Pitchfork: What was it like having a song go viral right as you started college?

Clairo: Honestly, it was very hard to do well in school and deal with crazy internet viral videos at the same time. I felt like I was living a double life—my life itself didn’t really change, but people started recognizing me, which I was totally not prepared for. I ended this semester with a 3.0. Got a C in econ. That was the hardest class of my life, whatever. But I like going to school while I’m doing music. It keeps me from getting too overwhelmed about the industry when I can just do my math homework.

What led you to the confidence you display in the “Pretty Girl” video?

I had a moment where I was doing a bunch of things that I don’t usually do to make myself feel like I was pleasing another person. But then I realized that I’m totally fine with myself without those things. At the time I wrote it, I was like, “I’m OK with what I am and how I do things and how I look.”

Making music has always made me happy. When I go through a situation, the best way for me to get over it is to bundle up all of my emotions about it, put it in a little shell, create something, and then let it go. Making a song is the ideal way to do that. I’m someone that needs to talk about my problems. I call my mom every single day at school just to vent about random stuff. Singing is the same thing.

Putting it in a song can make things clearer.

Yeah, it’s like how your friends will come to you for advice, but you don’t follow your own advice. When I find myself in a screwed-up relationship situation, my friends are like, “Why didn’t you just do what you said I should do?”

Clairo: "Flamin' Hot Cheetos" (via SoundCloud)

Who do you look up to as a lyricist?

Frankie Cosmos has definitely been a huge inspiration to me. She’s helped me be really honest lyrically and to not be afraid to say exactly how I feel, regardless of how it might make me look. I’m not hiding anything. I want my music to be as raw as possible. And that’s what I love so much about her. I also grew up on Norah Jones and I still love her—I seriously would name my child after her. I love talking about love and relationships, and those two artists have really shown me that it’s totally fine to write a million songs about that.

Have you ever met anyone that left you starstruck?

I saw one of the Haim sisters on a plane one time. She was listening to SOPHIE, and I was like, “She’s so cool.” I was going to say something to her, but I ended up not doing it. I also remember meeting the Jonas Brothers at a meet-and-greet. I wanted to talk to Nick Jonas so bad, but nothing would come out.