There's such an innately fun feeling running through "sorry, it's personal," and it makes sense once you learn the backstory. The New York City based vocalist and performer Sophie Rey has been steeped in live music her whole life, from attending her very first concert at just “0.3 years old” to donning full KISS face paint alongside her dad at a memorable show years later, and that lifelong love of performance comes through in every corner of this six song EP. If you’re looking for a great time, you’ve found it.

Clocking in at just twenty minutes, this project moves efficiently, but it never feels rushed or underdeveloped. Every song earns its place, and together they form a tight, cohesive body of work that showcases exactly what makes Rey such an exciting artist to watch! Musically, this leans into alternative pop, but there's a clear musical theatre backbone running underneath it all, which makes total sense given her background producing and headlining four separate cabarets around the city. That theatricality of it all gives these songs a real sense of drama, thankfully without ever tipping into anything overdone.

It should probably go without saying, but of course, her vocals are the true star of the show here. Rey has trained extensively, most notably with Johnna Tavianini and Kassy Coleman, and that dedication is obvious the moment she opens her mouth. Her range is genuinely impressive and she's clearly built a reputation around harmonizing and plenty more. It feels like everything she’s worked towards is on full display throughout this EP. The vocals sit high up in the mix too, which feels like exactly the right choice, letting her take center stage while the instrumentation supports rather than competes with her.

Though the record is only six songs long, and we suggest you listen to it untouched from start to finish, we did have some favorites! The opener “Something in the Air” was a lovely choice to kick things off but as the album gets rolling, we couldn’t help but quickly fall in love with “I Always Miss Me in the Fall”.

Rey does a great job managing the EP's overall energy too, moving fluidly between more upbeat, energetic moments and slightly quieter, more relaxed sections without ever losing the project's cohesive feel. That pacing keeps the whole listen feeling dynamic. She never brings it down too low or too high, it just flows.

The instrumentation supporting all of this is excellent too! "sorry, it's personal" is an impressive introduction to Sophie Rey as a solo artist, one that blends her theatrical roots with a modern alt-pop sensibility. It gives her plenty of room to grow on and we sincerely can’t wait to hear more. For now though, go ahead and click those links below to listen in and follow along!

Listen to “sorry, it’s personal”

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Sophie Rey shines with vocal brilliance on her EP, "sorry, it's personal"