Claire Rosinkranz Breaks Down Every Track on Her Debut Album, Just Because
Claire Rosinkranz's Just Because has to be one of the most highly anticipated debut albums of the year, and today's big release does not disappoint.
The 19-year-old singer-songwriter has already had a busy year delighting fans with striking singles including "Sad in Hawaii" and "Never Goes Away," and the new 13-track pop album is consistently dreamy and anthemic from start to finish. Over the course of these songs, Claire is sometimes exuberant, sometimes anxious but always authentic in her storytelling, and we can already tell these songs will be sticking with us for a while—especially given the stories behind them. Below, Claire breaks down every track on Just Because.
Just Because
Claire Rosinkranz: I was so immersed in the experiences of what I was writing about that all of the songs felt so far apart from each other. Making music is really the only way I know of how to process my feelings and so I made the album just because I wanted and needed to. Looking back at the songs now, I think they live a lot closer together than I thought, but at the time it was "just because."
The songs are made up of very significant, growing and transitional things I went through last year. I hope that people can learn to be more present with all of the fleeting experiences of life. I learned so much from everything I went through to make this album, but I wouldn't have grown the way I have if I didn't allow myself to feel it all so deeply
I'm just happy to bring more people into my life and comfort others by vocalizing the things that go through all of our heads. I hope my songs bring people closer to themselves.
'Never Goes Away'
CR: Once you say something, you technically can't take it back, so think a little bit before you say something stupid (the overall theme for this song). I was on my way to a session when I started singing "It never ever really goes away" aloud. I then wrote the whole thing in the car
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'123'
CR: I used to write a lot of songs about commitment issues and "123" is an extension of that run. I'm not sure I ever had commitment issues—I don't think I have them now—but you know, I think I mixed that up with either me not being ready for a relationship or they just weren't the vibe. "123" is a sassy song showcasing my sassy side.
'Dreamer'
CR: This song is inspired by a little fling I had last summer. It didn't last longer than that because I decided to be more realistic in this scenario. I wanted to enjoy what we had and leave it at that. At the time, he wasn't really on the same page.
'Screw Time'
CR: This song is what a coming-of-age film feels like. Me and my friends would go to the beach, off-roading, abandoned places, sunrises and sunsets, random drives and road trips. it was a very special time in my life and I wanted a song that could capture that feeling. This song is a very full memory.
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'Swinging at the Stars'
CR: "Swinging" is about being overwhelmed with the fullness of being alive. Being outside in nature. Hot pavement, stars, grass, trees, sunsets, figuring yourself out and doing it with someone you love. I love to feel a lot and experience a lot even if it means putting myself through difficult situations. The fact that I'm capable of feeling all of these things is so beautiful to me. "Swinging at the Stars" captures all of those feelings.
'Gum'
About another fling haha! A temporary high. Wanted to take in the time we had together because I knew it wouldn't last. The memories would.
'Wes Anderson'
CR: I don't even remember what I wrote that song about. I think the gist was to get over a boy/relationship and get to know and understand yourself better. To take care of yourself and figure things out. I come up with a new meaning every time, though.
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'Banksy'
CR: Originally, "Banksy" was a part of the end of "Wes Anderson." I liked that section of the song so much that I wanted to make a full version. I wasn't lonely when I wrote the song, but a week after I made it, I went on a trip where I went through something that made me feel very lonely. I'm thankful that I had that song during that time.
'Sad in Hawaii'
CR: It's funny bc this is one of the songs that sounds super light but was about one of the harder things I went through. I got assaulted and the only way I knew how to process it was through music. The song is so bright because if I had given into everything I was feeling, I would've been drowning. I needed something to pull me out of a darker time.
'Pools & Palm Trees'
CR: I started this one on the plane back from Hawaii. After going through something that made me feel so vulnerable and alone, I only wanted to be with this boy. At the time, he was the only boy I had ever loved. We weren't together, but he was my best friend and the only one who could comfort me.
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'Polarized'
CR: I went through a sensitive situation that created a domino effect of more hard s***. I ended up having a really bad falling out with a friend, which I had never experienced. They saw the situation one way and I saw it very, very differently. I was really hurt by it all and didn't know how to process, so again, I poured it all into my music.
'Jupiter'
CR: "Jupiter" is another song that ran off from that one hard situation I went through. I was numb and overstimulated at the same time. I felt like I was on another planet. Jupiter.
'Mess'
CR: This song is the most different one off the album (production-wise). I wrote this before I wrote any of the other songs and then ended up finishing it last. It's about my first love. How I often push away the person who loves me the most. He walked through a lot of the hard experiences I wrote about on my album, but in the end, it didn't work out. This is one of my favorites.
You can listen to Just Because in full here:
For more on our favorite new albums released today, click HERE to read our interview with Powfu on Gathered by the Lanterns.