Grammy-nominated electro-pop music star SOPHIE died in Athens, Greece, on Saturday morning after she lost her footing and fell from an apartment balcony while enjoying the full moon, reports said.
SOPHIE, whose real name was Sophie Xeon, was 34 years old.
No foul play was suspected, but an investigation continues, according to reports.
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Last Thursday, the pioneering artist released a new single titled “UNISIL.”
“Tragically our beautiful SOPHIE passed away this morning after a terrible accident,” said a statement for the artist’s European label Transgressive. “True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell. She will always be here with us. The family thank everyone for their love and support and request privacy at this devastating time.”
The accident happened about 4 a.m.
A spokesperson with the Athens police confirmed the artist slipped and fell at an apartment where she was staying.
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Xeon, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, is described as a groundbreaking DJ, producer and singer who first made a name for herself for helping write a song for Madonna in 2015.
She also collaborated with Diplo, Camila Cabello and Charli XCX.
Numerous voices in the music world call SOPHIE a trailblazer and visionary of the underground dance scene.
SOPHIE — who was transgender — combined house, techno, trance and pop to create a new-wave sound never heard before.
Music critics around the world have struggled to categorize it.
“SOPHIE was a true inspiration, the World has lost an icon of liberation,” said a tweet by the Numbers record label, which released SOPHIE’s first single, “Bipp,” in 2013. “We are devastated. Our thoughts are with SOPHIE’s family and friends at this time. Rest in peace.”
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She released the wildly popular “Lemonade” in 2014, but eager fans wouldn’t be able to place a name to the face until the release of SOPHIE’s 2017 video for “It’s Okay To Cry.”
Her first full-length album, “Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides,” dropped in 2018, according to NPR.
“I think all pop music should be about who can make the loudest, brightest thing,” SOPHIE told Rolling Stone in 2015. “I’m interested in [using] current technology, current images and people, to make the brightest, most intense engaging thing.”
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SOPHIE also used her platform to advocate for LGBTQ issues.
“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,” she said in a 2018 interview with Paper Magazine, according to European media.
“On this Earth, it’s that you can get closer to how you feel your true essence is without the societal pressures of having to fulfill certain traditional roles based on gender.”
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