Q&A: meet Brisbane’s Sophie Castriota, hip-hop artist exploding out of the blocks

We have been waiting some long rough years for Rihanna to release some new music, but look no further. Sophie Castriota has a sound that emulates the best parts of our girl Riri but with some added flair and slap. Sophie has recently dropped new single ‘Ü Wnt Me’ and it’s taking Aussie hip-hop to new heights. 

The Brisbane musician has blessed us with a new boy-bye mantra. ‘Ü Wnt Me’ is a message to all those out there who think they can get a free ride. Sophie drew inspiration for this track from an experience with an ex who did her wrong. This is her message to him and to future partners that she deserves to be shown respect. Preach it girl, just cos he wants you doesn’t mean you want him, boy-bye. 

We have been vibing to Soph all week and thought it was time to share our new found love. She is only fresh to the scene having released her debut single in 2019 but is already killing it. From such a young age music has been a form of expression for her and it’s paying dividends. 

We caught up with our Brisbane slice to talk about her new track, her hidden talents and who she’d love to sit down with for dinner.

Check out all the feels below. Here’s a snippet of our conversation: 

Hey Soph! Tell us a little bit about your music journey.

Music has always been a part of my life, It’s been there to kind of ground me in a way. While I was growing up, I dealt with a lot of trauma, so music was always there to lift me up and help balance my emotions in some way. It was definitely an escape for me.  I started playing violin around 4 years old and was a part of many orchestras.  I was definitely under immense pressure and I think that’s why around 16 I burnt out. I wanted to do something else, but I didn’t know which direction to take. I started improvising different melodies and sounds on the violin and quickly fell in love with Middle Eastern and Balkan music. When I started university, I met people who were studying sound engineering and music production. I became eager to learn and watched a whole bunch of logic pro tutorials on YouTube. I never thought I would end up as a singer/songwriter and music producer, but here we are today.

Talk us through your recent release ‘Ü Wnt Me’ . What's this song about? 

I was in a relationship with someone who showed me overtime that his intentions were more-so about fame and money than our relationship. It definitely hurt but I’ve grown as a person and am grateful I was able to experience this so I know what I don’t want in the future. 

You have such a unique sound and flow, who do you draw inspiration from?

My inspirations are limitless. Things that make me feel, trigger my emotions, and therefore I feel inspired to write and create. I love poetry, I think it’s beautiful. Jhene Aiko has been an artist who has triggered my emotions deeply with her writing abilities. I feel when I listen to Jhene, it’s not just a nice melody… it’s raw emotion. She sings a lot about trauma and her losses and I really feel that. 

 If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be? 

Definitely Jhene.

 If you could have a sit down with any 3 people currently alive for dinner, who would they be? 

 Cher for sure – she’s so powerful in so many ways and I definitely take life inspiration from her. 

Jane Goodall – her selfless and kind nature which has saved so many animals. 

Jacinda Adern (New Zealand’s Prime Minister) - has so much strength and it really resonates to the world. She’s supporting a nation but also extremely down to earth.

How’d you end up performing at Hardhfest Festival in Rahovec, Kosovo?

I was invited to perform at Hardhfest in 2016. It was an amazing experience. I think that has been my biggest audience with over 32k people who attended. Albania and Kosovo hold a very special place in my heart.

 You’re super fashionable! How do you pick what to wear for a gig?

I’m weird when it comes to fashion. I don’t think there’s a medium with me; it’s either very boyish or very feminine. I kind of just make up things as I go along. I try not to look at others so I can be completely authentic and original to myself.

 What’s one of your hidden talents?

 I love videography and photography and do a lot actually in my spare time!

What a mix of people at the dinner party! All three are strong powerful women who have help shaped many lives.

Sophie has fast become a force to be reckoned with as she consistently delivers high quality beats. With so many musical abilities under belt, accompanied with producing, videography and photography, you just know this girl is going to take off and it’s only a matter of time.

Check out her new track below or head to our new Snap, Crackle and Pop 🎤 playlist to hear more fab songs like this one.

By Samuel Seedsman.