CLARIO SEXUALITY SERIES

“Joanie” shows us how Clairo is concerning herself less with the workings of people, and that focus has turned inward as she tries to understand herself. When people have put her through so much, she knows she can be content with just her and her dog. Cottrill finds respite in the wordless communication and reciprocal affection between her and Joanie. The love Clairo has for her dog is evident from her adorable feature on Sling’s album cover, and the lack of lyrics feels like a testament to their relationship. “Joanie” is a tender instrumental ode to Clairo’s adopted dog, coming just after the heartbreaking “Just For Today”. It’s refreshing to see an artist whose image and perception has been debated so ruthlessly in the public discourse and by industry executives since her viral introduction gaining such self-assurance.

Instead of running from her issues, Clairo is ready to be still, embracing quiet contemplation. But she celebrates the quiet stillness the pandemic brought, saying, “I won’t be worrying anyone on tour”. Clairo sings about the night she called the Suicide Hotline, desperate to discover when she’ll grow out of the anxiety and depression that has chased her through her youth.

“Just For Today” comes right after, and is a powerful portrait of her mental health. “Harbor myself away from everyone else, I’m half awake and intimate, eyes closed and I’ll commit, what I wish I had with you, I’ll pretend until I do,” she sings, recognizing that she can’t run from being alone. “Harbor” marks the beginning of the apex of these epiphanies, with Cottrill quietly hoping she’ll take care of her future self as she realizes her relationship is over. The past 5 years have been a whirlwind for Cottrill, and she’s had to rapidly learn that not everyone will like you, not everyone will stay for long, and that you can only find peace if you learn to be content alone. ‘Sling’ really shows Clairo’s growth from that teenager dancing in her bedroom. There’s a self-assurance inherent in that line, where Clairo has begun to realize her values and beliefs, and recognize the clash between her inner and external universe. As Clairo has grown, she’s less concerned with fitting into this new world she’s found herself in. “I’m stepping inside a universe designed against my own beliefs,” she sings on the Sling’s opening track “Bambi”.

In some ways, the album reflected the innate insecurity of being a young person, where you lack the context and experience that reveals who you are and who you aren’t. ‘Immunity’ showed us a young artist deeply connected to their own vivid inner world, yet searching for a point of entry into others’. What’s more heartbreaking than that realization is how Clairo chooses to process it, singing, “If touch could make them hear, then touch me now.” It’s a portrait of the grueling emotional commitment women in the music industry must make, and the tragedy of that final chorus line makes us hear her plea to truly listen. But to Clairo, it felt like everyone around her was more concerned with her image as a Gen Z icon, pushing her to use her sexuality as a PR asset. On ‘Immunity’, Clairo told us all how she felt all the time, giving us a unique window into her internal world as she interacted with friends and lovers alike. It was a bittersweet track, with the young artist wondering, “Why do I tell you how I feel, when you’re too busy looking down the blouse?”. The song was much more restrained than anything off ‘Immunity’, with Clairo’s soft, wafting voice and a fingerpicked acoustic guitar as its centerpieces. From the moment I heard “Blouse”, I knew to expect the unexpected on this new record. Then on June 11 th, Clairo shared the single “Blouse”, announcing her new album ‘Sling’ would be released the subsequent month. The album painted a portrait of a young artist who is keenly aware of her own emotional insightfulness but is quietly searching for the secret to understanding those around her.

CLARIO SEXUALITY SERIES

‘Immunity’ was a record that maintained the youthfulness of her homegrown projects, lingering on the stolen glances, private desires, and the unadulterated giddiness of being young, naïve, and experiencing everything as a series of “firsts”. ‘Immunity’ beautifully inducted Clairo into the indie pop world, sealing her commercial success with “Sofia”. In the summer of 2019, her debut studio LP ‘Immunity’ was released, and this became our first look at the artist Clairo would become.

Clario sexuality