The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist Round 43: Sophia Lail

Illustration by Enrique

Welcome to The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist, a forever-growing playlist of songs picked by people in KC. View/follow the full playlist on Spotify, and you can always go back and check out the full run of articles. Throw the playlist on shuffle and enjoy away!

Playlist guest 43: Sophia Lail

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Sophia Lail. I’m a freelance photographer, retired DJ, vintage fashion enthusiast, and above all, an intern for The Pitch. 

When I’m not playing Dress To Impress and trying to find the best shot of decaf espresso in the metro, I’m listening to the best of what pop music has to offer and wielding the pen for this very publication. 

Where can we support/follow your work?

You can keep up with me on my professional Instagram @phialail, but if you want me up close and personal, you can find me on my personal Instagram @sophialail.

“Club classics featuring bb trickz” by Charli XCX, Bb trickz

After a messy night out, this might be one of the songs you remember hearing the night before as you wake up on a random acquaintance’s couch with a pounding headache. Charli XCX has perfected the recipe for the best sleazy, sweat-inducing, high-bass track, and this remix embodies that. It takes a new twist on the track that we knew and loved this summer and turned it into a club classic of its own. If this track were personified, they would wear ripped tights and last night’s makeup.

Emphasis on “bumpin’ ‘that.” 

“Starfucker” by Slayyyter

Inspiration deriving from the after-parties of the ’80s, the album Starfucker by Slayyyter was able to successfully transition her work from the hyper-pop sound of the early 2020s to the synth-pop that, in my opinion, the world needs more of. In this album, Slayyyter takes on the character of a tortured Hollywood star, sporting shoulder pads and exhibiting an unhealthy reliance on Virginia Slims and dirty martinis.

This title track sets the precedent for her character and the overall sound of the album that I ultimately fell in love with, and is truly the standout track on the album for me. Let me be clear, though: no skips!

“Heavy Metal Lover” by Lady Gaga

When Lady Gaga dropped The Fame, I was freshly six and a half years old. My dad was one of the first to pioneer the overwhelming love for her work, as he raced to Streetside Records to be one of the first to own The Fame on CD. After countless hours of listening to the album on repeat in his orange Dodge Caliber, I found myself memorizing the lyrics to every track. That album is how I fell in love with pop music, so it was no surprise when I accompanied my dad to buy a copy of Born This Way when it dropped. 

“Heavy Metal Lover” is one of my favorite Lady Gaga tracks of all time, but it ultimately had to grow on me; The more my frontal lobe developed, the more the artistry behind this track clicked. Born This Way is one of the best pop albums made in history, and this track reflects that. 

“TRUST!” by Rebecca Black

Rebecca Black, I’m sorry for what I said in the comments section of the “Friday” music video back in 2011. Forgive me? 

“Kill V. Maim” by Grimes

Being 13 years old on Tumblr didn’t lead me to many great places, but one place it led me to was the album Art Angels by Grimes. This revolutionary album appealed to the indie sleaze icons of Tumblr that I aspired to be and highlighted Grimes’ talents beyond Visions. This song resurfaced for me in 2020, when all there was to do was listen to great music. Be cautioned against driving to this track though, as the high bpm nearly resulted in a speeding ticket for me. Whoopsie!