Back in 2018, edroom pop superstar Clairo came out as bisexual. Now, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter, real name Claire Cottrill, is getting real about her relationship to queerness, including her aversion to any concrete labels.
“I don’t care for labels at all,” she said in a new interview with Seventeen. “I believe people should like who they want and no one should have a problem with it. I’ve had a better experience with my queerness once I just shut the f*ck up and let it happen to me.”
“If I date a girl, I date a girl. If I date a guy, I date a guy,” Cottrill continued. “I also understand that people benefit from drawing a hard line for themselves — having a clear path is also important. It varies person to person. Being queer is a huge part of who I am. I felt so free once I understood that I love anybody and everybody. I’ll kiss anyone.”
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Cottrill also reflected on trying to define her sexuality in her teenage years and the pressure of coming out.
“We’ve all taken the ‘Am I gay?’ tests,” she said. “The coming-of-age part of it is questioning. I wish I could go back and tell myself I don’t need a definite answer. I can still be curious, date, and kiss who I want. I don’t have to wake up and decide who I am by a certain day. That was the first time in my life that I had to be okay with not having an answer.”
When the interviewer pointed out the inherent fluidity of queerness, Cottrill replied, “It’s really beautiful. It feels good to be queer.”
Cottrill’s third studio album, Charm, released last summer, earning her a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album, Cottrill’s first nod from the Recording Academy. This summer, she’s heading out on the festival circuit, including appearances at Coachella, Primavera Sound, The Governors Ball, Hinterland, and Lollapalooza. You can find more info on her touring dates on Cottrill’s website.
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