Clairo

Clairo - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of Clairo

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer–songwriter.

This profile of Clairo covers Early Life and Family Background, Career and Rise to Fame, Legacy and Influence, Artistry and Activism.

Clairo began posting music on the internet at age 13 but rose to prominence following her viral video for her lo-fi single "Pretty Girl" in 2017. She then signed a recording contract with Fader Label and released her debut EP Diary 001 (2018). Her debut studio album, Immunity (2019), includes the singles "Bags" and "Sofia", the latter of which was her first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Cottrill's second studio album, Sling (2021) debuted in the top 20 of the US Billboard 200. Her third studio album, Charm (2024), was self-released and received a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.

Early Life and Family Background of Clairo

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill was born on August 18, 1998, in Atlanta. She is the daughter of Geoff Cottrill, a marketing executive who has worked for Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Converse, and TopGolf, and Allison 'Allie' Cottrill, a children's fashion photographer and designer. Her father's industry connections—he served as one of the founding executives of a recording studio in Brooklyn and secured her first recording contract—have sparked allegations that Clairo is a "nepo baby" or an "industry plant". She has a sister, Abby Cottrill.

She and her family lived in Atlanta until she was seven years old, whereupon they moved to Washington state for three years before settling in Carlisle, Massachusetts. She attended middle school in Carlisle and later attended Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord, Massachusetts, graduating in 2017.

In 2017, Clairo enrolled in the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University; but she dropped out after one year so she could pursue music full time. Bandier Program director Bill Werde encouraged Clairo to take time off, calling it a "rare opportunity."

Career and Rise to Fame of Clairo

When Clairo was 13 years old, she began learning to play guitar, first by way of formal lessons, but largely via tutorials on YouTube, copying hand movements. Clairo began recording cover versions on her laptop that year, beginning with a cover version of a Maroon 5 song. She recalled of this first recording

In her teens, MTV contacted her to record background music for an MTV television show, but the song never aired. She has posted music to Bandcamp under the monikers Clairo and DJ Baby Benz. She has also posted cover versions, songs, and DJ mixes of rap music on SoundCloud. Clairo uploaded three short films on a different YouTube channel and maintained a second channel for cover versions and short films.

She launched her EP Do U Wanna Fall in Love? In 2013 after releasing several home recordings. In 2015, she released more EPs of 3 or 4 songs each on Bandcamp: Aquarius Boy, Late Show, Moth Girl, Metal Heart, and Have a Nice Day.

Clairo first drew wide attention in late 2017 when the video for her song "Pretty Girl" went viral on YouTube. The song was recorded for an indie rock compilation benefiting the Transgender Law Center. According to her, she recorded the track "using the resources around me which were pretty shitty. I used like a little keyboard that I had and I was really into '80s pop music—my mom is obsessed with it—so it kind of inspired me to do something like that." She attributes audience interest in the video to YouTube's algorithm. Her music was categorized under the growing genre of bedroom pop, and her videos became popular on vaporwave-centric Facebook groups.

Another video, "Flaming Hot Cheetos", garnered 3 million views by July 2018.

The success of "Pretty Girl" led to interest from major labels such as Capitol, RCA, and Columbia. Her father knew Jon Cohen, the co-founder of The Fader, and he facilitated a recording contract for Clairo, who signed to FADER Label and was introduced to Pat Corcoran, manager of Chance the Rapper. She became a client of talent agency Haight Brand near the end of 2017. Clairo has acknowledged her social privilege via her father's industry connections.

In May 2018, FADER released Clairo's debut record, diary 001. In her review for Pitchfork, Fader contributor Sasha Geffen wrote that the EP ought to subside the "legions of naysayers who dismissed her as a one-hit fluke or an industry plant." Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times said that the EP "bridges both worlds, building on the coy, understated bedroom pop of 'Pretty Girl' and 'Flaming Hot Cheetos' toward sturdier numbers like '4EVER' and 'B.O.M.D.'" Also in May 2018, Clairo announced a headlining tour in North America, as well as select shows as a supporting act for Dua Lipa's Self-Titled Tour. Her July 2018 performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City was a sold-out show. She performed at Lollapalooza in August 2018 and at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019.

In May 2019, Clairo released "Bags" and announced her debut studio album Immunity, which was released in August 2019. She released two more singles from the album, "Closer to You" and "Sofia". Following the Immunity's commercial success, Apple Music named Clairo an Apple Music Up Next artist in August 2019.

Clairo made her television debut performing "I Wouldn't Ask You" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! In September 2019 and "Bags" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show a few days later.

In December 2019, she won Pop Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards for the second consecutive year, as well as Album of the Year for Immunity. "Bags" was included in over 15 critics' lists ranking the year's top songs including Pitchfork's and Paste's lists of best songs of the decade. Immunity was included in over 10 "Best of 2019" lists, including those of The Guardian (20th), Pitchfork (18th), Billboard (22nd), and the Los Angeles Times (5th). During the tour to support the album, Clairo was so stressed that her hair began to fall out and she lost a significant amount of weight, eating only two small portions a day.

Since 2019, Clairo has been managed by Mike Ahern and Jimmy Bui.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Clairo moved in with her family in Atlanta.

In October 2020, she formed a new band called Shelly with indie pop artist Claud and their two friends from Syracuse University, Josh Mehling and Noa Frances Getzug. The group released two songs, "Steeeam" and "Natural", in October 2020.

In June 2021, Clairo debuted "Blouse", the first single from her second studio album, Sling. The album was released in July 2021, co-produced by Jack Antonoff, and was praised for Clairo's artistic progression and thematic songwriting as it pondered future motherhood, domesticity, and the responsibility of becoming a caregiver. It appeared on "Best albums of 2021" lists by The Guardian (29th), NME (14th), and Stereogum (19th). The cover of the album features a dog that Clairo adopted in December 2020.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairo), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.