I first saw Claire Rosinkranz in Chicago at Thalia Hall, a tiny indoor venue that hits capacity at about 800 fans. It was Feb. 4, 2023, and she had just released her album “Just Because.” I had been listening to her for a little while before her show, but I didn’t fully fall in love with her music until this show.
Mehro was the first opener, with a short set and a vibe very similar to Sombr’s.
DWLLRS performed next, with a very similar vibe to The Lumineers.
Rosinkranz finally came on and opened with her COVID-19 era TikTok hit “Backyard Boy.” When the song blew up, she was finishing high school in California. She’d been writing songs since she was 8, but the viral song exploded her career.
The song shot to #1 on the Spotify Global and U.S. Viral 50 charts that year. The video also accumulated over 2.5 million user videos to the sound. Keeping it rolling, she won the MTV Trending VMA for “Best Breakthrough Song” for “Backyard Boy.”
She aggressively built on her momentum. She began touring and making new music right away, pursuing her passion for music. Not long after I saw her, Rosinkranz said in an Instagram post that she was canceling a leg of shows. She was sick with a debilitating illness that caused her to pass out constantly, and she could barely keep her head up. It forced her to pause her music and career for the first time, in the midst of stardom.
Rosinkranz’s new music is deeper and driven by her recovery from her mysterious chronic illness, exploring the fear of being sick, especially as a young woman. The support of her family is also very important to her, and something she writes about. Her dad, Ragnar Rosinkranz, has produced nearly all of her music, and he is even her lead guitarist in her live backing band on tours. Rosinkranz consistently credits her dad for keeping her grounded and safe, but also pushing her to be better.
As a fan, I remember being so scared for her. She’s only a little bit older than me. It broke my heart to see her unable to do what she loved. It broke my heart that I didn’t know when I was going to see her play again.
At that Chicago show, Rosinkranz wore a long white skirt and T-shirt, with her hair in two space buns. She jumped and twirled around the stage, singing every lyric. That mic was on. She was absolutely captivating on the stage, fun and energetic. She had such a bright energy that I had never seen before.
She came back to the stage as the special guest for Maroon 5 in their fall 2025 U.S. tour. She is also Alex Warren’s opener for his tour this year.
Most recently, Rosinkranz was on the ineup for this summer’s Lollapalooza back in Chicago. Her vibe has evolved, but it’s still the same girl I was five rows away from on that chilly February night at Thalia Hall.
The space buns might be gone, but her charisma is stronger than ever. Having survived a frightening health crisis that threatened to steal her passion, Rosinkranz’s new era is defined by a deeper, hard-earned gratitude. Watching her run around the Lollapalooza stage, it’s clear she isn’t just back—she’s unstoppable.
For anyone seeking a fresh voice in pop, Rosinkranz is the artist to watch. She is rapidly ascending the ranks, proving that after everything she’s overcome, she has no intention of hitting pause on her music again.
Check out her new album “My Lover” that was released in February.