On July 12, 2024, Clairo released her third album entitled “Charm”. Clairo announced this album on May 23 when releasing the lead single of the album, “Sexy To Somebody.” Charm became Clairo’s first top 10 album, ranking number eight on the US Billboard 200. Charm is a jazzy, soft rock album, has 11 tracks and is 38 minutes long. Clairo said that charm is “a collection of warmth.” It’s a very cozy and warm album, almost like being under warm blankets on a rainy day. It’s an enchanting new album.
“Nomad”- 9/10
“Nomad” is a great opener for “Charm”. It starts slow and then starts to pick up in the chorus. It really sets the tone for the rest of the album with its light and flowy nature, almost dreamlike. “Nomad” follows themes of solitude, heartbreak and struggling between finding deep connections and being emotionally hurt. It as well is a perfect song for gazing outside the car window.
“Sexy to somebody”- 9/10
This song encapsulated what it’s like to want to be desired even when alone. The lyrics and beat are catchy and soft. It kinda feels like you’re listening to friends tell their deep longing secrets.“Sexy to Someone” is nothing more, nothing less a song of warm instrumentals ,soft melodies and feelings that I feel many of us have had. “Sexy to Someone” perfectly shows the longing of being wanted.
“Second nature”- 8/10
Here Clario sings of the easiness of loving someone almost like it’s “Second nature.” It’s carefree and light like a feather. Much of the same warm instrumentation and soft voice.
The start of the song starts with laughter and “dadadadadada’s” almost like the person’s laugh is music to Clairo’s world. Then it starts with the piano almost showing different stages of loving someone and how effortless it starts to become or “second nature.”
“Slow Dance”-8/10
There’s a constant piano playing in “Slow Dance” that almost feels like rain in the background, almost as if the couple in the song is having a “dance” or back and forth in the rain. “Slow Dance” is a very melancholic track on “Charm” about Clario being uncertain in her relationship with her partner and why they seem so distant from Clario. The soft melody and soft piano make this song so peaceful and so flowy all at once. “Slow Dance” wonderfully demonstrates the feeling left in the dark form of what your partner has been feeling which leaves you confused and seeking answers.
“Thank you”- 9/10
“Thank you” is faster than the past four songs with a faster piano and beat that makes you wanna bop your head back and forth. This song is all about the importance of gratitude and vulnerability. Clario’s concept in the song is more than just thanking those you love which is also important, but it’s about her thanking all her previous casual lovers for meeting her need for a while as well as entertaining her. “Thank you” as well has a similar instrumentation to one of Clario’s previous song, “Amoeba”, and has more spontaneous and eccentric melodies.
“Terrapin”- 7/10
Though it’s my least favorite song, it’s still a fantastic song and very sweet. I just prefer others over it. “Terrapin” is a light jazzy song but really shows the incredible skills of the band. The purpose of “Terrapin” is to introduce the band when played live so its instrumentation is not my favorite but the instrumentation makes sense because it instead showcases Clario’s band itself.
“Juna”- 9/10
“Terrapin” and “Juna” are almost like sisters in the way that they are both very jazzy and have a lot of similar vocals, but “Juna” in my option is the far superior of the two because the lyrics of “Juna” are so catchy and the so is the instrumentation it just makes you smile. “Juna” is all about the exploration of intimacy and vulnerability at the start of relationships and how nice it is for someone to know you and for you to know them.
“Add Up My Love”- 8/10
“Add Up My Love” was probably the most upbeat of all the songs. It’s so fun and makes you want to do a little dance and sing along to its catchy lyrics. This groovy song is one that you would see in a summer montage in a cute rom com
movie. “Add Up My Love” is the after stage of a break up but it’s been long enough that you can properly process it and the thought of how the other half is dealing with the break-up.
Echo- 7.5/10
“Echo” almost feels more spooky and almost like halloweeny than all of the other previous songs. The song could be seen as some in a secret relationship, “Our love is meant to be shared. While our love goes nowhere,” like the main character of the song is kind of tired of being in a secret relationship and wants the love to be more open and more shown instead of locked in.
Glory Of The Snow- 8/10
This song is all about fuzzy feelings of past memories of loving someone but it’s as well very cherry and sweet. “Glory Of The Snow” is more specifically for Clario, a song about one of her first relationships with a girl and reflecting on past love and memories, and how this girl was someone who made everything light, flowy, and easy. It’s a super cute and upbeat track that’s a ton of fun to listen to and feels like looking out from a balcony and listening to the morning birds.
Pier 4 – 10/10
“Pier 4”, the conclusion of the album, is the most heartbreaking song on the album. This song is a soft, quiet and acoustic ballad that sings a truly sad tale in an almost cutesy melody. “Pier 4” has devastating lyrics like “What’s the cost of it, of being loved/When close is not close enough?” Clario explores wanting to completely disappear while in a relationship even though this is the kind of closeness she’s been waiting and yearning for. “Pier 4” delves into themes of loneliness, finding yourself and the constant seeking of genuine connection.
