Coco & Clair Clair Put Their Breezy Charisma on Display in 'Treat Like Gold'
Coco & Clair Clair took the Atlanta music scene by storm in 2017 with the release of two singles, "Pretty" and "Crushcrushcrush." Not to be mistaken for Clairo (with whom the duo previously collaborated), Coco & Clair Clair make brazen pop rap reminiscent of the bedazzled flip phones and low-rise jeans of the early 2000s.
Born Taylor Nave and Claire Toothill, the two friends started making music in the suburbs of Atlanta, eventually reaching audiences far beyond their local cul-de-sac. Despite their rising success and growing fanbase, Atlanta hip-hop gatekeepers have been quick to write Coco & Clair Clair off, given the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and pop-inspired production that exemplify the duo's music. Nevertheless, Nave and Toothill have continued pushing the conventions of both pop and hip-hop, with little regard for the opinions of their traditionalist critics.
Fresh off of a high-profile feature on Deaton Chris Anthony's BO Y, Atlanta's self-proclaimed "demon glam rock" duo is back with their 2020 debut EP, Treat Like Gold.
The extended play begins with "Wishy Washy," which features cheeky rhymes layered over catchy ringtone riffs. With a pout you can almost hear, the girls rap, "I'm running toward the money while he's running me checks" and "Take me shopping / Buy me what I want," composing the ultimate sugar baby monologue.
The highlight of the EP is "French Tingz," a groovy R&B-infused daydream. The song conjures up pixelated images of picnics under the Eiffel Tour and starlit strolls on the Seine with refreshingly nonsensical lyrics like "Ratatouille, baby / We're in Paris, baby" and "Oui oui, c'est la vie / Do you wanna be my hubby?"
While one might feel inclined to call their GarageBand-produced sound bedroom pop, Coco & Clair Clair resist the label of any one genre. The EP traverses the musical landscape, taking production cues from bubblegum pop stars like Britney Spears, while paying tribute to the blaseÌ execution of rappers like Father and Yung Gravy. At its core, Treat Like Gold boasts a sort of manic gleefulness, exhibiting the breezy charisma that makes Coco & Clair Clair so enigmatic.
Listen to Treat Like Gold below:
