clairo’s “pretty girl” come up
by sam elfanbaum
As of the past two decades, media has been transformed into a digital space of everflowing ideas and characters. Many things come along with change, especially when talking about mediums. Today, our medium of conversation will be the internet, and our specific platform, YouTube. One of the best representations of the digital age that immediately comes to mind is Clairo’s, “Pretty Girl,” a song that was interpreted into a video. She didn’t have a big following before she posted this dorm room music video but after she clicked publish, she gained millions of fans and followers overnight. This is not uncommon for our generation of Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, but I feel as though this video is a viable representation of what encompasses social media and the culture of viral videos as a whole.
In the newly-crowned popstar’s viral video, she is seen sitting on her bed bobbing her head and singing along with the song, while playing with a plethora of random objects in her room. The song (interpreted from one of the few video interviews with Clairo on the internet) is about expected standards of women from men and how they can be controlling and want women to be the stereotypical domestic servant that media has portrayed in the past. The battle for equality as been escalated in the digital age, giving activists and motivators a bigger platform. This video could not have gone viral the way that it did without being on the internet. Instead of all dressed up, doing stereotypical “girly” things, Clairo is simply sitting in her bed, doing normal childlike things. Clairo is showing everyone in a very vulnerable state that it is okay to be different. In an interview about the video, Clairo talks about how she’s wearing makeup from the night before and that she hadn’t planned on making the video but she felt as though the concept was very fitting for the message of the song as a whole. She knowingly displays the quirky side of herself. This is something that seems to catch the attention of the viewers — in the comments section, some describe the college student as relatable.
In our fully-indulged digital generation, we have been introduced to social media platforms that can be accessed by virtually anybody. Consumers clicking on these posts generate views, plays or other engagement with our posts that other mediums just can’t offer. Clairo took advantage of this medium, specifically YouTube, and uploaded her video not knowing what the response would look like. Since YouTube is a platform in which countless users create and/or view, the chance that her video would be heard is one in millions. What makes this success story even more interesting is that the genre of her music is very niche, and was termed after that one song, “Pretty Girl” got recognized, as “Bedroom Pop.” This genre consists of low-fi hip-hop inspired beats with a cute vocal melody to finish it off. It’s kind of like a complexity- reduced version of pop music, but mixed with an alternative aesthetic. I first came across this genre when originally stumbling upon Clairo’s video, as many people have by now. The genre has its own official spotify playlist, and more and more artists emerge out of the genre every day. This genre could not have been created in any other time than in our digital age, as it uses electrically emulated instruments programmed in music production programs like Logic Pro, Ableton Live and more — programs new to us as of the late 90’s and early 2000s. Ever since Clairo’s video effectively created bedroom pop, we have seen countless originally small, niche bands and artists come to rise up under the genre’s name. Some of these artists are (but not limited to, obviously) Still Woozy, Yellow Days, Boy Pablo, Banes World, etc. It is clear that the viral video has had an enormous impact on the niche music scene.
Clairo made a statement that music doesn’t have to be this high definition recording that cost a fortune to create — but that it can be as simple as recording a video on your computer camera in your bedroom. This idea has the potential to inspire artists who are just getting on their feet to pursue the electronic world of music. Clairo is also one of the many examples of a youtube page leading to massive fame. Since her ascension to popstar status, she has played some of the largest music festivals in the nation, including Lollapalooza.
I believe that until the next “big thing” comes along, the internet will continue to be the biggest birthplace of artists and motivators. in this current day of age, it is the single most powerful tool available to the public for getting a message out. Thanks to the internet, anyone has the potential to be famous.
