LA-based singer/songwriter, Sophie Ann, wrote her new single “Masochist,” out June 11, at a time when she needed an outlet the most—during an unimaginably tough year after losing both her mother and uncle.
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“Masochist” is an intimate look into Sophie’s struggle and the way tragedy can cause an individual to turn deep within themselves. Self destruct in 3, 2, 1 / Madness is loaded gun / I do it for the hell of it / Maybe I’m a masochist, Sophie sings in the chorus.
With moody piano leading into the powerfully upswinging chorus, the song shows hints of the sounds of Lennon Stella, with undertones of Adele-like lyrics. Sophie’s silky voice hits high notes with little effort, using the ability of her range to express her emotions.
“I wrote ‘Masochist’ a few months ago with my co-writers, Michael Blum and Michelle Ray,” Sophie tells American Songwriter. “We were originally writing the song for pitch, but after singing and recording the demo, I knew the song had to be mine. I was spiraling at the time and ‘Masochist’ captured exactly how I was feeling. It was extremely cathartic.”
Discussing the very real way some individuals respond to trauma, Sophie opens the first verse singing, I think I need an intervention / ‘Cuz all I do is crave attention / I use and abuse it / Ask for help then refuse it.
After posting a verse of the single on TikTok, it went viral overnight, accumulating nearly 900k views. TikTok users reached out to Sophie letting her know that they were going through very similar struggles, and thanked her for putting into words the difficult nuances of how they were feeling. “That is the best feedback as a writer and it touched my heart,” Sophie shared. “I knew I needed to release it and we got to work. I am so excited for the world to hear it.”
This isn’t Sophie Ann’s first time in the spotlight, as she released her album Just Me last year, which received glowing reviews from Billboard. Additionally, her most recent single “Fall For You” debuted on Spotify’s Fresh and Chill playlist, garnering her more praise. Yet, the new single is Sophie’s most vulnerable and cathartic project, invoking the power of music to help articulate one’s struggle, and to let other’s know they aren’t alone.
You can listen to “Masochist” below.
