Sophie fans petition NASA to name planet after late Scottish musician

A petition has been launched to name a planet after Grammy-nominated Scottish DJ and producer Sophie, following her death last weekend.

The Glasgow-born musician, also known as Sophie Xeon, shot to stardom with tracks including Bipp and Lemonade and was widely recognised as a 21st century pop pioneer.

Sophie was nominated for best dance/electronic album at the 2019 Grammys with debut studio album Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, and produced for acts such as Madonna and Charli XCX.

UK music label Transgressive, which released Sophie’s debut album in 2018, confirmed the 34-year-old to have died during a “sudden accident” in Athens on Saturday (January 30), where she was living.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the label said she had “accidentally slipped and fell” while climbing to watch the full moon.

Now, a petition is calling for the planet TOI 1338 b, which was discovered in 2019 by a 17-year-old NASA intern, to be named after the late musical visionary.

“Sophie was a highly influential singer, songwriter, and producer who was an source of great inspiration to the LGBTQIA+ community,” the petition reads.

“Her messages, actions, and music left a lasting impression on many LGBTQIA+ individuals. She always pushed a message of individuality and expressing your true self that resonated throughout everything she did.

Glasgow-born Sophie produced for acts such as Madonna and Charli XCX.

“Sophie released an album in 2018, titled Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. On the cover art for the album, SOPHIE sits surrounded by water in an ethereal setting. Recently revealed images TOI 1338 b, a planet discovered in the summer of 2019 by Wolf Cukier, bear a resemblance to the setting pictured on the cover to Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.

“I am requesting that TOI 1338 b be named in honour of SOPHIE, in honour of a great LGBT+ influence.”

French singer and songwriter Christine and the Queens is among those to have paid tribute to Sophie, calling the artist “a stellar producer, a visionary, a reference”.

“She rebelled against the narrow, normative society by being an absolute triumph, both as an artist and as a woman,” the singer said on Twitter.

“I can’t believe she is gone. We need to honour and respect her memory and legacy. Cherish the pioneers.”

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