LogFAQs > #956082160

120. SOPHIE Immaterial (2018)
from the album Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3yIv9nwf8

Key lyrics:
I could be anything I want
Anyhow, anywhere, any place, anyone that I want

On her first studio album, SOPHIE largely shed the hyperpop aesthetic of her earlier singles to create some truly aggressive electronic bangers. Immaterial feels like the one leftover from those earlier creations, and its context within such a heavy album is what finally sold me on the hyperpop sound. SOPHIE plays with the concept of gender throughout the album, with Immaterial as conceptually relieving as it is sonically. Where Faceshopping simulates a breakdown over the need to present oneself a certain way, Immaterial is a firm embracement of the ethereal. With this track, SOPHIE affirms that we have the power to define ourselves. The seeming frivolity of her earlier work is shattered by this clear statement she made such unusual music because she could.

As someone with a firm understanding of their gender identity but difficulty with expression, I struggle to put into words how much this song means to me. There are so many works about transitioning and the like, but Immaterial embraces the nebulous. As someone whose identity is defined by a lack of clear definition, this song gave a hitherto unknown sense of validation. The bridge at the center is a blast of gender euphoria I dont even have to explain, just leave me alone now. Like any great bridge, the return to form on the other side hits with joyous new meaning. Never has a song made me feel so at peace with myself.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/