SPOTLIGHT: Sofia Gobbi Becomes the Bigger Man
SPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT
☆ BY GIGI KANG ☆
LONDON-BASED SOFIA GOBBI RELEASED HER DEBUT—alt-pop album, Bigger Man, on January 16. Through 10 songs about modern dating, empowerment and self-worth, Gobbi makes a multifaceted introduction of herself as an artist.
She explains that the tracklist is intentionally shaped like an introduction, starting off fun and light, then uncovering deep truths.
“It’s kind of like meeting a new friend when you both show each other your most fun and extroverted sides,” Gobbi shares. “The longer the friendship goes on, the deeper it gets; you share your vulnerabilities and your secrets. The album is structured that way; the beginning is meant to be fun, then we get to songs [with] vulnerability.”
The first three songs (“Trouble,” “Game,” “Your Mom”) are not meant to be taken too seriously. They mirror lyrics that are characteristic of some male artists commenting on their experiences with women. But Gobbi turns the narrative, doesn’t soften the language and presents the same ideas through a woman’s voice. In “Your Mom,” Gobbi sings, “His name was blah-blah-blah,” and “Just wanna get some.”
“It’s supposed to be poking fun at that behavior, but also being like, ‘If you guys can talk like that, then why can’t we?’” Gobbi shares. “It’s asking a question more than making a statement. How will these lyrics and these songs be perceived if a woman speaks in the same frank, candid terms that her male colleagues do?”
Gobbi’s pop vocals accompanied by electric guitar creates an Olivia Rodrigo-esque approach to pop where a tinge of angst is always present, reflecting the frustration of the lyrics. Gobbi also uses humor to critique how women are portrayed in music.
“Approaching it through humor is a big part of my personality,” Gobbi says. “It’s naturally how I process things. I also feel like if you’re trying to have a conversation with someone who is very different from you, and you come from an accusatory perspective, the other person’s going to naturally get defensive. If I employ humor, we can both laugh at how ridiculous this is. Humor is a great way to start conversations.”
But the album isn’t all criticism—it’s also about reminding yourself to take a step back from the memories that hurt you. It’s about feeling the ache, then dancing it away. During a release party Gobbi organized for Bigger Man, she witnessed firsthand the enjoyable environment that the music has been able to establish.
“That was one of the best nights of my life,” Gobbi reflects. “The room was filled with so much love. It was just overflowing. Everyone was so kind and empathic. They were confident in a way that doesn’t put other people down, you know? We all have our insecurities, but our insecurities [shouldn’t] put other people down. People [were] kind, loving, caring and thoughtful in that room.”
Eventually, Bigger Man arrives at “With Gold” which Gobbi describes as the most vulnerable song she has ever written. Different from the rest of the album, “With Gold” is stripped back with only Gobbi’s raw voice and an acoustic guitar.
It was a song that Gobbi wrote quickly, naturally and without judgement. She describes the experience as therapeutic. She remembers, “I came up with this melody that I really liked, sang it into my phone and I recorded it. A few weeks later, I was in the car listening to the melody and the entire song poured out of me.”
The song is about healing from being mistreated, with lyrics like “You broke me into pieces / But I glued them back with gold.” That really is the main theme of Bigger Man. It’s about taking your power back and prioritizing your own health and needs. In “Trouble,” Gobbi sings, “If you’re everything to everyone / then who you really living for?” If only one lyric could summarize Bigger Man, it would be that.
“There’s no point in shrinking myself to fit into other people’s boxes, into being quiet so that I’m safe,” Gobbi shares. “I read Audre Lorde’s Your Silence Will Not Protect You and just that phrase was a real moment for me. This album is a product of that quote. I’m going to use my voice and hopefully help other people through their experience by being very specific about mine. There’s always a beautiful lesson from even the hardest things.”
