Claire Cottrill, more commonly known as Clairo released her third studio album on July 12th, 2024. The album has garnered a lot of attention since its release, gaining over 5.5 million streams on its first day on Spotify. Now the album has reached over 247 million streams on the platform.
Charm is an alternative/indie album and really shows how far Clairo has come on her music journey. With 11 songs and a runtime of 38 minutes, the album seems short but every song leaves me wanting more. The production that was put into it is clearly built through a love of music and a passion to deliver art that Clairo is satisfied by, but also gives the fans what they want.
Though Clairo has seen some criticism against the album because some feel as though it is repetitive and isn’t innovative, I believe that it perfectly captivates Clairo’s sound as an artist and what she wants to do with her music.
My favorite track has to be “Nomad”. It is the first song on the album and I feel as though it is a great example of the sound of Charm and what you will hear throughout its duration.
Another great track off the album is “Juna”. “Juna” really stands out to me because of its instrumentals and because this is the first time she has done a music video for a song in six years, with her last music video being for her smash hit “Pretty Girl”, which was released in 2018. During an interview with Jimmy Fallon on his talk show she performed the song and stated, “I made that song thinking it was not going to be huge.” I think it was the perfect song to use for a music video, and I enjoyed the visuals of her watching a wrestling match. She decided to use the ring for the video because she is a big fan of independent wrestling and wanted fans to see her passion for the sport, which most fans may not know.
Clairo is currently promoting Charm on tour where she will be having 20 shows in the United States. She began her tour in Dallas, Texas on September 27th of this year and it will conclude in Atlanta, Georgia on November 7th. Her tour doesn’t end there though, she will pick back up for her European tour in Dublin, Ireland on March 3rd of 2025. She will end her tour on March 20th in the city of Manchester, United Kingdom with her 10th and final show in Europe.
Overall, Charm has led me to become an even bigger fan of Clairo’s work. I have listened to the album about 10 times, and every time I do I fall in love with it more and more. Clairo’s unique sound is a perfect escape for me and allows me to relax when I need it. I recommend this album to everyone in hopes of introducing them to this melodic masterpiece.