Sofi Tukker

American duo Sofi Tukker craft throbbing, ’90s house-inspired jungle pop that resulted in a Grammy nomination for their first song, 2016’s “Drinkee.” The pair — who often perform in Portuguese — made their full-length debut in 2018 with Treehouse, which was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album. They issued a steady stream of singles into the 2020s, including high-profile collaborations with Icona Pop, Gorgon City, Amadou & Mariam, and Lady Gaga. In 2022, their joyous sophomore set Wet Tennis arrived.
Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern met in Providence, Rhode Island while attending Brown University. Soon after, the solo artists joined forces and composed their first song, “Drinkee,” which became an international hit. The track featured lyrics adapted from a Brazilian poem and was sung in Portuguese (which Hawley-Weld studied in college), adding to its global appeal. Streamed tens of millions of times and charting in multiple countries, the song went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. “Drinkee” appeared on the pair’s 2016 debut EP, Soft Animals.
The following year, Tukker issued the collaborative single “Best Friend,” featuring Nervo, the Knocks, and Japanese vocalist Alisa Ueno. The track gained traction after appearing in a smartphone commercial and topped dance charts in places like Belgium and the Netherlands while cracking the Billboard Hot 100. The duo followed with the French-charting singles “That’s It (I’m Crazy)” and “Batshit,” the latter of which appeared on their debut LP, 2018′s Treehouse. The Ultra Records release hit the album chart in Canada as well as peaking at number 14 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. Collaborations with Pabllo Vittar (“Energia [Parte 2]“) and the Knocks (“Brazilian Soul”) followed later that year, as did the ZHU-assisted “Mi Rumba” in early 2019. In the meantime, Treehouse was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. A number of singles and remixes followed, keeping the duo firmly planted on the dancefloor. In addition to notable tracks “Purple Hat” and the Gorgon City electronic anthem “House Arrest,” they also teamed with Icona Pop for 2020′s “Spa” and delivered a remix of Lady Gaga’s “911.”
The following year, they joined African duo Amadou & Mariam for the single “Mon Cheri” and collaborated with John Summit for “Sun Came Up.” Those tracks landed on their second studio full-length, Wet Tennis, which also recruited guests such as Turkish producer Mahmut Orhan and Halpern’s father. ~ Neil Z. Yeung