Wake Up
Sofia Gillani makes music for the moment clarity cuts through chaos. Her debut single “Wake Up” and upcoming vinyl release Reconceptualize announce an artist who is unafraid to sit at the intersection of vulnerability and experimentation — and who builds entire worlds around the music to match.
The London-based avant-garde pop artist emerged from one of the most creatively dense cities in the world — a place where, as she puts it, beauty and chaos exist side by side within the space of a few streets. That contrast is audible in her work. “Wake Up” is a song about emotional exhaustion and self-realisation, written during a period of noise and pressure, shaped into something that feels simultaneously heavy and clarifying.
The project surrounding it, Reconceptualize, is being released on vinyl — a deliberate choice in 2026, a statement about slowing down, sitting with something, and letting a record breathe. It is the kind of artistic decision that tells you everything about how seriously Sofia Gillani takes the world she is building. We sat down with her to find out more.
“Honesty connects more than perfection ever can.” — Sofia Gillani
Exposed Vocals
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard avant-garde pop before?
Sofia Gillani
I’d describe my sound as emotional, cinematic pop that isn’t afraid to take risks. Avant-garde pop, for me, is about blending strong melodies and honest songwriting with unexpected textures, atmospheres, and ideas. I want listeners to feel something deeply, but I also want to surprise them. My music lives somewhere between vulnerability and experimentation — it’s reflective, immersive, and hopefully timeless.
Exposed Vocals
“Wake Up” — what’s the story behind the song and what inspired it?
Sofia Gillani
Wake Up came from a place of emotional exhaustion and self-realisation. The song is really about breaking out of emotional patterns and becoming conscious of what’s happening around you — and within you. I wrote it during a period where I felt overwhelmed by noise, pressure, and expectations, and I wanted the track to feel like a moment of clarity cutting through chaos. There’s frustration in it, but also empowerment. It’s a call to reconnect with yourself.
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You’re releasing on vinyl with Reconceptualize. What does the physical format mean to you as an artist in 2026?
Sofia Gillani
Releasing Reconceptualize on vinyl feels incredibly meaningful to me. In 2026, music can sometimes feel disposable because everything moves so quickly digitally. Vinyl asks people to slow down and truly experience a record — to sit with it, absorb the artwork, the sequencing, the atmosphere. I love the intimacy and permanence of that. As an artist who cares deeply about aesthetics and storytelling, vinyl makes the project feel complete and tangible.
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The title Reconceptualize is bold and deliberate. What are you reconceptualizing — your sound, your identity, something else entirely?
Sofia Gillani
Reconceptualize is really about challenging limitations — musically, emotionally, creatively, even socially. I think we all reach points where we have to rethink who we are and how we see the world. This project reflects my evolution as an artist, but also as a person. I’m reconceptualising what pop music can sound like, what vulnerability can look like, and how identity can constantly evolve rather than stay fixed.
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Growing up in London, how has the city shaped your musical perspective and artistic voice?
Sofia Gillani
London has shaped me enormously. It’s one of the most diverse, creative, and unpredictable cities in the world, and growing up there exposed me to so many cultures, sounds, and perspectives. There’s an intensity to London — beauty and chaos existing side by side — and I think that contrast naturally finds its way into my music. You can walk through completely different worlds in the space of a few streets, and that openness has made me unafraid to blend influences and experiment artistically.
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Avant-garde pop sits at an interesting intersection — between accessibility and experimentation. How do you navigate that balance in your songwriting?
Sofia Gillani
I think the emotional core always has to come first. Even if a song is experimental sonically, people connect through feeling. I never want experimentation to feel inaccessible or cold. I’m interested in creating music that challenges people creatively while still giving them something emotionally honest to hold onto. Melody is really important to me, so even when I’m pushing boundaries sonically, there’s usually a strong emotional or melodic thread guiding the listener through it.
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Who are the artists or creative figures that have most influenced the world you’re building with your music?
Sofia Gillani
My influences are very wide-ranging. Artists like Björk and FKA twigs inspired me through their fearlessness and world-building, while artists like Massive Attack influenced the atmosphere and emotional depth I’m drawn to. I’m also inspired by filmmakers, visual artists, fashion, and literature. I love creators who build entire universes around their work and make you feel fully immersed in their perspective.
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What does your creative process look like — where do songs typically start for you?
Sofia Gillani
Songs usually begin with emotion before anything else. Sometimes it’s a lyric, a phrase, a feeling, or even a visual image that won’t leave me alone. I tend to write very instinctively at first — almost like documenting a mood — and then later I shape the structure more consciously. Sonically, I love layering textures and creating atmosphere, so production becomes part of the storytelling very early on in the process.
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What’s been the most surprising or unexpected part of putting this music out into the world?
Sofia Gillani
The most surprising thing has probably been how personally people have connected to the music. When you make experimental or deeply introspective work, there’s always a fear that people won’t understand it. But I’ve had listeners tell me that certain songs articulated emotions they couldn’t explain themselves, and that’s incredibly moving. It reminded me that honesty connects more than perfection ever can.
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What’s next for Sofia Gillani after Wake Up and Reconceptualize?
Sofia Gillani
Right now, I’m focused on bringing the world of Reconceptualize fully to life — through visuals, live performances, and more immersive experiences around the music. I’m also writing constantly, so there’s already new material developing that pushes even further creatively. I want to continue building something that feels artistically uncompromising but emotionally relatable. This is really just the beginning of a much bigger journey.
