Attention to Artists: Sofi Tukker

If you haven’t determined already, I love finding up-and-coming artists who deserve to find massive success and have their music shared amongst millions of followers. One of the ways I’ve found some of my favorite musical artists has been by hearing only a tidbit of their work and discovering more about them. 

High school Emma was curled up in her bed, watching “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” when protagonist Lara Jean walks into a senior citizen home and a clubby, pop tune played. Not what I was expecting for the scene. While the rest of the movie continued to play, I just couldn’t get the beat out of my head. The subtitles read “Purple Hat by Sofi Tukker” and once the movie was finished, I decided to look up the band.

Needless to say, I’ve been hooked on their music ever since. The duo’s name comes from combining Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern’s names. They met at Brown University where they combined their two different cultural backgrounds (Hawley-Weld’s Portuguese vocals and Halpern’s West African percussion) into danceable bops. 

While their EP “DANCING ON THE PEOPLE” shot their music to more listeners, their first single “Drinkee,” released in 2015, earned them a Grammy nomination. Their debut EP “Soft Animals” has hints of country, tropical beats and dance music woven throughout the record’s six songs. 

Sofi Tukker expanded their talents further while still capitalizing on the exotic club beats on their debut album “Treehouse” released in 2018. The duo slows their usual energy down on “Benadryl,” focusing on the aftermath of a wild night full of “colored hair in the sink/jewels, glitter, sushi and candy.” The hangover doesn’t last too long before the following song “Bats**t” shows just how wild those nights get with funky electric beats. Songs like “The Dare” show Hawley-Weld’s poetic side through lyrics while “Baby I’m A Queen” encapsulates house music in a powerhouse club anthem. 

While I loved hearing their early works and getting a taste of musical genres outside of what I typically listened to, “DANCING ON THE PEOPLE” quickly became my favorite of their albums. Sofi Tukker’s versatility shines from the second “Swing” starts, a synth-filled track with strings peppered throughout. From the tropical festival vibes on “Playa Grande” to the packed New York clubs on “Purple Hat” and the dream-like essence of “Fantasy,” there’s seldom a track that doesn’t bring a form of energy on the album.

Since then, Sofi Tukker has gained more publicity from other groups. Icona Pop, best known for their 2012 hit “I Love It” collaborated with the duo on “Spa,” a cheeky song full of beauty-puns and “wanting to feel the sweat from the steam room and the sauna” instead of the clubs. Full of heavy bass, it couldn’t be more different from a spa’s soothing environment. The duo was asked to record a song, “Feeling Good” which was a track in the “Birds of Prey” movie about Harley Quinn in 2020. Their music has even been featured in commercials for Peloton, Apple and most recently, SmartWater used the title track off their 2022 album “WET TENNIS.”

I’ve mentioned before how much I love listening to musicians whose songs vary and don’t sound the same. I can’t think of a better group than Sofi Tukker. If I want to dance around my room, I’ll throw on “Spiral” from their recent 2024 album “BREAD” or “Sun Came Up” on “WET TENNIS.” If I need a pick-me-up for confidence, I’ll listen to “Kakee,” their bossa-nova spy film-sounding track. If I want to slow things down a bit, I’ll listen to “Ringless,” their most mellow, gentle song produced.

The best part about music is anyone and everyone should be able to enjoy the rhythms and dance. If you had told me five years ago, I could sing lyrics in other languages, I wouldn’t have believed you. Thanks to Sofi Tukker, I’ve found a great appreciation for cultural music. From crossing multiple genres of music and blending cultures effortlessly, Sofi Tukker should be who musicians are watching on how to keep people on a dancefloor.

Write to Emma Johnson at emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu