There are many places pop stars are discovered, but to find a singer who makes extremely brilliant music from inside the comfort of her own bedroom is special.
Claire Cottrill, also known as Clairo, is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Boston and a student at Syracuse University who rose to stardom by becoming a YouTube sensation. Clairo’s fame came from videos of cover songs by The Cure, Phil Phillips, Amy Winehouse and more.
The authentic videos make her persona relatable. Clairo’s song covers consist of a webcam, her guitar and herself, which was enough to attract the attention of millions of fans.
Clairo’s first big hit was a song called “Pretty Girl,” which she released on YouTube in August 2017, garnering 8.6 million views. The song is short, simple and sweet, but the simplicity of it and its lyrics makes it all the more attractive, especially to young girls.
“Pretty Girl” is about girls being someone they’re not to impress their significant other, and Clairo’s music video for the song makes it all the more ironic. In the video, a makeup-less Clairo sits on her bed in front of her laptop’s webcam and shows off her quirky self by dancing carelessly to the lyrics of her song.
The song features lines like, “I can be a pretty girl I’ll wear a skirt for you … I can be a pretty girl shut up when you want me to.”
These two lines in particular represent the sarcasm present in the song. Sadly, it’s easy for girls today to get so caught up in caring about what others think that they end up losing themselves.
It’s clear by her carelessness in the music video that Clairo wants her fans to know they don’t have to be someone they’re not to get people to like them. This worked out for Clairo, because her true, silly self is what earned her right to fame.
Since “Pretty Girl,” Clairo has released a few other singles that blew up immediately, such as “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” “How Was Your Day?” featuring Mellow Fellow and “2 Hold U.”
Clairo recently performed with Tyler the Creator, Brockhampton and Steve Lacy at The Observatory in California, which helped get her name out across the country. Additionally, Clairo has been chosen to be the cover of Spotify’s newest genre “Bedroom Pop,” described by Spotify as a list of “dreamy songs from the best bedroom producers.”
Clairo’s refreshingly real image, inspirational message through her lyrics and dreamy, voice are what make her a standout internet sensation. Due to her instant success, it’s clear that Clairo has big things ahead of her.