Claire Cottrill, better known as Clairo, hit it big in 2019 when the video for her song “Pretty Girl” went viral on YouTube. She continued to grow her audience when she dropped her album Immunity, which spoke to her younger audience. Jack Antonoff, a co-writer of her newest album, Sling, says Claire has an “incredible toughness through sensitivity”. I’m a sucker for a good sad song, especially one where the writer has no shame in their emotions. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and it’s good to not feel alone in that way. If you like music like Clairo’s, here are a few other songs that go with her vibe.
“pinball” by Corey Harper
I saw Corey Harper live when he opened for Niall Horan back in 2017 and I loved him. Harper’s voice is only accompanied by a guitar, giving this song a more intimate feel. It’s about a couple knowing they aren’t good for each other and finally making the decision to part ways.
“Unrequited Love (& other cliches)” by Breakup Shoes
This one starts out slow and sad, slowly building up to be louder as the tone builds up with anger. The title pretty much says it all: it’s about unrequited love. When you feel like you’ve done everything you could to get someone to like you, but all efforts fail.
“To the Mountains” by Lizzy McAlpine
A trope that seems to dominate this type of indie music is a connection to nature. If this was a Clairo song, it would definitely belong to her newest album “Sling”. It’s about a girl finding peace in nature and escaping a seemingly toxic relationship. The tone is calm throughout the song though, showing the acceptance of her permanent getaway.
“Weekly” by DENTON
This song aligns with Clairo’s more upbeat songs rather than her usually chill ones. It’s actually by one of my favorite YouTubers, Nick Green, and his band made up of him and his brother. Its uplifting tone distracts the listeners from the meaning of the song, the cycle of living the same week over and over again.
