Have you ever heard someone sing and wanted to wrap yourself up in their voice? That’s how it feels to listen to Claire Ernst. I was immediately pulled into her discography when “Flowers” appeared on my Discover Weekly last week. A smooth, R&B type track, I couldn’t have asked for anything more up my alley.

The New Jersey native is currently based in Nashville. She keeps busy by making her music and releasing Tiny Desk Concert submissions. Her last EP, Sophomore Slump released in 2022, includes songs like “Flowers,” “Broke,” and “Clock Out,” just to name a few of my favorites. One of my favorite things about this album is Ernst’s lyricism. Specifically in “Flowers,” I adore how the lyrics are rarely the same throughout the song. The first chorus is different from the second. The whole song writes like a story that keeps building on each little detail.

Besides fun little “you’re not good enough for me” tracks, her song “American Dream” takes a stance. A guest speaker I once heard said, “history impacts music as music impacts history.” In otherwords, you can’t have one without the other. “American Dream” is exactly that. She’s not the first artist to take the concept of the “American Dream” and analyze it, but as it was released in 2020, it echoes the sign of the times.

“We put all of our pride / In the stars and the stripes / Yet we all know what we did / I don’t feel as free as you say I am“

Another one of my favorite tracks features Huron John, an artist that appears a couple times throughout Claire’s discography. Their collaborations never miss. “Do What¿” is such a soulful song that makes you close your eyes and move your body along with the rhythm. It’s a song that makes you picture a tight-knit jam session in a college dorm room.

I can’t go on talking about any other songs before throwing in commentary about how obsessed I am with her voice. Claire Ernst has one of my favorite voices I’ve ever heard. Her vocal control and dynamic artistry is what pulls you in and compels you to listen to all of her music over and over again. Sometimes I hear artists who make music that doesn’t necessarily fit the tone of their voice, but Ernst’s voice is a perfect match for the instrumentals of her songs.

Outside of making her own music, she’s very in touch with the music industry and posts covers on YouTube. Songs like “my hair” by Ariana Grande and “Movin’ Out” by Billy Joel are just a couple of the recent recorded covers. Check out some of her Tiny Desk Concert submissions with other musicians to hear some of these performances!

If you’re a smooth, R&B fan who likes songs that make you lean back and relax, give Claire a listen! Keep an eye out for more of her music and performances in the future!