If you weren’t in “Group 7,” were you even on TikTok this past year?
Singer/songwriter Sophia James officially closed out 2025 the same way she lived it: unapologetically creative, slightly impulsive, and accidentally iconic. The Sydney born, Long Beach raised, LA-based artist turned a moment of promotional burnout into a full-blown cultural phenomenon with her viral TikTok “algorithm test,” launching “Group 7” — aka the Internet’s most inclusive club — and sending her single “So Unfair” straight into the stratosphere.
The experiment? Simple. Sophia posted seven different TikToks using “So Unfair” to see which one would hit. The result? Video 7 exploded, pulling in 85 million views, 9 million likes, and catching the attention of big-time morning shows like Good Morning America and TODAY, and basically everyone with a phone and Wi-Fi.
“It truly was the laziest virality tip perhaps ever happened,” Sophia told Celeb Secrets backstage at Z100’s Jingle Ball in New York on December 12, laughing. “The idea stemmed from having no ideas.”
@sophiajamesmusic Group 7 who are you
At the heart of the chaos is “So Unfair,” a punchy, emotional anthem that captures the sting of wanting something (or someone) who just doesn’t want you back. It’s raw, relatable, and perfectly vague by design.
“I initially wrote it about falling for someone who has always gotten everything they’ve ever wanted in life, and they just don’t end up feeling the same way,” Sophia explained. “It’s kind of the injustice of that, and the frustration behind it.”
But that frustration isn’t boxed into one storyline.
“We left it a little bit vague for the purpose of having everyone interpret it in their own way,” she added. “So it’s whatever you find frustrating., whether it’s life, work, love, family… anything.”
Enter: Group 7. What started as a TikTok test quickly became a safe space for fans to trauma-bond, overshare, laugh, cry, and scream the lyrics together — all soundtracked by “So Unfair.”
To cap off the moment, Sophia released the official music video for “So Unfair” on November 26, bringing the song’s raw energy to life with a gritty, live-band feel that mirrors her explosive sound. It’s confident, chaotic, and completely her — the perfect visual exclamation point to a year defined by creative risks actually paying off.
“So Unfair” isn’t just a viral hit — it’s a sonic preview of what Sophia has coming in 2026. She’s currently working on a power-pop–influenced album with GRAMMY®-nominated, multi-platinum producer Alex Bilowitz, and according to Sophia, it’s going to be loud.
“It’s a little explosive,” she teased. “I’m very much living in this power pop space. I’m looking to the past to create new things.”
Expect live rock instrumentation, infectious pop hooks, and a whole lot of volume. “It’s definitely explosive and loud,” she said. “That’s just what it is.”
With nearly 35 million streams, co-signs from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Reneé Rapp, Laufey, and tour stops ranging from Mercury Lounge to Moroccan Lounge, Sophia James has been quietly building something special — and Group 7 just made it impossible to ignore. Still, even with all the buzz, she’s soaking up every moment.
“It’s my first time in Madison Square Garden actually,” she told us at Jingle Ball. “So I’m soaking it all in.”
With “So Unfair,” Group 7, and a power-pop album on the way, Sophia James isn’t just playing the algorithm — she’s rewriting it. And if this year taught us anything, it’s that when Sophia runs out of ideas… the Internet wins.
For more information on Sophia’s music, make sure to watch our full interview from Jingle Ball below, and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving “So Unfair” by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
Interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity. For more coverage from the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2025, click here.
