Clairo

"Zinnias" is a much more apprehensive song on "Sling", where Clairo can be heard expressing her thoughts on her becoming a mother, and how it’d affect the people around her, while also reflecting on her relations with others. A Zinnias is a species of flower which is notable for blooming in the hottest times of the year, with the prime example of June. This flower, alongside the southern Cosmos, are the two flowers mentioned on this record. Clairo appears to be envisioning herself as the Zinnias plant, while her brother is the southern Cosmos. This tracks themes of motherhood can be seen in lines primarily found in the chorus, where she also mentions her sister. A scene can be visualized where she lives a life where she settles down and has a child, a life where she doesn’t write music, but rather settles down. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Clairo alludes to this, where she mentions how she would’ve quit music without "Sling": "This record has changed everything for me, because I was fully going to quit music." The tracks themes of distancing can be found in verse 1, where Clairo speaks of days where she felt close to her brother, compared to the present day, where she struggles to even find conversation with him. She recalls missing those old times and feeling saddened by her current situation.