INDIE QUEEN CLAIRO
“Sofia” + More Great Songs From A New Star
Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, or Clairo, is the newest young face of bedroom pop. Her sweet voice and delicate style have had us falling in love with her indie vibe since her 2017 debut, and recently, she’s been having an online moment that we know will continue to translate into something bigger.
Clairo started recording songs when she was just 13 years old. She began posting covers, original tracks, and DJ mixes to Bandcamp and Soundcloud in high school. Eventually, she started a YouTube channel, where her career as a musician took off.
The music video for Clairo’s self-recorded and produced song “Pretty Girl” went viral on YouTube in 2017. Her video for “Flamin’ Hot Cheetos” soon followed. Clairo quickly racked up millions of views and drew the major record labels’ attention, too. She also signed with FADER Label that year.
In May 2018, Clairo released her first EP to rave reviews. Soon after, she announced she’d be touring North America and opening for Dua Lipa. She performed at Lollapalooza that year and Coachella in 2019.
2019 also brought Clairo’s celebrated debut album Immunity. Although we don’t like to play favorites, the most notable song on the tracklist was the single “Sofia,” which has only recently become one of her biggest hits to date. In a Facebook post, Clairo, who is openly bisexual, explained it was written in honor of some of the first older women she had crushes on –– Sofia Vergara and Sofia Coppola.
Although “Sofia” came out more than a year ago, it’s only recently become a hit. The song made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 just days ago after going viral on TikTok.
Clairo’s other major hit of the year is a collaborative track with the indie rock group The Wallows. “Are You Bored Yet?” is a sweet and dreamy love song with a wicked and catchy melody. It was released more than a year ago but recently picked up steam on the indie charts. (Also worth noting: the music video for the song features Noah Centineo.)
Clairo’s short career is full of sleeper hits gone viral. We’re already speculating which of her sweet tunes will shoot up the charts next.
