Sophia Somajo has an established reputation in the music industry as a writer – she has been in on the ground floor of several Billbaord #1 pop hits – but today, we see her come to the forefront with her freshly pressed mini-album Freudian Slip. Historically, she has written, produced, and recorded all of her own music and directed, edited, and graded all of her music videos and press shots. She is the true definition of “indie artist,” and it’s thrilling to finally be able to listen to her album in its entirety.
“This album is an important milestone in my life both personally and artistically,” she admits. “It’s about craving change. Wanting to be hit hard and reminded of what it feels to be alive. To break free from ill-fitting ideas of myself that I have grown out of but become so used to identifying with, that I’ve held myself back.”
From the very beginning, she establishes a strength in her talents, with robust instrumentals, beautiful harmonies, and intelligent lyrics. Not only that, but her voice screams “pop princess,” weaving its magic throughout all seven tracks. Though first song “Klein Blue” begins with a dark sound, it eventually hosts more of an Island vibe in the vocals, with heavy basslines and a very magnetic and danceable vibe. And while “Mouth to Mouth” comes in even heavier with a tribal feeling bass and futuristic reverb, “Amphetamine” is more of a cool down from the dance vibes established by its predecessors. It is also one of the more thought-provoking pieces on the release, as it is more of a confessional track about Somajo’s struggles with A.D.D. (We’re big on reducing the stigma surrounding A.D.D. and other health issues, so this is a stand out track for us.)
While “Sapphire” and “A Million Songs” feel like glittering dance tracks, they’ve also paved an interesting path for Somajo’s real life. The story is too interesting to not share, so Somajo has provided some context for us.
“Sapphire” and “A Million Songs” started out being about something (I thought) and then in retrospect, I realized they were about something else. I had processed something subconsciously in writing the songs that my heart and active mind hadn’t caught up with yet.
The man in the music video for Sapphire for example… was at the time my fiancé for 6 years and we acted out the story of the song… Just weeks after, we went our separate ways. It had become a story about us. It had become real. Self expression through art is a powerful thing. It’s a direct medium to the truth.
She rounds out her thoughts with track “The Last Summer” (ft. Seinabo Sey), which feels much more like a video game than we had anticipated. It’s her anthem for becoming who she was meant to be during her twenties, and it’s our anthem for moving forward and being who we choose to be.
Cheers, Sophia. This album is a knockout from beginning to end. Check it out and keep up with this stunning talent here.
