Born in Victoria, B.C., and shaped by formative years in Vancouver, artist and producer Sophia Stel found a rapt cult fanbase with her 2024 debut EP Object Permanence, a fiercely vulnerable collection of genre-agnostic earworms fueled by her full-bodied, affecting alto. By following her intuition and going against the grain of online fads, Stel is setting trends, not chasing them — always creating from a place of true originality. Her self-directed, sometimes spur-of-the-moment digicam visuals for tracks like “I’ll Take It” and “You Could Hate Me” have the fuzzy realism of vintage photos or cherished memories: effortlessly cool without ever trying to be. In 2025, Sophia went on to release her follow up EP, How to Win At Solitaire which was self-produced, written, and recorded in a makeshift basement studio at Vancouver’s since shuttered club Paradise, a DIY venue where she worked at the time. Leading up to the EP Sophia made her runway debut for Ann Demeulemeester’s PFW SS26 show, and followed it up with her first headline tour, modeled for Palace Skateboards and BASKETCASE, and was subsequently selected for 2025’s DAZED 100 list. The EP itself was also met with critical acclaim earning Sophia a spot in Pigeons & Planes’ 26 Artists To Watch In 2026 list as well as covers of The FACE and NME magazines. Having since racked up a diverse array of cosigns from the likes of KATSEYE, Robyn, Zara Larsson, Troye Sivan, Lorde and A.G. Cook, 2026 has since seen Sophia embark on her first international headline tour including numerous European festival dates, performing as direct support for Lorde at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and signing with A24 Music. Stel continues to push the boundaries of today’s music landscape by honing in on the singular, post-genre sound that’s all her own. Released on 10/16, Sophia Stel‘s highly-anticipated debut album, the greatest album of all time is a testament to believing in yourself all the way to the top—a place Stel is well on her way to commanding.
