Quarantine Brought Clairo Close to Her Parents and Her Real Ambitions in Life

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, better known professionally as Clairo, became a Gen Z musical icon for her deeply unreserved lyrics.

But she ended up wondering whether she wanted to stick with music. The singer was 19 when her bedroom-pop song ‘Pretty Girl’ went viral on YouTube.

She then released her debut album Immunity, which expanded her bedroom pop sound, as she ruminated on heartbreak, life-saving friendships, and swinging both ways.

Her refined production struck a chord with millions of Gen Z fans, and thanks to that, she got to tour relentlessly. But as Clairo’s career took off, her anxiety and depression heightened. 

During the Immunity tour, Clairo was so stressed that her hair began to fall out, and she was eating only two small portions a day. As a result, she lost a significant amount of weight and thought of quitting music. 

But when the pandemic hit, the musician realized she needed to slow her life down. 

Realizations During Quarantine 

Clairo headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend the lockdown with her family, which went on for eight months.

As she lived with her parents and older sister for the first time in years, she had the opportunity to deepen her relationship with her mother. 

During an interview with the Guardian, the musician opened up about the conversations she had with her mother. 

The conversations I had with my mom about motherhood, and the things she sacrificed for us, are really important to me.

She added that talking to her mother made her realize she was just more than just her mother and that she was an individual.

She iterated that her mother was an individual before becoming a wife and mother, but no one knew about it because it wasn't documented as much.

It also made her contemplate parenthood. She realized that someday when she becomes a parent, her own identity before marriage and motherhood would disappear just like her mother's had, which she admitted scared her. 

The musician also revealed that the pandemic made her prioritize her mental health and that there was more to life than music. 

Inspirations of Her Upcoming Album

Her realization and existential ideas from her conversations with her mother and her new pet dog, Joanie, brought the themes of Clairo’s much-anticipated second album Sling into focus. 

Clairo adopted Joanie to introduce domesticity in her life. Not only is Joanie cradled in her arms on the cover of her upcoming album, but there’s even a track named after her.

In a statement posted on her Twitter account, she also thanked her dog for giving her purpose. 

For her, Sling is cozy and introspective. It reflects the changes she wants from life, now that she has matured and has had a taste of fame.

She voices her regrets and talks about putting her mental health first. 

Sling is set for release on July 16.