On Friday, Aug. 23, electronic music duo Sofi Tukker, consisting of artists Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, released BREAD, their third studio album. An acronym for “Be Really Energetic and Dance,” BREAD delivers with an overarching house and EDM tone. The album’s title emphasizes the sensuality, energy, and community found in dancing with others, highlighting a sense of togetherness.
BREAD stands out from other EDM music through its variations on a theme, not only in musical genres but also in languages spoken on each track. In between electronic beats, Sofi Tukker cultivates catchy lyrics while floating in and out of English and Portuguese.
Sofi Tukker made a name for themselves early on in their musical career with the release of their massive hit song “Drinkee” on their 2016 EP, Soft Animals, later nominated at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Additionally, their debut studio album, Treehouse, in 2018, received a Grammy nomination for the Best Dance/Electronic Album of the year. On BREAD, Sofi Tukker leans into their classic house feel, relying on featured artists to bring a fresh sound and feeling to the album.
The title track of the album, “Bread,” incorporates a mix of English and Portuguese lyrics backed by rousing contemporary instrumentals. Despite the song’s playful tone, the lyrics take on new meaning when listeners take a break from dancing along and focus on them. “I don’t believe / In what you call purity / It’s an archaic fallacy / That doesn’t belong to me,” Hawley-Weld sings about freeing yourself from worrying about others’ judgments. Complemented by a mix of lighthearted and deeper lyrics, “Bread” starts the album off strong. Incorporated seamlessly in with the rest of the song, Hawley-Weld ends the song’s outro singing, “I eat Bread,” acting as a symbol of Hawley-Weld’s free spirited mindset she brings to dancing and doing what she gets joy from.
The third track, “Guardian Angel (stand by you),” features an unusual double-feature of both Hawley-Weld and Halpern on vocals. Throughout the first two verses, the heartfelt lyrics enhance the hypnotic beat, shown such as in the lines, “When you get so, all mixed up, just you call. I’ll get you all fixed up / There’s a guardian angel for you.” “Guardian Angel (stand by you)” features solely English lyrics, while some tracks including “Jacaré,” the album’s ninth track, feature solely Portuguese lyrics.
“Spiral,” the seventh track off of BREAD, blends house beats with pop vocals and relatable lyrics. With a slower start, the song drops into a more classic EDM track after the introduction of the chorus. “Nothing Wasted / But there isn’t gonna be a revival / You’re in denial / But we’re going down, down / Down in a spiral.” Despite the song’s repetitive nature, its classically electronic feel, as well as its viral music video featuring supermodel Heidi Klum, win over listeners.
Sofi Tukker continually demonstrate that they deserve the excitement and attention of fans. Perfectly mixing pop vocals and EDM beats isn’t easy, but the duo proved once again to be the champions of the house music genre. Between the album’s upbeat and playful tone, and the complimentary vocals of Sophie and Tucker, BREAD offers up the perfect slice of energetic music to fans earning itself five out of five feathers.
