OVER the last 12 months, Arlo Parks has established herself as one of the UK’s finest rising songwriters. Crafting confessional pop tunes that are both deeply personal and universal, her music has touched listeners all over the globe, even gaining fans in Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Michelle Obama, Florence + the Machine and more.
Now, after a string of impressive releases throughout 2020, Parks is ready to announce the arrival of her debut album. Slated for release on 29th January 2021, ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ will feature breakthrough songs such as ‘Black Dog’, ‘Eugene’ and ‘Hurts’ alongside this week’s single ‘Green Eyes’.
‘Green Eyes’ is a soft, dreamy number that sees Parks’ deliver her trademark gentle, soulful vocals over luxuriant, 90s-inspired grooves. Featuring backing vocals from Clairo, it’s a warm hug of a track; one that demonstrates Parks’ poetic abilities as she delves into her early, bittersweet romantic memories and her experience of discovering her own sexuality. “Some of these folks want to make you cry,” she sings. “But you gotta trust how you feel inside.”
She says, “This is a song about self-discovery, self-acceptance and adolescence. It is supposed to uplift and comfort those going through hard times”
Meanwhile, speaking about her debut LP, she said “My album is a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding my adolescence and the people that shaped it. It is rooted in storytelling and nostalgia – I want it to feel both universal and hyper specific.”
‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ arrives on 29th January 2021 via Transgressive Records.
Check out the new video for ‘Green Eyes’ below, directed by Louis Bhose.
Photo credit: Alex Kurunis
