Sophia Stel

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. With recent singles including “Power”, “Bitches Talk Shit”, “Molly in the Club”, “Now I’ve Got A Lot You Know”, and “I Do”, 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. Arriving on 10/16, Sophia Stel's highly-anticipated upcoming 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. A lifelong musician, Stel crafted her first melodies acapella before discovering an enduring love of beatmaking in high school. Following a move to Vancouver, Stel honed her production skills, passing long nights in a humble basement studio at the since-shuttered DIY club Paradise where she worked at the time—diligently setting up and tearing down after each club night. It was a period of artistic freedom that aligned with her first foray into real independence: moving out, feeling free. It’s also where she refined what has become her signature sound: intimacy that feels as suited to the hazy introspective walk home from the club as at peak time at the center of the dancefloor. Her debut EP 2024’s Object Permanence and the propulsive dreamscapes of 2025’s followup How To Win At Solitaire (which featured the breakout hit “I’ll Take It,”) earned critical acclaim, landing Stel on Pigeons & Planes’ 26 Artists To Watch In 2026 in addition to further accolades by DAZED, The FADER, NME, and Office Magazine. Stel’s upward trajectory is as much a result of her own fierce self-determination as her ability to distill that frequency into pure pop. the greatest album of all time is the product of an artist who sees past the realm of possibility, weaving together a constellation of songs that sound bigger than themselves: an ethereal, infinite soundtrack to human connection. Stel’s emotional candor still remains a large touchstone of the greatest album of all time, which functions as a vital snapshot into a life punctuated by ongoing transformation and as well as solemn reflection. The album remains self-produced, a purposeful decision meant to bring some continuity to a career and art practice that was changing by the day. Written over the course of a long year of touring, she wanted it to reflect the shifts her life was taking in real time: whether that be the pressure of dealing with newfound attention (“Bitches Talk Shit,” “On My Dick,”) exploring new flings and feelings (“I Do,” “Like A Kite”) or keeping real love close and protected (“Now I’ve Got A Lot You Know.”) It’s Stel at her most self-assured and while not quite unguarded, it encapsulates the free-fall that comes with letting go. Euphoria, distance, transcendence, desire, calamity, dissonance: the twelve songs touch on all of the emotions that come with spending time with more new people and places than old, all while navigating her own sense of self. the greatest album of all time sees Stel find solace in both her inner circle and the burgeoning life outside of it, where ultimately she can decide what connections are built to stay. While critical acclaim for the greatest album of all time has already begun to roll in from outlets like Vogue and Stereogum, the record’s infrastructure was primarily built on feedback of the two most important people in Stel’s life: her brothers Luke and Royce, who she dedicated the LP to and still lives with today. While the songs of the greatest album of all time feel vaster than ever before, ordinary wonders remain the bedrock of Stel’s music. Finding herself more and more frequently outside of the comfort of home, Stel still finds peace in the intangible qualities that build connection, and make life feel electric. As the title suggests, Stel still dares to dream about the things that will remain when everyone else is gone: a steadfast conviction that keeps her moving forward towards her own destiny.