with the critically acclaimed Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides and produced for the likes of Madonna, Kim Petras and Charli XCX, who became a frequent collaborator. She also received a Grammy nomination in 2019, one of only three openly transgender women to do so at the time.
With a body of work that was synonymous with energy, speed and the vitality of life, news of SOPHIE’s death in Athens was received with an outpouring of grief. Artists such as Rihanna, Grimes, FKA Twigs, Arca, Alice Glass and Charli XCX shared tributes online.
Check out the petition below.
