Welcome to Hall of Fame! In this article, we take a look at different artists or bands each week and explore their history, best albums, and biggest hits!
For this week's chosen artist, we will be looking at Clairo.
Clairo | Source: Spotify
Clairo
Backstory
Clairo, also known as Claire Cottrill, has been around since 2017. Rising to fame exponentially with her 2017 release titled ‘Pretty Girl’. With her initial step into the online world, posting covers and original tracks, people definitely noticed there was DEFINITELY talent shown.
There is a bit of a “nepo-baby” reputation surrounding Clairo’s upbringing and her initial rise within the music industry. Her father, Geoff Cottrill, holds the role of marketing executive within a large advertising firm. Supplying their services to clients such as Coca-Cola and beyond. It’s clear to see why people might assume there was more push behind the scenes when it comes to Clairo, but that does not take away from the amount of talent shown within her initial come-up!
If you would like to see her first original track, ‘Pretty Girl,’ you can watch it here:
Clairo
Top 5 Tracks
Chosen by me, below are Clairo’s top 5 tracks across all of their releases.
- Bags
- Flaming Hot Cheetos
- 4EVER
- I Wouldn’t Ask You
- Glue Song – Beabadoobee & Clairo
Honestly, this top 5 is pretty consistent in themes when it comes down to it. Primarily, they all cover the indie-pop / bedroom pop sphere. This encapsulates a lot of what I was listening to within Lockdown. But Clairo has always stood out to me.
She is, as a lot of people would say, a yearner. Especially covering the themes of anxiety and awkwardness surrounding young love and relationships. If you are a big fan of “whisper pop”, especially soft and breathy vocals, make sure to check out the tracks I have listed!!
Clairo
Chosen by Jamie
Are You Bored Yet? (Feat. Clairo)
Are You Bored Yet? Album Art | Source: Spotify
Now, this is not my favourite track with Clairo, but it was the first track I heard with her on it. Featuring the band Wallows, it still incorporates the indie-pop / bedroom pop vibe covered within her own tracks and others she is featured on.
Initially, the track featured ONLY Wallows’ vocals within the track. Having their vocals pitched up in the second verse, they definitely wanted a female vocalist featured on it. Being such big fans of Clairo, they decided to reach out to her in the hopes of her wanting to collaborate on the track. Luckily enough for them, she was 100% on board. Becoming the female vocalist on the song and rewriting the verse / becoming a co-writer on the project.
Making sure to combine the indie guitar-driven vibes Wallows brings to the table while also involving Clairo’s tape-drive, lo-fi pop aesthetic, it was clearly a match made in heaven, which is shown in the fact that the track alone has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. If you are interested, make sure to give this track a listen if you have the time!
Clairo
Featured Album
Immunity
Immunity Album | Source: Spotify
Tracklist
1. Alewife
2. Impossible
4. North
5. Bags
6. Softly
7. Sofia
8. White Flag
10. Sinking
Immunity, which is an 11-track album, is the first full-length album I checked out from Clairo, all the way back in 2019. This album was co-produced by the former Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij; it still stands as one of her most monumental releases to date. Featuring tracks such as Sofia, Bags & Softly, it has stayed as one of her most listened-to and favourable amongst her fans.
One of the main themes she covers throughout this album is her struggle with sexuality. Especially as a queer woman. Including the battles with her mental and physical health that come with that and living with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which alone is what inspired the title of the album, Immunity.
Clairo Performing Bags | Source: YouTube
Sofia and Alewife are the two most hard-hitting tracks on this project. Sofia encapsulates her struggles within her own sexuality. Battling with the confusion and mental health toll it had on her, while also, on a lighter side, talking about her crushes on celebrity women, such as Sofia Coppola and Sofia Vergara.
Alewife is one of the most vulnerable tracks Clairo has put out. The opener on the album features a haunting instrumental, where she continuously shows gratitude and thankfulness towards her friend, who was one of the main people who stopped her from attempting suicide.
Definitely, an album I recommend listening to in full, especially while you have no distractions!
What do you think about Clairo? Have you listened to her before, or is this your first time hearing about Clairo? Let us know in the comments below, and remember, we are always open to suggestions
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