Clairo has entered a new phase in her steadily rising career. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter, born Claire Cottrill, has officially signed with Atlantic Records, one of the most influential labels in contemporary pop and alternative music. The move comes just over a year after the release of Charm, her widely praised third album, which not only secured her first Grammy nomination but also cemented her as one of the most distinctive voices of her generation.

“I’m so thrilled to begin this next chapter of my musical journey with Atlantic,” Cottrill said in a statement announcing the deal. “From our first meeting, they immediately understood my vision, and it feels good to know I can continue to be as expressive and free with my ideas with a great new partner by my side.”

Clairo’s trajectory has been one of the most closely watched in indie-pop circles over the past decade. She first emerged in 2017 with “Pretty Girl,” a lo-fi bedroom-pop single uploaded to YouTube while she was still studying at Syracuse University. The track went viral, introducing her soft-spoken vocals, diaristic lyricism, and knack for crafting hooks that felt both fragile and confident.

The overnight success quickly drew attention from major record companies, but Cottrill resisted immediate offers and instead signed with the independent label Fader. That decision, however, drew skepticism in certain corners of the internet, where anonymous critics branded her an “industry plant” because her father, a marketing executive, was known to be friends with Fader’s co-founder Jon Cohen.

Clairo has never ignored those critiques. In her 2021 Rolling Stone cover story, she reflected candidly on the privilege and connections that shaped her early opportunities. “I signed with Fader because I’ve known Jon Cohen my whole life. There was a sense of accountability and protection,” she said then. “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 not to acknowledge that.”

She added that she leaned on trusted relationships at a time when she was young, untested, and uncertain of her direction. “I was really scared and really confused,” she admitted. “People just think what they want to think and I can’t stop that, but I am getting better at explaining it for what it is.”

Since Pretty Girl, Clairo has steadily built a body of work that pushes beyond her viral beginnings. Her debut album Immunity (2019), co-produced with Rostam Batmanglij, revealed a more sophisticated sound while tackling themes of queer identity, illness, and emotional resilience. In 2021, she pivoted again with Sling, a folk-leaning record produced with Jack Antonoff that traded synthetic textures for acoustic warmth and won her praise for its maturity and vulnerability.

Her third album, Charm, arrived independently in 2023. Songs like “Juna” and “Sexy to Someone” racked up hundreds of millions of streams and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Reflecting on that release, she told Rolling Stone, “This is my third album, and people know me a little bit better, but fuck, they still don’t know. It takes so many records to really understand someone’s choices.”

Atlantic’s signing of Clairo signals confidence that her blend of indie intimacy and pop accessibility has the potential to reach even broader audiences. The label, which has launched or sustained the careers of artists from Led Zeppelin to Cardi B, offers her resources and global reach that could amplify her voice well beyond her already sizable fan base.

No new album has been officially announced, but speculation around fresh material will likely intensify in the wake of the deal. In the meantime, Clairo remains active on the live circuit. She is scheduled to perform at this year’s All Things Go festival, with sets in Washington, D.C., on September 27 and in Queens, New York, on September 28.