Sophie Xeon, the Grammy-nominated artist who was known for her work in the hyper-pop genre, died in an accident in Greece on Saturday morning. Xeon was 34.
According to a statement on Twitter by her record label Transgressive Records, Xeon slipped and fell when she climbed up the stairs to watch the full moon.
— Transgressive (@transgressiveHQ) January 30, 2021
According to CNN, her publicist said in a statement that she had died at her home in Athens.
“SOPHIE was a pioneer of a new sound, one of the most influential artists in the last decade,” the statement said.
Xeon debuted in 2018 with the album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. It earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category.
Condolences and tributes poured in for the late singer on social media. Artists like Sam Smith, Charli XCX, and French pop star Christine and the Queens, took to Twitter to condole her death.
Sophie was a stellar producer, a visionary, a reference. She 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 honor and respect her memory and legacy. Cherish the pioneers. pic.twitter.com/3kyRl1KabY
— Chris (@QueensChristine) January 30, 2021
Heartbreaking news. The world has lost an angel. A true visionary and icon of our generation. Your light will continue to inspire so many for generations to come. Thinking of Sophie’s family and friends at this hard time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7qr4aI0DDi
— samsmith (@samsmith) January 30, 2021
An outspoken trans-activist, Xeon was born in Glasgow on September 17, 1986. A New York Times report stated that the singer was a self-taught musician who learned to make music using cheap synthesisers.
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According to a report by Variety, she began to work as a disc jockey and produce music at the age of 13. By 2013, she had already released singles like Nothing More to Say and Bipp/Elle.
In 2015, she co-produced the song Bitch I’m Madonna with pop singer Madonna. She also did production work on Charli XCX’s extended play Vroom Vroom.
Xeon came out as trans in 2017 when she released the song It’s Okay to Cry. In an interview with Paper Magazine, she said, “For me, transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit so the two aren’t fighting against each other and struggling to survive.”