As dawn breaks on Canada’s music scene, the radiant Sophia Fracassi is ready to claim her spot in the limelight. Her journey is already an enchanting ballad, intertwining raw passion and unwavering dedication. This rising star’s story now sets the stage for a new chapter, with the release of her latest single, “Dance With Myself.”
Coinciding with the single’s release was the announcement of Fracassi’s collaboration with the award-winning Amanda Marshall, as an opening act on Marshall’s first national tour after 20 years. At 19, Fracassi is a testament to the enchanting power of music. Her voice, poised with an almost ethereal calmness, belies a soul molded by a lifetime of artistic devotion. Drawing on personal experiences, Fracassi debuted with her six-track EP, Marathon, last year.
“This is a song about raw, unfiltered joy. Joy that does not rely on circumstance or relationship. The unfettered sense of liberation that seeps into every fibre of your being and spills over,” Fracassi shared when discussing her new single. “‘Dance With Myself’ was, and is a stake in freedom to be who I really am. Sometimes, you find yourself in the eye of the storm. It’s in those moments that you can choose to be afraid, or throw your hands up, surrender, and dance with yourself.”
“Dance With Myself” strikes a deeply personal chord with Fracassi. Her lyrics echo the universal struggle of seeking self-validation, and the joyous epiphany of self-acceptance, that’s often overlooked in our quest for external approval. “I wrote ‘Dance With Myself’ at a point in my journey where I needed to claim back territory in my own life that I lost,” Fracassi revealed. “I was tying my identity to other people’s perceptions of me, instead of realizing the value I have no matter the circumstance.”
Compared to her previous work, “Marathon,” Fracassi sees her latest single as a reflection of her growth as an artist. “I started writing the songs for Marathon at a completely different point in my life,” she mused. “I mean, I was a totally different person. Those were the first tracks I had ever released, and I think by the time I started working on ‘Dance With Myself’ late last year, I knew so much more about what I wanted.”
Listeners of “Dance With Myself” are in for an empowering experience, as Fracassi intends the song to ignite a sense of intrinsic self-worth, strength, and freedom. “I hope anyone listening to this song feels the way that it makes me feel,” she stated, expressing her desire to inspire self-love and acceptance.
Sophia’s music journey is a narrative weaved into her lyrical tapestry, and her struggles with self-confidence resonate in “Dance With Myself”. She said, “I’ve been singing and performing for so long, it can be hard not to tether your worth to what you do, and/or how well you do it. ‘Dance With Myself’ is like a personal reminder that, regardless of whether life feels rocky or smooth sailing, you can still dance.”
Fracassi’s evolution is striking, as she moves from her debut EP to her latest work. “I feel a lot more secure in who I am as an artist (and in general) since releasing my first EP,” she confessed. “It’s the circumstances surrounding my life at the time of release, the state of my mental well-being, and the freedom I have found, that has changed for the better.”
Amanda Marshall’s “25 & Counting: The Heavy Lifting Tour” offers Fracassi a grand platform to connect with a live audience, an aspect of her profession she truly cherishes. “It is literally magical,” she gushed. “Because I don’t have a band with me for this tour – it’s just me and a keyboard – I spend time sharing my story and sharing what drives me to walk this career path. I want people to see me in an authentic light, withholding nothing.”
For Fracassi, the opportunity to perform at iconic venues like Massey Hall and the National Arts Centre on Amanda Marshall’s “25 & Counting: The Heavy Lifting Tour” is a dream realized, one that she’d never thought she’d see come to fruition so soon. “Massey Hall has been a venue on my bucket list for years,” she confessed, recounting a moment not long ago when she expressed this dream to her mother, standing across the street from the famed venue.
Sophia Fracassi live at Budweiser Gardens in London on June 18, 2023. Photo by David Booth
Regarding her growth and development as an artist, Fracassi sees this tour as a catalyst for learning about different facets of a musician’s life. She expects to gain valuable insights from her first time touring, which she believes will be a significant step in her artist development journey.
Fracassi’s influences are steeped in the tradition of powerful female singer-songwriters, with names like Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell on her list of inspirations. Each of these artists, she explained, told stories that resonated with her from an early age.
As a young artist finding her footing in the music industry, Fracassi admitted to experiencing periods of doubt and exhaustion. She found solace in seeing her career as an ongoing journey rather than a series of goal posts. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” she mused, playfully referencing her debut EP’s title.
Fracassi’s fans have much to anticipate as the artist hints at an upcoming special track that marks a new frontier for her. “I have a track releasing this year that is so so so special to me. I’ve never done anything like it before, and I cannot WAIT for you all to hear it!”
Sophia Fracassi is carving her own path in the music industry, dancing to her own rhythm, and infusing her work with passion, authenticity, and a strong sense of purpose. Her story is a compelling dance between self-discovery and artistic expression, a dance that encourages everyone to step into their own light and joy. She’ll be on tour with Amanda Marshall in Western Canada through to July 4.
