Sophia Stel challenges expectations of female confidence on debut album
Sophia Stel has released her debut album, *The Greatest Album of All Time*, after a rapid rise from Vancouver songwriter to artist signed by A24 and invited to support Lorde. The title is partly a joke, but it also reflects her effort to claim confidence in an industry where, she says, women can be discouraged from appearing cocky.
The 27-year-old says she still struggles with imposter syndrome and financial insecurity, balancing music with jobs such as painting houses and bartending. Much of the album is self-produced and draws on her swift career changes with sly humour; Stel also reflects on leaving an ultra-religious upbringing and growing up as one of 11 children.
- Sophia Stel’s debut album title is both a joke and a statement of confidence.
- The Vancouver artist says imposter syndrome and money worries persist.
- Her upbringing in a large ultra-religious family informs her perspective.
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Sophia Stel is a 27-year-old Canadian musician from Vancouver who has experienced an unusually rapid rise in the music industry. She has signed to the independent label A24 and has been invited to support established artist Lorde on tour, both significant steps for a young artist.
Stel's background is unconventional. She is one of eleven children who grew up in an ultra-religious household which she has since left, an experience that features in her music alongside other life reflections. She has also supported herself through other work such as house painting and bartending whilst developing her career, and much of her music is self-produced.
Her debut album engages with a particular challenge facing female musicians. The album, titled The Greatest Album of All Time, is partly presented as a joke but also serves as a deliberate claim to confidence in an industry where, according to Stel, women are often discouraged from appearing cocky about their own work. This assertion comes despite Stel's acknowledged struggles with imposter syndrome and financial insecurity.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘Girls aren’t supposed to be cocky’: Sophia Stel on the pressure of writing The Greatest Album Of All Time”.