The Sofia and Bags singer spoke about her opinions on labels and coming out
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE VIA FLICKR
Clairo’s music always seems to embody the queer experience. Back in 2019, when she sang: “Sofia, know that you and I shouldn’t feel like a crime”, she quickly became a firm fixture on sapphic playlists. But, the year before, when she publicly came out as bi, she said she never wanted to be put in a box as a queer musician. Now, she has opened up about being queer and the big part it plays in who she is.
Speaking to Seventeen, Clairo said: “I don’t care for labels.” To the singer-songwriter, people should be able to like who they like without the need to put a name on how they feel. “I’ve had a better experience with my queerness once I just shut the f*** up and let it happen to me.” But she added that she understands that labels are important to many people, especially as “being queer is a huge part” of who she is now.
“I felt so free once I understood that I love anybody and everybody,” shared Clairo. “I’ll kiss anyone.” She added that the fluidity and curiosity that comes with figuring out who you are is a beautiful experience. That freedom and honesty was part of why her music became so beloved by her sapphic listeners.
Despite how many of her sapphic fans have reacted to Clairo’s music, the singer hasn’t always loved her own music, especially hits like Sofia, which she has often chosen not to play on tour. As she explained on X, the song was about one of her first crushes on women and her attempt at making a celebratory song that still maintained the cheesy feeling of professing your love. But she was not that person on tour and felt she didn’t click with the song in the same way. “I didn’t think people would mind that I didn’t play it,” she said. “But it became a problem.”
However, she added that she has now “squashed the beef” with the song, primarily thanks to the connection fans have with it. She also seems to have embraced her position as representation for young bi women. “I want to hold their hand through things,” she said. “I make music based on my own experiences so it feels as real as possible.”
And how does her experience feel? “It feels really good to be queer.”
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