Her overnight success might not come as a surprise to all, as Rosinkranz has been writing songs since she was 8. Filling notebooks and iPads with lyrics, turns of phrase, and poems, the homeschooled artist would spend hours writing lyrics to songs that didn’t exist yet. Sometimes, she’d help her musician father, Ragnar, with melodies and lyrics for songs he’d been tasked to compose for TV shows and ad jingles.
Claire describes her style as alternative blues-pop, equally as inspired by early influences (like The Beatles’ Help!, Frank Ocean, and the Jack Johnson songs the family would listen to around the house) as it is by the singer-songwriter’s contemporaries, like Benee, Bruno Major, and Still Woozy.
Claire traffics in lo-fi songs with intricate yet totally relatable lyrics about friendship, crushes, family, and feelings. They plumb the depths of the human condition in very short bursts, exposing the songwriter’s remarkable emotional maturity and strong, singular grasp on her sound. Narratively, tracks like “Tough Guy” and “Seriouslaaay” follow Claire’s stories from start to finish while Ragnar’s clean, crisp production buoys his daughter’s crystal-clear vocals. “He totally captures my vision and if I don’t like something, I’m not afraid to say it,” Claire says of her dad. “Because we’re able to communicate so well, the process happens so quickly.”
The “star of the show,” Claire says of her catalogue, is “Backyard Boy,” the final song she wrote for the EP and one that grew legs of its own shortly after release, achieving massive viral success all on its own. “I was getting DMs from people telling me that ‘Backyard Boy’ was doing really well on TikTok,” she remembers. “Then, friends started texting me. Then more people were texting me. So I opened TikTok and I had 300,000 videos under the song and realized, “Oh, this is a thing!”
Signing to slowplay/Republic Records in 2020, Claire realized the work and dedication she’d been putting into music for half her life was coming to fruition. In August, she shot the “Backyard Boy” music video but kept things close to the family, as she’s done for years (it’s directed by her uncle, the first AD is her cousin, and close family friends star alongside her onscreen). “I think people are connecting to that song because it’s about a feeling you long for, especially during this time,” she says. “Everyone wants to have this experience but it’s something we can’t have right now because of COVID. But ‘Backyard Boy’ makes you feel like you can.”
Claire has spent a few years drilling down on her craft by refining her songwriting and learning to play instruments like the ukulele, the piano, and the jazz electric guitar (“that’s the one I absolutely enjoy the most,” she says), which have helped her turn her lyrics into fully imagined soundscapes. “I consider myself a writer first and foremost,” she’s quick to note. “I’m super fortunate to be able to sing all my songs, and I want to sing them, but writing is my favorite part of the entire process.”
Sugar Water
Claire Rosinkranz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laughing to a honey scrub
Bee sting on my bit-bit
Blah Blah Blah
Smile like a baby
Talk just like a lady
Coconut, buttercup, honey creme daily
Sugar got me crazy
Water got me high
Don't have time to be shady
You know why
You know why
You know why
I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother
And a wild father
Got some funny sisters
We make sugar water
We make sugar
I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother
And a wild father
Got some funny sisters
We make sugar water
Sugar
Foggy, dewy mist, mist
Drips down glass like cold tears
Soaking release my fears
Drowning in this damn day
Hell was looking my way
Buckle up, buttercup, ice cream day
I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother
And a wild father
Got some funny sisters
We make sugar water
We make sugar
I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother
And the wild father
Got some funny sisters
We make sugar water
We make sugar
Do we know how even that works?
That wasn't going my way
But who cares
The day is gone
You got to move on
Lively lies
And blue sun, sun, sun
I won't let it define my life
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The lyrics of "Sugar Water" by Claire Rosinkranz are poetic and reflective of the singer's innermost emotions. The song seems to be about taking a break from the stresses of everyday life and taking care of oneself. The opening lines “Bubbles in the bathtub, laughing to a honey scrub, bee sting on my bit-bit, blah, blah, blah” paint a picture of a carefree and relaxing moment in her life. The reference to the bee sting might be an allusion to the pain that is inevitable in life, but the singer chooses to brush it off as if it’s no big deal. She smiles like a baby, but talks like a lady, suggesting she is wise beyond her years.
The chorus of the song is catchy and hooky: "Sugar got me crazy, water got me high, don't have time to be shady, you know why." The "sugar" in the lyrics is most likely a metaphor for something sweet that can make one's day while "water" could signify something refreshing and soothing. The singer feels crazy and high on life and has no time to be fake or put up appearances, which is why she doesn't feel like being shady. The lines, "I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother and a wild father, Got some funny sisters, we make sugar water, we make sugar" highlight the singer's family bond and how they like to make sweet memories together.
The second verse of the song talks about being drowned in worries and fears but choosing to move on. The singer encourages herself to stay positive and not let anyone drag her down. The lines "Lively lies and blue sun, sun, sun, I won't let it define my life," further affirm her determination to overcome adversities and focus on the brighter things in life. "Sugar Water" is a great reminder to take a moment for self-care, positivity, and to enjoy the sweet moments in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Bubbles in the bathtub
Relaxing in the tub filled with bubbles
Laughing to a honey scrub
Amusing oneself during a honey scrub
Bee sting on my bit-bit
Experiencing pain due to a bee sting
Blah Blah Blah
Repeating something mundane
Smile like a baby
Smiling innocently and joyfully
Talk just like a lady
Speaking politely and appropriately
Coconut, buttercup, honey creme daily
Eating coconut, buttercup, and honey creme regularly
Sugar got me crazy
Feeling insane due to consuming too much sugar
Water got me high
Feeling euphoric and happy while drinking water
Don't have time to be shady
Not wanting to be deceitful or dishonest
You know why
You understand the reason
I'm the crazy daughter from a sweet, sweet mother
I am the child of a kind mother
And a wild father
And a father who is wild
Got some funny sisters
Having humorous sisters
We make sugar water
We create a sweet concoction with sugar and water
Sugar
Sweetness
Foggy, dewy mist, mist
Mist accompanied by fog and dew
Drips down glass like cold tears
The mist is dripping down the glass like tears
Soaking release my fears
Relaxing in the mist to release one's fears
Drowning in this damn day
Feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by this difficult day
Hell was looking my way
Experiencing a difficult time in one's life
Buckle up, buttercup, ice cream day
Preparing oneself for a better day by having ice cream
Do we know how even that works?
Questioning how something works
That wasn't going my way
Something did not happen according to one's expectations
But who cares
Not giving importance to something insignificant
The day is gone
The day has ended
You got to move on
It's necessary to move forward
Lively lies
Misleading and deceitful words spoken with enthusiasm
And blue sun, sun, sun
A blue-colored sun that shines brightly
I won't let it define my life
Not allowing something to control or dictate one's life
Ooh, ooh
Sound of humming or vocalizing
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Continuation of humming or vocalizing
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Continuation of humming or vocalizing
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Continuation of humming or vocalizing
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Continuation of humming or vocalizing
Writer(s): Claire Elisabeth Rosinkranz
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Helixboi
on Backyard Boy
Five, six, seven, eight
Dance with me in my backyard, boy
Looking super fine in your corduroy
Drive me 'round the block
We can go in a loop
And we'll turn the volume up on some
Good boy band tunes
I can feel the fresh air
I can feel your eyes stare
And I'm not gonna lie
I get a little bit scared
My heart is on wings
I'm living in dreams
And at the top of our lungs, we sing
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Everything is perfect
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
All our words were worth it
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Dancing around like a clown at the circus
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Backyard boy, you make me nervous
Dance with me in my backyard, boy
Looking super fine in your corduroy (five, six, seven, eight)
Roll the windows down
Let the base drop low
And everybody's talking
But I don't wanna know
Feel the fresh air
I can feel your eyes stare
And I'm not gonna lie
I get a little bit scared
And my heart is on wings
I'm living in dreams
And at the top of our lungs, we sing
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Everything is perfect
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
All our words were worth it
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Dancing around like a clown at the circus
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Backyard boy, you make me nervous