What is Clairo shade?
‘Clairo shade’ is an inside joke for fans of the musician Clairo. The phrase is a niche meme mostly enjoyed by fans of Clairo, an indie alternative musician. Fans like to point at random, arbitrary things like celebrity gossip and say, “Clairo shade,” meaning that the thing is an insult to Clairo (even when it’s usually not). It’s a fun way to poke fun at the singer’s fandom. Examples: “They’re playing Taylor Swift in this Target but not Clairo? Clairo shade.” “What do you mean your favorite musician is Elton John? That’s Clairo shade.” “I shuffled my music and it didn’t immediately play Clairo? Shade.” What does “shade” mean? “Shade” is a low-key insult. To “throw shade” or to “shade” someone or something is to diss it, but not overtly or super aggressively. It’s more of a sly, low-key kind of insult, related to “shady,” which means sketchy or sneaky. The term was popularized through Black and LGBTQ+ cultures in the ‘80s, but Jane Austen actually used the term “throwing shade” to mean exactly this definition way back in 1814 in her novel Mansfield Park!
Where did ‘Clairo shade’ come from?
‘Clairo shade’ started in 2018 in an X/Twitter discussion. In 2018, the musician LIZ took to X/ Twitter in a post to complain about artists who claimed to be “independent” and “DIY” musicians…but were actually industry plants. The user @RyLou_95 responded with “Clairo shade?” as a way to say, “Are you shading Clairo?” or, “Are you referring to Clairo?” Although Clairo was never mentioned by name, she still got pulled into the discussion, which would serve as the blueprint for Clairo shade memes to come. The response itself didn’t go viral, but it’s the first known use of the phrase online. Clairo got dragged into the “industry plant” discussion because of her family background. Her father, Geoff Cottrill, is a former music executive with extensive ties and resources in the music industry.
‘Clairo shade’ went viral in 2024 in an X/Twitter discussion of Katy Perry. In July 2024, pop musician Katy Perry revealed the album cover for her upcoming record 143. The user @saintmacklin quote-tweeted the announcement with a far-fetched (and likely satirical) conspiracy theory about how the announcement was intended as ‘Clairo shade.’ The tweet went semi-viral with 14k likes and counting (as of July 2025), and from there, other users began to joke about everything being possible “Clairo shade.” The full tweet by @saintmacklin reads, “This might be Clairo shade bc 1, 4, and 3 respectively correspond the letters to ‘A’ ‘D’ ‘C’ in the Latin alphabet, which could stand for ‘And Die, Clairo’……..”
The meme peaked in August 2024 with the ‘Clairo Shade’ cake. The X/Twitter user @polarseltzer posted a photo of a pink cake with the words “Clairo Shade” written on it in green icing and the caption, “whole party lowkey felt like clairo shade.” The user later posted, “entire birthday party immediately ending because oomf [one of my friends] fell through the skylight.” The party itself became a sort of meme in the Clairo fandom, known as “The Lesbian Bushwick Party Where the Twink Fell Through the Roof.” Another user, @_garrettcharles, posted about how they regret “not getting a video of the twink crashing through the skylight,” and fans figured out that the user was referencing the same infamous party. Has Clairo responded to Clairo shade? Clairo later responded to the meme in an interview with GQ, saying, “I don’t really think it’s that deep.”
Who is Clairo?
Clairo is a popular American singer-songwriter. Born in 1998 as Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, Clairo is a popular musician who first came into fame in 2017 with the release of her lo-fiiinspired song, “Pretty Girl.” Since then, Clairo has released 3 studio albums and amassed a large following, touring around the world and even playing events like Coachella, with politician Bernie Sanders himself introducing her at the festival. Clairo is known for her chilled-out, down-tempo, pop-folk- and RnB-inspired sound. Clairo was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 17, which has influenced some of her music.
Is Clairo LGBTQ?
Yes, Clairo identifies as bisexual. The musician came out via X/Twitter in May 2018. Her tweet read “B.O.M.D. is also G.O.M.D. for ur information.” “B.O.M.D.” is a Clairo song title that stands for “Boy of My Dreams,” the implication being Clairo is also interested in the “Girl of My Dreams.” A later interview with them magazine confirmed the singer’s orientation.
Why was Clairo canceled?
People often criticize Clairo for being an “industry plant.” An “industry plant” is someone who got a career through connections rather than talent. Clairo’s father, Geoff Cottrill, is a big name in business, holding lead positions at Converse as well as the brand’s music division, Rubber Tracks. Some internet users and even journalists have questioned whether Clairo’s father’s connections in the music industry helped rocket her to fame, though her initial 2013 hit, “Pretty Girl,” seemed to be a story of organic popularity through YouTube. Clairo later commented to Rolling Stone, “I definitely am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me than other people’s experiences. It would be stupid of me to not acknowledge the privilege I had from the start.”
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