"Bags" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Clairo. Fader Label released it as the first single from her debut studio album, Immunity, on May 24, 2019. The song features drums from Danielle Haim, and was produced by Rostam Batmanglij and Clairo, who also wrote the song.
"Bags" gained over 20 million streams in 2019, and was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2019 Boston Music Awards. The song was ranked at No. 5 on the list of Hottest Records of the Year by BBC Radio 1.
Background Clairo made her second television appearance performing the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in October 2019. Dominic Fike performed a cover of the song on Triple J's Like a Version on October 18, 2019.
Composition and lyrics An indie pop, bedroom pop, shoegaze, and alternative rock song, "Bags" draws inspiration from Clairo's first romantic experiences with a girl. She tackles the line between friend and lover with a crush who could possibly be straight. Clairo wonders if the feelings between them are mutual and whether she should make the first move when she sings "Can you see me? I'm waiting for the right time / I can't read you, but if you want the pleasure's all mine." "The whole song has this nervous energy," Clairo told NME, saying that the song has "a mix of really calculated parts to reflect the calculated energy you have in a first experience with someone,"
Harry Todd from Paste praised "Bags" for its layers, stating that "A set of simple guitar chords, understated drum fills, plunking keys" are familiar elements of Clairo's music. Shaad d'Souza from The FADER described the song as a "gently strummed track" that "builds to a peak augmented by warped guitars and piano."
BroadwayWorld noted that the song gives a "glimpse into the artist's growth both as a young queer woman, straight out of college". Rachel Hammermueller from Earmilk claims that the song "explores an adult relationship while still having a fresh background mixing".
Critical reception
Accolades At the end of 2019, "Bags" appeared on a number of critics' lists ranking the year's top songs.
Mid-year lists Publication AccoladeRank ElleThe 31 Best Songs of 2019 (So Far)23ThrillistThe 55 Best Songs of 2019 (So Far)-
Year-end lists Publication AccoladeRank BBCThe Top 20 Songs of 20194BBC NewsThe Top 10 Songs of 201910BillboardThe 100 Best Songs of 201948DazedThe 20 Best Songs of 20198Flood MagazineThe 10 Best Songs of 20192The GuardianThe 20 Best Songs of 20199The 54 Best Songs of 20199NMEThe 50 Best Songs of 201914Paste4PitchforkThe 100 Best Songs of 20193The 10 Best Songs of 20193Rolling StoneThe 50 Best Songs of 201948StereogumThe 100 Best Songs of 2019-UproxxThe 50 Best Songs of 201927
Decade-end lists Publication AccoladeRankPasteThe 100 Best Songs of The 2010s98PitchforkThe 200 Best Songs of The 2010s123
Credits and personnel Credits adapted from Tidal.
Claire Cottrill – vocals, songwriter, producer Rostam Batmanglij – producer, recording engineer Danielle Haim – drums Emily Lazar – mastering engineer Shaun Everett – mixer
Charts Chart (2019) Peakposition New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 32 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) 11
Certifications
References