With the summer quickly approaching, accumulating some new music is a necessity for LHS students. Clairo’s music is worthy of making it onto summer playlists.

The release of music from Claire Cottrill, the young singer under the stage name Clairo, draws parallel to the voice of alt-rocker Grimes, sound of the ambient beats of Oh Wonder or the purposefully lo-fi (or low quality) recordings of a subgroup of SoundCloud artists. Since her breakthrough single, “Pretty Girl,” made its debut as an arguably cheesy, PhotoBooth-recorded single for YouTube in 2017, she has amassed an audience, no doubt with the inclusion of listeners of the aforementioned creators. However, the college student has solidified her idiosyncrasy and distinctified herself from the emergence of her viral success.

With the release of her first set of tracks, an EP entitled ‘diary 001,’ Clairo carves out a new path, as New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli remarks.

“Both a culmination and a beginning, the release on Friday of Clairo’s debut six-song EP, ‘diary 001,’ marks a bizarre period of flux for the singer, whose woozy, homemade pop concoctions are blooming into something bigger,” said Coscarelli.

In the 21st century, homegrown musical successes are not rare. If anything, they have become a cacophony of one hit wonders and cringe-worthy moments. Yet, the gradual rise of Clairo’s popularity stands out. The authenticity of her bedroom-celebrity persona—not engineered by the music industry—has made for a casual, comfortable approach to stardom.

On ‘diary 001,’ released last Friday, Clairo stuck true to herself while bending into the waves of multiple genres. It seems impossible to neatly categorize the EP which lasts just 15 minutes and contains only six songs, other than the continuity of her lo-fi brand.

“Hello?,” the first track on the EP, strikes out adventurously with the spiffy rap feature of Rejjie Snow. Promptly following comes the already released song “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” which thrives lyrically as it wanders aimlessly while the beat travels elsewhere. “Is it ever gonna change? / Am I gonna feel this way forever?,” Clairo belts on “4EVER.” The anthemic tune comes two tracks later and takes the cake; the fast-paced bop is undoubtedly perfect for jamming out in the shower, air guitars and all. Perhaps, the one complaint that listeners of the artist might hold out on is for a longer album with more songs.

Clairo’s trajectory is seemingly only upward-bound; with her twinkling sonic predilections and down-to-earth personality, the unique singer is sure to make a name for herself.

For the rest of the New York Times article on Clairo, click here: Clairo’s ‘Pretty Girl’ Went Viral. Then She Had to Prove Herself.