History Repeats itself: Gender Identity in Electropop

It’s only been a year since R&B and hip-hop officially became America’s favorite genre but independent electropop artists are already making their comeback with innovative revivals of past pop eras.

Written by Kasey Clarke

Strong hip-hop and alternative rock influences have changed the climate of pop music since the early 2000s, which has caused the genre to part ways with typical synth-heavy melodies and chirpy vocals.

At the same time, some offshoots of pop music have returned to their electronic-based 80s sound, but with a harder, more feverish energy. For the past five years, electropop artists have been quietly carving out a new sound. Artists like Tove Lo and Mø have had a few breakout hits that make it into the general radio, but within the genre itself there is a community of artists who collaborate on each other's work frequently and are responsible for co-developing a similar sound. Charli XCX’s Pop 2, for example, serves as a roll call of many of the biggest names in the community. This group of artists, including Kim Petras, Tove Lo, Mø, Elliphant, SOPHIE, and ALMA make LGBTQ+ representation in their songs and music videos a priority and are cultivating a more distinct pop music subset.

Photo courtesy of Stereogum

One artist in particular has been a driving force in the new electropop sound: Scottish producer, DJ, singer, songwriter SOPHIE. Besides producing most of the songs on Pop 2, SOPHIE has also produced songs for Madonna, Vince Staples, and Cashmere Cat. Her distinct, synthesizer-produced surrealist style has a plastic-y, industrial quality often overlaid with distorted vocals. Voice modulation helped the artist stay anonymous until recently, despite debuting in 2013.

SOPHIE officially revealed her identity with the release of her sophomore album, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. Her appearance in the music video for the opening track on the album, “It’s Okay to Cry” was the first time she publicly showed her face, and the first time many listeners realized she was transgender. This spurred new conversations about gender identity in pop music and greatly shifted the understanding of SOPHIE’s music, as she had previously been criticized for mimicking femininity in a way that many thought was ill-intentioned parody.   

When addressing the expanding conversation of gender in pop music, we also have to consider breakout star Kim Petras. Petras embodies the glittering, consumerist pop girl of the early 2000s and, like SOPHIE, places herself in futuristic, artificial worlds in her music videos. She gained celebrity status in Germany as the youngest person in the world to undergo gender reassignment surgery at age 16. However, her aspirations of pop stardom in America have been tinged by the desire to distance herself from her past. When interviewed, Petras proudly embraces the pop star label, yet somewhat begrudgingly discusses gender, as she wants fans to understand her through the music she puts out rather than view her as a representative of the trans community.

Photo courtesy of PAPER

Similarly, SOPHIE also positions her identity around her desire for stardom, rather than her gender. In an interview with Sophia the Robot, SOPHIE introduced herself proudly, saying “Hi Sophia, I’m SOPHIE. I’m a pop star.” Revealing her face has failed to take away her mystery, and she remains vague about her personal life most of the time.

The dichotomy between the candor and intimacy of Petras’s and SOPHIE’s music weighed against their hesitancy to discuss their trans identity in interviews points to a larger frustration in the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship with pop culture. Yes, they are proud to be transgender and yes, they are happy to share that through their music, but both want their artistry to take precedence over their gender identities.

The history of this struggle can be traced back to the inception of the electric and synth pop genres themselves. Beginning in the late 70s and early 80s, harder, less organic sounds produced by new technology became dominant among artists who were rejected by mainstream rock culture for their gender-bending styles and performances, such as Eurhythmics frontwoman Annie Lennox.

Despite criticism and hostile attitudes, crossdressing, androgyny and gender ambiguity were hallmarks of early synth-pop culture. Common themes of early electropop include identity, progressivism, aspirations of glamour, and disillusionment, all of which are woven throughout Petras’ and SOPHIE’s works. Given this background, it seems natural that the first two transgender musicians to receive widespread media attention are also the forerunners of the genre’s newest incarnation.

Navigating the balance between furthering the success of an underrepresented community and wanting to be seen as a separate, creative artist is a heavy burden placed on these women. A large contributor to the undue distress placed upon artists like SOPHIE and Kim Petras is the way music communities discuss them in public. Music journalism regarding these issues could be more progressive in three main area.

Firstly, conversations about gender fluidity do not have to be confined to a subculture of a subgenre. Increasing visibility of transgender artists across all genres provides more opportunities for diversity in the music industry as a whole. Diverse voices already exist anywhere one might look for them. It is the music industry’s responsibility to include them.  Secondly, coverage of these musicians should pay more attention to the cultural impact of pop music. Pop communities have provided footholds for marginalized artists to break into the industry. Historically, attitudes towards sexuality and gender have always been more open among pop artists than they have been in rap, country or rock. Thirdly, and most importantly, transgender artists should be given the opportunity to reflect on their gender identity without it consuming their entire public reception.   

Representation in the music industry is continuously improving. While these transgender artists are only a small part of a long and complex narrative, they are certainly making noticeable impacts on the current sound of pop music. Through their artistry, they are shedding light on the increasing social pressure for figures in the public eye to position themselves on social issues in conjunction with maintaining their individualism and their art.