On July 12th, 25-year-old singer-songwriter Claire Cotrill, better known as Clairo, released her highly anticipated third studio album Charm and announced her upcoming North American Tour. The young musician has spent many years experimenting sonically with her past works and collaborators, and it seems she has finally discovered her most authentic sound and self, which listeners have found to be truly charming.
Clairo has made great strides in the eight years she has released music. Beloved by YouTube and Soundcloud users since 2017 for her slow, romantic personal pieces and artful covers, she became an Internet sensation in 2019 with the rise of the “indie” aesthetic and heightened appreciation for bedroom pop. Her 2018 EP, diary 001, included viral singles “Pretty Girl,” “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” and “4EVER,” among others. That same year, her debut album Immunity was released. Its lead single, “Bags,” solidified Clairo as a voice for young hopeless romantics like herself, and “Sofia” was recognized by the Internet as a sapphic anthem. Clairo’s sophomore album Sling differentiated itself from her past music. The lead single, “Blouse,” is a slow, emotional piece about feeling objectified by a partner and thus useless as anything other than a body. Overall, Sling is a much more toned-down, yet mature composition than her previous works.
After this musical pivot, fans were unsure what to expect next as Clairo has expressed anxiety around fame, especially regarding touring and fan interaction. Throughout the tour, Clairo faced many unfortunate interactions with audiences. During many shows, including her appearance in Boston, fans shouted objectifying comments during “Blouse,” and stalked her after performances. Clairo’s lack of online presence during and after the Sling era caused fans uncertainty regarding Clairo’s future public appearance.
Clairo surprised fans with the announcement of her third studio album, Charm, along with 5-night residencies in New York City and LA and a full North American tour. Fan and critic responses were overwhelmingly positive when the record was released, and Clairo seems more confident in her personal and professional lives. She told Crack Magazine, “Honestly, I look back at [the first] two records and see someone trying to become an adult and doing it in front of a lot of people.” Charm is Clairo fully figured out; an earnest and cozy collection for proper summertime yearning.
The first track and second single, “Nomad” — which Clairo debuted on the Sling Tour in February 2022 — is a fitting, album-encompassing opener. “I’d run the risk of losing everything. Sell all my things, become nomadic,” Clairo sings of finding comfort in independence and isolation but eventually reverting to her co-dependent self. After a subtle buildup to the chorus, she sings, “But I’d rather be alone than a stranger… I’d rather wake up alone than be reminded of how it was a dream this time.” Clairo’s lyrics focus on hesitancy around settling into a relationship knowing she’ll eventually move on to someone and someplace else. The lines “It’s even irrational for me. It’s chemical, obsessed. I’ll blame you for locking me in,” signify her instinct to blame her partner for making her feel possessive yet trapped. However, when she eventually moves on to her next temporary destination, she admits, “It’s always the same, always the same. Every time I see someone new. I just think of you, nothing I do can help it now.”
Charm’s first single and second track, “Sexy to Someone,” became a fan favorite among Cotrill’s entire discography immediately following its release. The upbeat verses and catchy chorus are addictive and painfully relatable. “Sexy to somebody, it would help me out. Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house. It’s just a little thing I can’t live without.” The experience of wanting to be wanted is a feeling many young people struggle with, especially in an emotionally unavailable place. The validation that comes with it becomes one’s sole motivator. To be desired is to be worthy. The second verse opens with the lines, “Sexy is something I see in everything. Honey sticking to your hands, sugar on the rim.” “Sexy to Someone” is earnestly horny — as are many of the songs on Charm. To see every little thing a person does as sexy is to be insurmountably infatuated. In a slowed-down bridge, Clairo implores, “I want to be sexy to someone, is it too much to ask? Then what’s holding you back?”
Track three, “Second Nature,” is production genius. The staccato vocals paired with intermittent scatting and upbeat instrumentals flow beautifully. Also in the backtrack is the sound of someone laughing — rumored online but not confirmed to be Billie Eilish. Clairo sings, “It’s when you’re close enough to touch. I’ve forgotten the point, my train of thought destroyed.” Becoming enamored with this person, for Clairo, is subconscious. A standout line from the chorus, “Like the sap of a cedar, rolling down to be near her, it’s second nature,” Clairo equates her attraction to this person as a fact of life, for her survival, even.
Track seven, “Juna,” has become another Internet favorite, with a trend on TikTok already created around it. Notably, Clairo told audiences that the title is a mix of two dog’s names, her pet “Joanie” and her producer Leon Michel’s dog “Luna.” “Juna” is a soft, romantic piece somewhat reminiscent of her old style with matured production and lyrics. “With you, there’s no pretending, you know me.” Clairo is reluctant to let this person get to know her but eventually lets her guard down. In the chorus, she sings, “You make me wanna go dancing, try on feminine, go buy a new dress, slip off a new dress.” She concludes full-heartedly, “And I just might know you too, come to me slowly.” The song’s impact can be summed up by a comment on its Genius Lyrics page, where a fan wrote, “Ok I’ll download Hinge again.” “Juna” is frolicking in a field of flowers, sipping tea with your pinkie raised, and spinning around in a flowy skirt.
Track eight, “Add Up My Love,” is another homely, lived-in piece. Although the lyrics are somewhat devastating, the production and instrumentals are utterly danceable. Clairo sings, “Do you miss my laugh? Hear it from the back of the room. It’s just somethin’ I miss too,” indicating feelings of losing herself in the aftermath of a recently ended relationship. In the hook and chorus, she writes, “Add up my love… is it ever enough?” She feels as though her affection for her past lover was not properly appreciated, though perhaps a lingering uncertainty remains about how things ended.
Charm’s 11th track, “Pier 4,” is a signature devastating Clairo closer. The album’s slowest, most vocally focused lyrics are solemn and honest. Clairo sings softly, “And if you’re walking home alone, you’ll find a reason, you’ll just chalk it up to being different, being young, and wonder why no one knew you at all.” The “you” to whom she is referring may be herself, however, the use of the second person causes the song to feel targeted in a disquieting yet effective way that has caused many listeners to say “Clairo, please unwrite this!” She holds herself and audiences accountable for the consequences of pushing others away, and possible reasoning behind this defense mechanism. In a few pointed lines, “You’re just playin’ dumb, what’s the cost of it, of being loved, when close is not close enough? Where is your line, where do you draw it?” Clairo forces listeners to come to terms with the cycle and aftermath of an avoidant attachment. Nodding to the song’s title, she sings, “And when you find you’re at the pier, playing out moments when there was a touch. With strangers touching everywhere, you wonder if he knows she’s gonna run… It’s somethin’ you’ve done.” Seeing others experiencing the love we have pushed away is the highest form of punishment. Clairo concludes the album with the final devastating lines, “Where’s the fun in it? And now I’m too tough, from close being just too much.”
Clairo told Crack, “’Charm’ is a feeling you have. When you’re charmed, it’s that perfect blend of being goofy-eyed over a person – platonically, romantically – and not knowing how long it will last.” The record perfectly encapsulates these experiences while recognizing the internal struggles that come with allowing someone into your world. Charm is Clairo’s universe expanded; perhaps the most open she has ever been to her listeners. Charm is wanting to be desired, loved, and known at a distance. Yet, with Clairo’s authentic, carefully curated composition, distance is the last thing we feel from her. With her impending residencies and tour, fans are eager to experience the unfolding of Charm’s legacy.