Sophia Scott

Seizing the opening created by such genre-benders as Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris, Sophia Scott specializes in a soft modern country-pop that doesn’t strictly adhere to traditional definitions of country. Considering how her initial Internet fame came from her covers of Rihanna and Chris Stapleton, this shouldn’t be a surprise: from the start, she established that she saw no separation between R&B, country, and pop. Her succession of singles in 2017 and 2018 — including the viral “She Ain’t Me” — found her melding country imagery with mature radio-ready pop, establishing herself as an heir to her idol, Shania Twain. Following another haul of singles, her debut EP, One of These Days, eventually arrived in 2022. When she was a child in Boulder, Colorado, Scott first fell in love with Twain, especially the album Come on Over. Soon, she expanded her horizons, dabbling in classic rock and ’90s R&B in equal measure. In her teens, she began posting acoustic covers of modern hits onto her video channel, earning attention for her versions of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Relocating to Los Angeles, Scott began to pursue original material. Her first digital single, “China,” appeared in 2016, followed by a live covers EP in 2017; that year, she also released the single “Closure.” In 2018, Scott issued a series of singles including “She Ain’t Me,” which later went viral on social media. With a larger fan base in tow, she adhered to the singles format for 2019′s “Drink Too Much Wine,” 2020′s “Beauty in the Flaws,” and several others before releasing her first studio EP, One of These Days, in June 2022. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine