Sophie’s Body come from Boston with a sound that refuses to stay in one lane, mixing alt-rock and polished grunge with electronic and industrial touches. On their new single, Star, all of that comes together naturally: the guitars are big and distorted, but underneath it all, this is a very pop song, direct, melodic and ridiculously catchy.
The track sits on a dry, mechanical foundation, with a heavy bassline, punchy drums and production that gives it an almost digital finish. There’s definitely a bit of Garbage in there, especially in the way distorted guitars, pop melodies and electronics all sit together without losing the hook. You can also hear something of the indie rock, synth-pop and new wave mix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, particularly “Zero”, although Star is less upbeat and much denser. The guitars are powerful without going over the top, bringing the track closer to the ’90s alt-rock of Veruca Salt, while some sections lean into a more modern post-punk feel.
Lyrically, the song is about ambition, the image we put out there and how easy it is to lose a bit of yourself along the way. Lines like “You’re so cool / You’re a star / You’re so fake” stick in your head straight away and get right to that feeling of slowly becoming the person everyone else expects you to be.
For all its catchiness, there’s something pretty bitter underneath Star: what happens when wanting to get somewhere means letting other people have too much say in who you become.
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