SOPHIE
was so dedicated to challenging conventions that she's still upending assumptions about her music with her posthumous releases. Three years after her death in 2021, the visionary producer's self-titled second album continues her shifting dialogue with the avant-garde and the mainstream. Consisting of tracks completed by
's frequent collaborator and brother
Benny Long
, the album celebrates
the boundary-pushing experimenter,
the pop collaborator, and
the dancefloor chemist, albeit in unpredictable ways. She immediately challenges expectations with "The Full Horror," a mournful ambient fog that couldn't be further from her neon hyperpop or the intimacy of her brilliant debut album,
Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
. This willingness to unsettle her audience is as much an expression of her individuality as joyous declarations like
Pearl
's "Immaterial," and the emotions within the album's abstract pieces are equally distinct. The ominous gurgles and rattles that back
Juliana Huxtable
on "Plunging Asymptote" evoke her detached musings "against a white noise more tortuous than silence"; on "The Dome's Protection,"
Nina Kraviz
's thoughts on "unpredictable reality" are just as dispassionate, but the tones surrounding them reverberate with empathy. That most of
's pop-oriented tracks sound surprisingly conventional reflects her growing influence as well as a more direct approach than she took on
or the singles collection
Product
. Aside from the oddball synth or two, "Exhilarate" could be an empowerment anthem destined for the top of the charts -- not entirely surprising, given that vocalist
Bibi Bourelly
co-wrote songs for
Rihanna
,
Selena Gomez
, and
Camila Cabello
. Though tracks like the
Kim Petras
feature "Reasons Why" give the impression that
is supporting her friends rather than centering her own vision, "Why Lies" (featuring
BC Kingdom
and
LIZ
) harks back to hyperpop's bouncy roots in '80s freestyle as it shouts out the "immaterial boys and girls." The subtlety of
's subversiveness might be most apparent on the album's dance-oriented section. Her willingness to include breakdowns that last just a little bit longer than expected or tempos that initially feel too fast or slow gives a mischievous spontaneity to the
Popstar
collaboration "Elegance" and "Berlin Nightmare" with
Evita Manji
's partner at the time of her death. It's no coincidence some of the album's best songs find her working with her nearest and dearest.
Cecile Believe
brings extra poignancy to "My Forever," where lyrics such as "Everybody's got to own their body" allude to the trans experience
expressed so eloquently on her debut album. "Always and Forever" is another moving standout, with the breathy simplicity of
Hannah Diamond
's vocals echoing
's innocent production perfectly. It's a privilege to hear another album from her, and in its own way,
reinforces how irreplaceable she is. ~ Heather Phares