Pretty Girl

"Pretty Girl" by Clairo is a commentary on the pressures to conform to a certain ideal within a relationship, and the subsequent journey to self-acceptance. The lyrics describe a past relationship where the narrator, Clairo, felt she needed to alter her appearance, behavior, and even silence her own voice to be the "perfect girl" for her partner. The chorus, with lines like "I could be a pretty girl, I'll wear a skirt for you" and "shut up when you want me to," is delivered with a deadpan, sarcastic tone, highlighting the absurdity of sacrificing one's identity for someone else's approval. The song captures a pivotal moment of realization, looking back at a past self who was "so blinded" and a "fool." Ultimately, the song resolves with a sense of empowerment. The narrator concludes that being alone is "better for me" and that she doesn't need the negativity of that relationship, embracing her authentic self, flaws and all. The song's DIY, unpolished aesthetic reinforces this theme of authenticity over perfection.

The narrative begins with a memory, a snapshot in time captured by a Polaroid. The image is of a person dancing in the narrator's room, a moment she wants to hold onto. It was around noon, but the specifics are becoming hazy, just like the feeling of that person's touch. This nostalgic reflection sets a bittersweet tone, hinting at a past connection that is now difficult to fully grasp or understand.

A recurring, almost hypnotic chorus follows, presented as a series of conditional statements. The narrator outlines the ways she could transform herself to fit a specific mold, that of the "pretty girl." This persona is one of submission and agreeableness. She declares she could wear a skirt, a traditionally feminine piece of clothing, to please her partner. More pointedly, she offers to "shut up when you want me to," indicating a willingness to silence her own voice and opinions to maintain the relationship. She promises never to cause sadness or trouble, to be an uncomplicated source of happiness for her partner. The ultimate sacrifice is laid bare in the line, "I'll lose myself in you," a stark admission of the complete erasure of her own identity that this role would require. This chorus is not a genuine offer but a satirical critique of the pressures and expectations she felt.

As the song progresses, a moment of sharp self-awareness cuts through the haze of memory and hypotheticals. The narrator looks back with regret, labeling herself a "fool" for having been so completely blinded by her affection. The memory now brings tears, not of longing, but of frustration with her past self for being so willing to diminish her own worth. This epiphany marks a significant shift in the song's emotional core.

The final section solidifies this newfound perspective. The narrator acknowledges her current solitude but reframes it as a positive state—it's "better for me." She explicitly rejects the negativity that characterized the past relationship, recognizing that she doesn't need it in her life. This declaration of independence is followed by a final, re-contextualized repetition of the chorus. Now, the promises to be a "pretty girl" sound entirely ironic, an echo of a mindset she has thankfully outgrown. The repetition serves to highlight the absurdity of the demands she once felt compelled to meet, reinforcing her liberation and the understanding that her true self is more valuable than any idealized version a partner might desire.

Claire Cottrill, known as Clairo, wrote and produced "Pretty Girl" in about two hours in her bedroom using GarageBand and a simple keyboard while she was a high school senior. The song was her first attempt at making an original pop track, inspired by her mother's love for '80s pop music. The lo-fi quality of the song was unintentional, resulting from the "pretty shitty" resources she had available at the time. The song was initially created for a cassette compilation called The Le Sigh Vol. III, which supported the Transgender Law Center and was released in August 2017.

The song's viral success was propelled by its music video, which Clairo filmed herself in about 30 minutes using her MacBook's Photo Booth application. She intentionally filmed it on a day when she felt she looked her worst—with greasy hair and no makeup—to visually represent the song's message of rejecting the need for physical perfection and embracing one's true self. She uploaded the video to YouTube in August 2017, where its candid, everygirl charm resonated with viewers, and it quickly went viral, largely thanks to YouTube's algorithm and sharing within vaporwave-centric Facebook groups. This sudden popularity led to interest from major record labels, and she eventually signed with Fader Label. The song's success also sparked a debate about her being an "industry plant" after users discovered her father was a marketing executive, though many have argued the video's success was too organic to have been engineered.

The rhythm of "Pretty Girl" is built on a simple, steady drum machine pattern characteristic of its bedroom pop and synth-pop style. The tempo is upbeat, around 112 BPM, which contrasts with the wistful and critical nature of the lyrics, creating a compelling juxtaposition. The song's rhythmic structure is straightforward, relying on a consistent beat that makes it catchy and easy to nod along to, enhancing its pop sensibility.

The rhyme scheme is generally simple and direct, contributing to its pop accessibility. The chorus follows a pattern where the second and fourth lines of each couplet rhyme: AABB (you/too, blue/you). This consistent, perfect rhyme scheme makes the chorus highly memorable. The verses employ a more relaxed, near-rhyme or free verse feel, as seen in the opening lines "room" / "noon" and "understand" / "hands," which creates a more conversational and less rigid structure leading into the hook. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the musical rhythm is smooth, with Clairo's deadpan vocal delivery often floating gently over the steady synth beat, enhancing the song's dreamy and laid-back atmosphere.

"Pretty Girl" is a prime example of the bedroom pop genre, characterized by its DIY, lo-fi production. Musically, it employs a simple, catchy arrangement created on GarageBand, featuring a "chintzy" drum machine beat, rudimentary synth lines, and a prominent bass. The song's sound was heavily inspired by '80s pop music. Clairo's vocal delivery is notably deadpan and breathy, a relaxed and gentle style that adds to the song's candid, intimate feel. This understated delivery creates a sense of irony when paired with the confessional and critical lyrics.

Lyrically, the song uses a direct, conversational narrative voice. The primary literary device is irony, as the chorus lists ways to become a "pretty girl" not as a sincere desire, but as a critique of the societal and relational pressures to conform. The repetition of the phrase "I could be a pretty girl" functions as a rhetorical anchor, with its meaning shifting from a seeming offer to a sarcastic rejection as the song progresses. The use of simple, direct language makes the song highly relatable and its message clear. The video's use of karaoke-style subtitles further emphasizes the lyrics and adds to the playful, self-aware aesthetic.

"Pretty Girl" is widely regarded as Clairo's breakout song, launching her from an unknown teenager making music in her bedroom to a prominent figure in the indie pop scene. Its viral success on YouTube in 2017, amassing over 100 million views by 2024, was a quintessential digital-age phenomenon. The song and its DIY music video became a touchstone for the bedroom pop genre, defining its lo-fi, authentic, and intimate aesthetic. It challenged the need for polished, high-budget productions and resonated with a Gen Z audience craving authenticity and relatable content.

The track's success led to Clairo signing a record deal with Fader Label and releasing her debut EP, Diary 001, in 2018. It also sparked a significant online discussion about nepotism and the term "industry plant," as it was revealed her father was a well-connected marketing executive. Despite this controversy, critics generally reviewed the song positively for its homemade charm and poignant lyrics. "Pretty Girl" has been called a "bedroom-pop staple" and was recognized by Billboard as one of the best LGBTQ songs of the 2010s for its wry commentary on gender roles. The song solidified Clairo as a voice for her generation, one who articulates the complexities of identity and self-worth in the internet age with sincerity and a unique, understated style.

The central symbol in "Pretty Girl" is the titular concept of the "pretty girl" itself. This isn't just about physical attractiveness but represents a manufactured persona of submissiveness and perfection designed to please a partner. Lyrics like "I'll wear a skirt for you" and "shut up when you want me to" symbolize the surrendering of personal style and voice. The skirt is a tangible symbol of conforming to traditional feminine expectations, while the act of shutting up is a powerful metaphor for self-censorship and the loss of identity within the relationship.

The "Polaroid of you dancing in my room" serves as a metaphor for a fading, idealized memory. A Polaroid is a physical, yet often imperfect and vintage-style, representation of a moment. Its mention highlights the nostalgic but distant nature of the past relationship, and the line "It's getting harder to understand how you felt in my hands" suggests the emotional reality of that moment is dissolving, just as a memory does.

The raw, unedited aesthetic of the webcam music video acts as a visual metaphor for the song's core message. By showing herself with greasy hair and no makeup, Clairo physically rejects the "pretty girl" ideal, symbolizing her embrace of authenticity and flaws. This visual choice directly counters the lyrical performance of conformity, creating an ironic and empowering statement.

The most significant recurring phrase in "Pretty Girl" is the line "I could be a pretty girl." This phrase acts as the song's central hook and thematic core. It is repeated at the beginning of four consecutive lines in the chorus. Initially, it introduces the idea of conforming to a partner's desires. However, with each repetition and the context provided by the verses ("I was so blinded by you, now I cry / Just thinking 'bout the fool that I was"), the phrase's meaning shifts. It transforms from a seemingly compliant offer into an ironic and defiant statement, highlighting the absurdity of the sacrifices one is expected to make. This repetition drills the song's central conflict into the listener's mind, making it both memorable and thematically potent. By the end of the song, the phrase represents a persona the narrator has decisively rejected.

Another recurring lyrical motif is the idea of losing oneself for a relationship, encapsulated in the line "I'll lose myself in you." This phrase, which concludes the chorus, is the ultimate expression of the unhealthy dynamic being described. Its repetition underscores the severity of the loss of identity at stake, reinforcing the song's message about the importance of self-acceptance and authenticity.