Clairo’s third album charmed us this summer
Clairo added up her love on July 12, 2024, by releasing her third studio album, “Charm.” “Charm” was launched under her own record label, Clairo Records LLC, has 11 songs and plays for 38 minutes.
This album is perfect for the transition from spring to summer, transporting listeners to a cozy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Clairo is famous for her soft and melancholic sound, which shines throughout “Charm.”
The most popular song off the album currently is “Juna,” like many other songs featured on the record, it went viral on Tiktok. On Spotify alone it has over 39 million streams. “Juna” is about feeling well known by someone. I liked this track, but it is greatly overrated. The song’s popularity caused it to be overplayed, becoming almost annoying.
I liked the enchanting sound of the album. There were no tracks I strongly disliked, especially not enough to skip. Every song melts into the next, which creates a seamless listening experience. On the other hand, I disliked how little creative risks Clairo took on this project. Since all the songs sound similar, it can make tracks forgettable. In future projects I hope Clairo is less safe and experiments more with musical production.
The aspects of “Charm” that stood out to me the most were the blend of Clairo’s vocals and the music’s production. After hearing “Charm” for the first time, I immediately replayed the album. My favorite song on the record is “Glory of the Snow” because of its title and catchy beat. “Glory of the Snow” is the name of a flower, symbolizing new life.
“Charm” is my second favorite album by Clairo, as I prefer its predecessor, “Sling,” because of its emotional vulnerability. “Sling’s” raw and relatable subject matter left a greater impact on me, while “Charm” was more fun and upbeat, but less memorable.
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to “Charm”. In Clairo’s previous records, the production overshadowed her vocals. But now, since every song on the album was recorded live in New York, I found it very refreshing to actually be able to hear Clairo’s voice.
