Clairo's New Music Video Takes A "Weird" Turn In 'Terrapin'

Clairo has done the least-expected once more and released a music video over half a year after the release of her third album ‘Charm’. 

‘Terrapin’, with over 20 million streams on Spotify, is becoming one of Clairo’s most popular tracks and is finally gaining its flowers. The song is laid-back, exploring themes of freedom and simplicity, with lyrics that offer a sense of peace and acceptance. It is a metaphor for appreciating life’s beauty in every moment.

 ‘Terrapin’ opens with a classic old Hollywood-style title card and vibrant visuals. The opening credits, similar to the film Breakfast At Tiffanys, roll to introduce our lead, Clairo. And to our surprise, there is an added element of absurdist humor as “Weird Al” Yankovic portrays the singer herself. American musician and comedy actor Yankovic is known for being an icon of millennial childhood and YouTube videos. He is best known for his out-of-the-box music videos and comedic versions of popular songs such as 'Eat It', parodying 'Beat It' by Michael Jackson or 'Amish Paradise' to the tune of 'Gangsta's Paradise' by Coolio.

To add even more of a twist, the video was directed by Golden Globe and Emmy award winner Ayo Edibiri, who is popularly known for her role as Sydney in the TV series The Bear. She has interpreted the song to be what seems like a lucid dream, colorful and playful like a commercial from the 1960s. Given the meaning of the song itself, this is unsurprising,  and the silly tone Edibiri has decided to make works perfectly with the overall vibe.

As two dancers in sparkly green dresses dance around “Weird Al”, we are led to the actual band and Clairo herself sitting around and playing instruments. As we watch Clairo’s face, we see her watching Yankovic with a funny and telling look, knowing he is the one portraying her.

As “Weird Al” goes back into the New York style mock apartment he had exited in the beginning of the video, he turns back to give us a suspicious look. In the end, we see him and Clairo laughing and talking in the background, as we as the viewer wonder what they are talking about.

Clairo was recently nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. She is currently on tour in Australia and is set to return to the UK and parts of Europe this March. 

Molly Spencer

@mollyspencr

Image: Lucas Craighton

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