''Sling'' is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter

Clairo Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. She began posting music on the internet at age 13. Clairo rose to prominence following the viral success of the music video for ...

. It was released on July 16, 2021, through Fader and

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

. It serves as the follow-up to her debut album, ''

Immunity Immunity may refer to: Medicine * Immunity (medical), resistance of an organism to infection or disease * ''Immunity'' (journal), a scientific journal published by Cell Press Biology * Immune system Engineering * Radiofrequence immunity ...

''. The album was announced on June 11, 2021, alongside the release of the lead single, "

Blouse A blouse () is a loose-fitting upper garment that may be worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter, or belt) so th ...

". After its release, ''Sling'' received widespread critical acclaim by music critics, praising a noticeable expansion in Clairo's vocals, and the maturity of her songwriting. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number 17 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, making it her first top 20 album.

Background and release

In April 2020, it was reported that Clairo had begun work on her follow-up to ''

'' when she shared a screenshot of a playlist titled 'Album 2 (demos so far)'. One demo, titled 'february 15, 2020 london, uk (demo)', dates back to February 2020 and another titled 'Everything I Know' from the beginning of April. In the writing process, Clairo admitted that "Joanie, my dog, opened up my world in ways I didn't think were capable. By caring for her, it forced me to face my own thoughts about parenthood and what it would mean to me." Having started writing in July 2020, Clairo revealed that "Reaper" was the first song she wrote for the record, and had then recorded approximately 35 of its

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...

thereafter. The recording of ''Sling'' took place during autumn 2020 at Allaire Recording Studios in upstate

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and was completed at

Electric Lady Studios Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer. It was completed by 1970. Hendrix ...

in New York City. Prior to the announcement of ''Sling'', Clairo provided background vocals on

Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...

's song "

Solar Power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...

" alongside

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

. On June 11, 2021, Clairo released the lead single of the album, "

", which features background vocals from Lorde. '' Our Culture'' named "Blouse" one of the best songs for the week of June 14, 2021. The song was performed on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

''. In 2022, she embarked on the Sling Tour, with

Arlo Parks Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, ''Collapsed in Sunbeams'', was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number th ...

as an opening act.

Composition

''Sling'' has been described as a vintage

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

acoustic folk Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has been ...

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid-1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropria ...

, and

chamber folk Folk baroque or baroque guitar is a distinctive and influential guitar fingerstyle developed in Britain in the 1960s, which combined elements of American folk, blues, jazz and ragtime with British folk music to produce a new and elaborate form ...

record. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' reporter Jonathan Bernstein deemed it a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about "aging and feeling older than you ought to". "Blouse" has been described as a

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

tune and "crushing

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

" where Clairo sings over a "hushed acoustic guitar" as well as "orchestral swings". Clairo's vocals become louder in the song mix as the track progresses and includes backing vocals performed by

Critical reception

''Sling'' received critical acclaim upon release. At

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which assigns a

normalized Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...

rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

score of 84, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 21 reviews. ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' writer Jay Singh described the record to contain relatable themes like "yearning for stability, grappling with our mortality, and striving to treat ourselves with care". He noted that Cotrill handles the heavy topics of "Blouse" and "Just for Today" with "grace and nuance far beyond her years". He concluded the review about how "Cottrill can take solace in knowing she’s created something timeless". Jem Aswad from ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called the album a "vintage

triumph". He also wrote that Clairo "advanced dramatically as a singer". He noted that record producer

Rostam Batmanglij Rostam Batmanglij (, ; born November 28, 1983), known mononymously as Rostam, is an American musician, producer and songwriter. He was a founding member of the band Vampire Weekend, whose first three albums he produced. He has been described by ...

, on ''

'' would load echo on her voice for compensation of her limited range but on ''Sling'', her and

Jack Antonoff Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of t ...

have multi-tracked her voice that has "delicately layered harmonies". He said that the record featured baroque touches with vintage keyboards,

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...

, and a

string quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

Accolades

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians *

– vocals, production (all tracks), electric guitar (1–3, 12), piano (1–3, 6, 7, 9–12),

(1–3, 9–11),

Kalimba Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...

(2, 6),

Hammond B3 Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in Sout ...

(3), 12-string acoustic guitar (4), acoustic guitar (4, 8, 10), keyboards,

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...

, synthesizer (7);

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

(7, 12),

clavichord The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance music, Renaissance, Baroque music, Baroque and Classical period (music), Classical eras. Historically, it was most ...

(9),

clapping A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), bu ...

(10) *

– production (all tracks), bass (1–7, 10, 11), clavichord (1, 2), electric guitar (1–6, 9–12), drums (1–4, 6, 7, 9, 11), Mellotron (1, 5–8, 11, 12), piano (1, 7, 10), 12-string acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 7), acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 9), fretless bass (2, 4),

Moog bass The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music. It was originally conceived as a part of the Constellation series of synthesizers. The initial Taurus I was manufactured from 1975 to 1981; a less pop ...

(2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12),

programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

(2),

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

(2, 5, 11, 12), Wurlitzer electric piano (2, 3, 6, 12), acoustic bass guitar (4, 12),

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of pla ...

(4, 6), synthesizer (4, 5), strings conductor (5, 8), Kalimba (6),

upright bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

(6, 7, 10),

Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

(12) * Evan Smith –

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

, saxophones (1, 2, 4–7, 10, 12); synthesizer (1, 4, 5), clarinet (4, 6, 7, 12), violin (7) *

– background vocals (5, 10) * Eric Byers –

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

(5) * Bobby Hawk – violin (5, 8, 12) * Sam Baker – acoustic guitar, Kalimba,

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

, ukulele (6); piano, production (7) * Jake Passmore – acoustic bass guitar (7), acoustic guitar (7, 12), background vocals (12) * Joanie Cottrill – percussion (9) Technical *

Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey. Gehringer is known for having mastered recordings by popular artists such as AJR, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles, ...

–

mastering engineer Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the Audio mixing (recorded music), final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source ...

* Jack Antonoff – mixer,

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...

* Laura Sisk – mixer (1–4, 6, 7, 10–12), recording engineer (1–8, 10–12) * John Rooney – recording engineer (4–6, 8, 9, 11), assistant recording engineer (1–3, 7, 10, 12) * Sam Baker – recording engineer (6, 7, 12) * Will Quinnell – assistant mastering engineer * Shubham Mondal – assistant recording engineer (2, 4, 8, 9, 11)

Charts

References

{{Clairo 2021 albums Clairo albums Fader Label albums Albums produced by Jack Antonoff