Introducing: Sofia Gobbi

Sofia Gobbi is bringing clarity and confidence to chaos. Blending alt-pop and rock with sharp storytelling and soaring melodies, the London-based artist has quickly become one to watch. Her music captures the messy, emotional moments we all know—turning them into songs that feel honest, empowering, and impossible to ignore.

With a multicultural upbringing and a fast-growing list of accolades—including BBC Radio 1 support and recognition from international songwriting contests—Gobbi is now preparing to release her debut album Bigger Man in Summer 2025. Crafted alongside a standout team of producers, it marks a major step in a career built on authenticity and intent.

We caught up with Sofia to talk songwriting, self-belief, and what’s next as she takes her sound to the next level.

She says: When I was making this album, I was just chasing whatever felt bold and playful and unapologetic. But looking back, it’s very clear that certain songs left their fingerprints all over the place. Some gave me sonic ideas. Some gave me permission. Here are five tracks that helped shape the sound of my debut album.

“Just What I Needed” by The Cars

There’s something magnetic about Ric Ocasek’s vocal delivery – aloof, ironic, emotionally restrained – that definitely crept into my album. The Cars mastered this kind of emotional ambiguity: bright, catchy melodies wrapped around slightly jaded lyrics. That contrast really stuck with me. My album might sound sunny and fun on the surface, but underneath there’s a lot of tension – complicated, sometimes contradicting feelings sitting side by side. And that line, “I don’t mind you coming here / And wasting all my time,”? Iconic. It’s giving “I’m too cool to care but also secretly spiralling” – which is a recurring theme in my own writing. That bittersweet, power-pop energy was a huge influence.

“Sports” by Viagra Boys

Their energetic sound feeds into a feeling of comedic catharsis; they’re dancing and laughing at the absurdity of life, rather than mourning it. They prove that a song can be satirical, serious, unhinged, and oddly profound all at once. I used to think that I had to write “serious” songs in order to be taken seriously as an artist. But Viagra Boys showed me that you can be both sincere and ridiculous, meaningful and messy. That making music can still feel as fun and freeing as it did when you first started. Serious doesn’t have to mean solemn. You can be loud, strange, a little unhinged – and still have something real to say.

“Wet Dream” by Wet Leg

Wet Leg’s storytelling is witty, ironic, and delightfully absurd – full of cheeky innuendos and “wait, did they really just say that?” lines. It’s basically how I process and retell my own experiences, especially with close friends. But as funny and absurd as many of their lyrics are, their humor doesn’t cancel out emotional depth; instead, it amplifies it. That balance between absurdity and sincerity is something I really connect with, and it’s a dynamic I try to channel in my own songwriting.

“I’m Gonna Getcha Good” by Shania Twain

Shania has always had this unshakeable confidence wrapped in warmth. Whether she’s singing about independence, love, or playful defiance, she brings the same grounded, accessible storytelling every time. Her music feels universal, but also personal – like she’s singing straight to you. What really stuck with me is how unapologetic her voice is – not just in what she says, but in how she says it. That confident, conversational tone really shaped how I approach lyrics: direct, grounded, and emotionally empowered.

“Deceptacon” by Le Tigre

This track is catchy, raw, political, and fun as hell. The way it blends mechanical drum machines with punk urgency gives it this electric, restless energy that I wanted to channel in my own work. Kathleen Hanna’s delivery is fierce and tongue-in-cheek, her lyrics brash and feminist without ever feeling preachy. I love how Deceptacon proves that music can be both playful and radical, experimental and danceable. It inspired me to blend protest with pop hooks and embrace the weird – fully and unapologetically. 

So, yeah – this album is part dance party, part diary entry, part emotional support group. And these five songs helped make it happen. If you’ve got a song that’s shaped your entire personality, drop it in the comments or send it my way. I promise to overanalyse it like the situationships that inspired this album.