What Does 'Clairo Shade' Mean? Stan Twitter's Latest Meme Slang Explained

Stan Twitter is obsessed with a new slang term, Clairo Shade. Its usage is spreading fast across Twitter / X with its meaning seeming nonsensical to an outsider.

The Clairo Shade meme obviously centers on Clairo, the American singer-songwriter, but what does "shade" mean and what does it have to do with her?

Confused about where this slang term came from? Furthermore, have you heard of the lesbian birthday party where a twink fell through the roof? Let's explain.

Who Is Clairo?

Clairo is the stage name for 26-year-old American singer-songwriter Claire Cottrill who skyrocketed to internet and music stardom back in 2017. Her hit music video for "Pretty Girl" went viral on YouTube that year. She's seen sitting in front of her webcam, singing the lo-fi melody.

Clairo has been credited with shaping the "bedroom pop" genre, acting as an ambassador for Gen Z musicians and singers ever since.

What Does 'Clairo Shade' Mean?

"Clairo Shade" is a term that largely stems from speculation that Clairo is an industry plant. Back in 2018, the internet discovered that Clairo's dad was Geoff Cottrill, a former recording studio executive and the current CMO of TopGolf.

A raucous debate then ensued centered on the pop star as many questioned how she ascended the music industry so quickly.

"Shade" is an AAVE slang term for backhanded criticism that doesn't namedrop the person it's referencing. So, calling out "Clairo Shade" became common in non-viral tweets as early as 2018.

Where Did The 'Clairo Shade' Meme Come From?

Although people have been talking about Clairo Shade since the late 2010s, memetic usage of "Clairo Shade" didn't surface in large until last month when X user @saintmacklin noticed a pattern in the numbers and letters of Katy Perry's upcoming album cover. The (likely) satirical schizopost was seeing Clairo Shade in thin air, thus creating an avenue for further meme evolution.

Since that post, people are seeing Clairo Shade everywhere. Every minor and major pop culture story is being labeled "Clairo Shade," becoming further and further removed from the pop singer in question.

What Happened At The Clairo-Themed Lesbian Rooftop Party In Bushwick Where A Twink Fell Through the Skylight?

Okay, so, this is a long story. The Clairo Shade meme became more viral over the weekend when a picture of a birthday cake reading "Clairo Shade" went viral on X.

Backtracking on the user's account, others noticed that the cake was bought for a Bushwick, Brooklyn lesbian party where a "twink" fell through the roof's skylight.

Images of the broken skylight from the insider perspective went largely viral, sparking a series of memes that used all of the buzzwords in slang overload.

You can read all about the Clairo-themed twink fiasco here if you're curious to know even more about it.

For the full history of Clairo Shade, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.