Babymorocco

{{Short description|English record producer, singer, and performance artist}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Babymorocco | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Clayton Pettet | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|21|2016|04|06}} | birth_place = Casablanca, Morocco | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|record producer|performance artist}} | years_active = 2013–present | education = Central Saint Martins | spouse =  | partner =  | website = | module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes | background = person | origin = London, England | genre = {{hlist|Experimental pop|Dance|Electro}} | instrument = | discography = | label = {{hlist|True Panther|Phat Boy}} | current_member_of = | past_member_of = }} }}

'''Clayton Pettet''', known professionally as '''Babymorocco''', is a Moroccan-born English singer, record producer, and performance artist. In 2013, he announced his debut performance art piece, ''Art School Stole My Virginity'', which he stated would involve him losing his virginity in front of a crowd. It took place in 2014. He began making music professionally during the COVID-19 pandemic, signing to True Panther Records and releasing his debut extended play, ''The Sound'', in 2023.

==Early life and career== Clayton Pettet was born in Casablanca, Morocco<ref name="GL">{{cite magazine |last1=Jackson |first1=Tom |date=April 2016 |title=Baby Morocco |url=https://gayletter.com/baby-morocco/ |format= |magazine=Gayletter |publisher= |issue=4 |access-date=20 November 2023 |via= |quote=}}</ref> to an English father, who works as a lawyer for a teachers' union, and a Moroccan Jewish mother, who runs a charity shop. His parents met on a kibbutz in Israel, where most of his family resides, and secretly married in Chelsea.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-29 |title=Losing my virginity will be a work of art |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/losing-my-virginity-will-be-a-work-of-art-8910727.html |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> He has a twin brother, Tamir, and two older sisters. He grew up in Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, England; he was raised Jewish and had a ''bar mitzvah''.<ref name="DailyBeastVirgin">{{cite web |last1=Hines |first1=Nico |title=Even an Arrest Can't Stop Clayton Pettet From Losing His Virginity in an Art Show |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/even-an-arrest-cant-stop-clayton-pettet-from-losing-his-virginity-in-an-art-show |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=12 December 2013}}</ref> He attended a boys' sports school, which he has stated was the worst-rated in his county, where he faced antisemitism from his classmates.<ref name="ESVirgin" /> As a teenager, he often went to clubs, including an under-18 trance night that, according to him, "changed [his] life" and heavily influenced his later music.<ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Souza |first1=Shaad |title=Freak show: 2022's sexiest, silliest and most brilliantly strange musicians |url=https://theface.com/music/freak-show-a-portfolio-of-seductively-subversive-musicians |website=The Face |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=12 December 2022}}</ref>

He moved to London at age 18 and attended Central Saint Martins to study fine art.<ref name="TheFace" /> In 2013, Pettet announced that his debut performance art project, ''Art School Stole My Virginity'', would involve him publicly losing his virginity to a male classmate in front of around 100 guests. The announcement made international news and caused Central Saint Martins to publicly distance themselves from Pettet.<ref name="ESVirgin" /> He was arrested by police for graffitiing the name of the show and its date on a billboard in East London in November 2013.<ref name="DailyBeastVirgin" /> The show took place at Marylebone Gardens in April 2014 and did not involve him being sexually penetrated, with him instead inviting guests into a separate room to put a banana in his mouth and revealing he had never intended to lose his virginity during the show.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duffy |first1=Nick |title='Art School Stole My Virginity' takes place, and it's not what you expected |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2014/04/04/art-school-stole-my-virginity-takes-place-and-its-not-what-you-expected/ |website=PinkNews |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=4 April 2014}}</ref> Pettet, using the name Babymorocco, became popular on Instagram and Tumblr in 2016 for his sexualized self-portraits.<ref name="GL" />

Babymorocco began making music professionally during the COVID-19 pandemic. His debut single, "iPhone Song 5", was released in October 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Misraje |first1=Oliver |title=Premiere: Clayton Pettet - 'iphone song 5' |url=https://officemagazine.net/premiere-clayton-pettet-iphone-song-5?page=1 |website=Office |access-date=22 November 2023 |date=16 October 2020}}</ref> He signed to True Panther Records and released his debut extended play, ''The Sound'', in June 2023, preceded by the single "Sun Sex Party".<ref name="TheFace">{{cite web |last1=Wickes |first1=Jade |title=Babymorocco wants you to have a good time |url=https://theface.com/music/babymorocco-interview-clayton-pettet-sun-sex-party-the-sound-2000s-club-music |website=The Face |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=26 May 2023}}</ref> He also started an independent record label, Phat Boy Records.<ref name="MDaily">{{cite web |last1=Fabris |first1=Andres |title=Babymorocco Is The Main UK Boy |url=https://musicdaily.com/babymorocco-is-the-main-uk-boy/ |website=Music Daily |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=14 November 2023}}</ref> Babymorocco was featured on the Jockstrap song "Sexy" from their remix album ''I<3UQTINVU'', released in November 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Corcoran |first1=Nina |title=Jockstrap Announce I Love You Jennifer B Remix Album, Share New Video |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/jockstrap-announce-i-love-you-jennifer-b-remix-album-share-new-video-watch/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=12 September 2023}}</ref> He performed as an opening act for hyperpop singer Dorian Electra on the European dates for the world tour in promotion of their album ''Fanfare'' in January 2024.<ref name="MDaily" />

==Artistry== Babymorocco has listed Carolee Schneemann, John Currin, Marina Abramovic, Jeff Koons, and Annabel Chong as influences on his art.<ref name="ESVirgin">{{cite web |last1=Edwardes |first1=Charlotte |title=Losing my virginity will be a work of art |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/losing-my-virginity-will-be-a-work-of-art-8910727.html |website=Evening Standard |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=29 October 2013}}</ref> Babymorocco's music is house music<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pilley |first1=Max |title=Jockstrap's new remix album is a steep deeper into the duo's warped minds |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/reviews/album/jockstrap-i-love-you-remix-album-review-3528551 |website=NME |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=1 November 2023}}</ref> inspired by club music of the early 2000s and Eurotrash.<ref name="TheFace" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Georgia |title=The best gigs, live shows and concerts in London in November |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/the-best-gigs-live-shows-and-concerts-in-london-in-november-110123 |website=Time Out London |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=14 November 2023}}</ref> Douglas Greenwood of ''i-D'' wrote that Babymorocco combined "the intense aesthetics of male heterosexuals" with "songs that sound like they might sample the Pet Shop Boys", calling him "the coolest man in British music at the moment" in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenwood |first1=Douglas |title=i-D's cultural recommendations: TASCHEN's new photobook and an erotic gay party |url=https://i-d.co/article/what-to-do-this-weekend-10-march/ |website=i-D |access-date=20 November 2023 |date=6 March 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life== In October 2024, Babymorocco came out during an interview with ''Gay Times'', stating that he had a boyfriend for four years and had sexual experiences with women and men.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Mikelle |title=Babymorocco: "No one should feel guilty for being sexy" |url=https://www.gaytimes.com/music/babymorocco-interview-sexuality/ |website=Gay Times |access-date=4 May 2025 |date=15 October 2024}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of studio albums, with release date and label shown ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Amour'' | * Released: 6 December 2024 * Label: True Panther * Format: Digital download, streaming |}

===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of extended plays, with release date and label shown ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''The Sound'' | * Released: 9 June 2023 * Label: True Panther * Format: Digital download, streaming |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of singles as lead artist with title, year, and album ! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Album |- ! scope="row"| "iPhone Song 5" | 2020 | rowspan="5" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row"| "My Sad Blue Tears in Los Angeles" | rowspan="2"| 2021 |- ! scope="row"| "Tuch Me" |- ! scope="row"| "I Wish (California)" | rowspan="6"| 2022 |- ! scope="row"| "I Dont Like the Truth With U" |- ! scope="row"| "Girlfriends" | rowspan="2"| ''The Sound'' |- ! scope="row"| "Destruction" |- ! scope="row"| "Lets Go Zante" | rowspan="3" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row"| "Fading (From My Eyes)" |- ! scope="row"| "I Wish You Would Make It Easy" | rowspan="6"| 2023 |- ! scope="row"| "NRG" | rowspan="3"| ''The Sound'' |- ! scope="row"| "Sun Sex Party" |- ! scope="row"| "Everyone" |- ! scope="row"| "SXC"<br />{{small|(with Frost Children)}} | rowspan="3" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row"| "I'll Fall (Again)" |- ! scope="row"| "Automatic" | rowspan="7"| 2024 |- ! scope="row"| "Crazy Cheap"<br />{{small|(with TRISTÁN)}} | rowspan="2"| ''Amour'' |- ! scope="row"| "Really Hot" |- ! scope="row"| "Portarnos Mal"<br />{{small|(with SoFFT)}} | rowspan="1" {{N/A|Non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"| "Babestation" | rowspan="3"| ''Amour'' |- ! scope="row" | "Bikinis and Trackies"<br />{{small|(featuring Frost Children)}} |- ! scope="row"| "Body Organic Disco Electronic" |}

===Guest appearances=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of guest appearances, with year released, other artist(s), and album name shown ! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Other artist(s) ! scope="col" | Album ! scope="col" | Notes |- ! scope="row"| "Sexy" | rowspan="2" |2023 |Jockstrap |''I<3UQTINVU'' | |- ! scope="row"| "I'll Fall (Again)" |Bo En, Bamster |''Pale Machine 2'' | |- ! scope="row"| "Portarnos Mal" | rowspan="3" |2024 |SoFTT | {{Non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"| "Luv drunk" |rowspan="2" | IKeda |rowspan="2" | ''Pretty Little Problem'' | |- ! scope="row"| "N.E.X" | |- ! scope="row"| "Ralph Lauren" |2025 |Frost Children |''Sister'' | |}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Living people Category:21st-century English Jews Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people Category:21st-century English male artists Category:21st-century English male singers Category:21st-century Moroccan Jews Category:Alumni of Central Saint Martins Category:Artists from Bournemouth Category:British people of Moroccan-Jewish descent Category:English house musicians Category:English LGBTQ singers Category:English LGBTQ men Category:Moroccan emigrants to England Category:English performance artists Category:Jewish English musicians Category:LGBTQ performance artists Category:LGBTQ Jews Category:Musicians from Bournemouth Category:Musicians from Casablanca Category:People from Boscombe Category:Year of birth missing (living people)