Arlo Parks is only 18 years old, not even out of her teens, a mesh of insecurities, anxieties, and bold, bold ambition.
Debut single 'Cola' emerged online during the tail end of last year, matching the soulful ache of the vocal to lyricism that veered towards the confessional.
Follow up 'Super Sad Generation' is wonderful, a song stems veers from astute, nuanced creative control that also utilises word-play the speaks of youthful emotions spinning out of control.
Nodding towards a clear love of hip-hop in the production, the vocal has that faint hint of bruised colour, of already having been through too much.
Arlo explains…
"When I look at my generation I see a kaleidoscope of dejection, passion and anxiety – there’s this strange mix of sadness and intimacy that saturates Generation Z. 'Super Sad Generation' was inspired by the time my friends and I sat on the green at sunset, half wine drunk and ugly crying for no reason in particular."
"We talked for hours about ghosts, disappointing our parents and depression. Everyone I loved seemed so angry and sick and aggressively alive, I’ll never forget that evening. On the bus ride home I wrote the poem that would eventually become 'Super Sad Generation' – a reflection on how a lot of things break and a lot of people get hurt during adolescence."
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Charlie Cummings
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