To my tutor: I must admit that my Monday evening “meeting” was in fact with Clairo. But given it was St Patrick’s Day, I figured that I would have otherwise been in a pub (along with seemingly the rest of Edinburgh) from an early hour. And so, after months of waiting, I found myself in line for the second and final performance of the Charm tour at Glasgow’s O2 Academy.
The American singer-songwriter (real name Claire Cottrill) found initial fame through her viral 2017 track “Pretty Girl” which put her on the map as an exciting young artist. After success with her first two studio albums, Immunity and Sling, Clairo released Charm in July 2024. Its release was met with critical acclaim, lauding the musical development from her bedroom pop origins to a more developed, soul and jazz-infused record, and was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 67th Grammys.
After an enjoyable support set by June McDoom–who weaves soul and reggae influences into a folky sound–the crowd quickly filled the room in anticipation of Clairo’s arrival. From the outset, the performance was Charm by name, charm by nature, as the band entered to make casual conversation over glasses of red wine before finally rewarding the eager audience with the album’s first track, “Nomad”. Its maturity certainly comes out in person, as Clairo performs with the quiet confidence of someone who truly enjoys themselves on stage.
Not to mention, where some artists falter in reproducing the quality of their music in person, Cottrill and her talented band do right by her records. The use of the saxophone and flute was particularly impressive, bringing Charm’s distinct sound to the performance. Throughout the night, she weaved earlier music into a set that undoubtedly gave Charm centre stage. The biggest cheers from the audience, however, were brought about by Cottrill shouldering an electric guitar to play “Bags”, the lead single from Immunity and (in my opinion) her greatest anthem.
Since the beginning of her career at only nineteen, Clairo has cultivated an image of an “indie” musician who has amassed a following of loyal fans. It’s impressive to see that, despite her recent mainstream success, Clairo has maintained this aesthetic; I was even informed last year of a friend’s pursuit of “Not a brat but a Charm summer”. I did think, however, that the performance deserved more of an engaged audience overall. While better-known songs were met with rapture, the energy was lacking at times. This might be because Clairo’s career has at times been driven by singles that have found viral internet fame, such as “Sofia”.
Given that she’s currently balancing a loyal cult following with recent mainstream success, it makes more sense that her performance draws a crowd with mixed familiarity with her music. This position is something Clairo has come to adopt, with Charm drawing from a personal embrace of the line between familiarity and the undefined. Although not every song was met with the same enthusiasm awarded to her bigger hits, her performance in Glasgow was refined, playful, and (naturally) charming.
“Clairo @ El Rey 04 11 2019 (48498474122)” by Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.