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Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, best known for her 1995 hit I Kissed a Girl, died on 1 May 2025, at the age of 66, due to a house fire in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Sobule had a long career in music that spanned over three decades and included 12 albums. Sobule was well recognized for her creative lyrics and contributions to LGBTQ+ visibility in popular music.
Her death was confirmed by her manager, John Porter, through a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, stating:
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
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NOTE: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion
Supermodel, and 6 other timeless Jill Sobule songs to honor her legacy
1. I Kissed a Girl (1995)
The release of I Kissed a Girl on May 2, 1995, marked a historic breakthrough for LGBTQ+ representation in pop music. Fabienne Shine portrayed the lead girl throughout the music video.
The song reached position 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and secured position 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
2. Supermodel (1995)
Jill Sobule released Supermodel through the Clueless movie soundtrack in 1995, demonstrating her second major success after I Kissed a Girl. David Baerwald, David Kitay, Brian MacLeod, and Kristen Vigard created the song Supermodel specifically to replace David Bowie's Fashion for Clueless' makeover sequence.
A guitar solo appeared in Sobule's version, followed by a heartfelt bridge section that highlighted eating disorders through the lyrics:
“I didn't eat yesterday and I'm not gonna eat today.”
3. Soldiers of Christ (1997)
Among the songs on Jill Sobule's third album, Happy Town, stands Soldiers of Christ as her strongest political music. The song examines how belief systems function to defend discrimination and prejudice against others.
The lyrics declare:
“They say they’re the soldiers of Christ, But they look like the army of hate.”
The musical execution of Soldiers of Christ demonstrates Sobule's talent for delivering challenging messages through an appealing musical framework.
4. Where Is Bobbie Gentry? (2009)
Fans particularly love this song from the highly admired album California Years, which premiered in 2017. Where Is Bobbie Gentry? honors the vanished 1960s singer-songwriter who ran away from the limelight after achieving early musical success.
This song enables Sobule to question fame in addition to the music industry and the need for personal space. The song uses Gentry's story to examine both Sobule's musical career path and the decision to depart from musical life.
5. I Put My Headphones On (2018)
From her 2018 album Nostalgia Kills, Sobule delivers this song that expresses the desire to block out global chaos. The musical lyrics explore how individuals seek music as a way to escape personal stress.
She reveals through her continuing confession that she wishes to both silence the president's words and hide from reviewing her spending accounts.
6. Theme From Girl in the Affair (1995)
This 1995 title track imagines itself as the theme to a fictional 1960s romantic drama. Through its jazzy instruments, the song presents a cinematic atmosphere that exudes the audio layer of the track.
The song starts with love music, but it reveals multiple hidden meanings that expose how romantic dreams differ from harsh emotional realities.
7. Stoned Soul Picnic (2001)
Sobule captures the essence of Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic with powerful emotional delivery, placing it among other memorable tracks.
The song is a part of a 2001 album, I Never Learned to Swim, which features Sobule's version of Stoned Soul Picnic along with her heartfelt songwriting that honours Nyro's musical heritage.
Sobule's version of Stoned Soul Picnic is an acoustic mini-version that stands apart from Laura Nyro's original soul-jazz masterpiece.
Through her music, Sobule expressed broad subject matter spanning her personal life and her observations about society. Her music served as a platform through which she delivered sincere messages, including challenging realities about identity and love alongside societal pressures.
These selected seven musical tracks, including I Kissed a Girl, Supermodel, I Put My Headphones On, and Where Is Bobbie Gentry?, showcase important periods throughout her musical development while illustrating the diverse musical range she demonstrated as a songwriter.
