SOPHIE — the artist and producer; an almighty sonic pioneer — always stretched out the boundaries in search of something greater. There was, within her, both drill-hard and bubble-light synths, something slightly cosmic and unexpected about the music SOPHIE created. The beloved producer died last Saturday after a tragic accident, leaving behind a creative legacy few modern artists could match. In SOPHIE’s honour, fans have created a petition to rename a planet, named ‘TOI 1338 b’, after her. It too is an anomaly.
Discovered in January of 2020, ‘TOI 1338 b’ is the first world NASA have discovered that orbits two stars, an act that’s given it the title of being “circumbinary”. The system in which it’s placed, ‘TOI 1338’, is situated 1300 lightyears away in a constellation known as Pictor. The planet fans want to name after SOPHIE is 6.9 times larger than earth, with a surface that has been depicted as similar to the watery dreamscape shot by Charlotte Wales for the cover of Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.
The petition was launched yesterday by fan Christian Arroyo. “SOPHIE was a highly influential singer, songwriter, and producer who was a source of great inspiration to the LGBTQIA+ community,” he wrote on the petition’s page. “[SOPHIE’s] messages, actions, and music left a lasting impression on many LGBTQIA+ individuals. [SOPHIE] always pushed a message of individuality and expressing your true self”.
The original goal was for this petition to gather 5000 signees, but that was promptly surpassed and increased to 15,000 after Charli XCX tweeted a link to it. “I am requesting that TOI-1338 b be named in honor of SOPHIE, in honor of a great LGBT+ influence,” Christian added.
Add your name to the petition by clicking here.