UK songwriter Arlo Parks is on the heels of releasing her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams, an LP that has already garnered much praise. She made her US TV debut back in January with a performance of her hopeful track “Hurt” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Now, Parks once again brings her tender ballads to late-night TV, this time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Performing her breakout single “Black Dog,” Parks decorates herself and the surrounding stage with a sea of sunflowers. The brightly-colored petals offer a captivating juxtaposition to Parks’ earnest musings, as she sings about serious topics.
At just 20 years old, Parks wrote Collapsed In Sunbeams as a masterclass in dealing with the difficulties of mental health and identity. “Black Dog” in particular showcases her unique ability to delicately cut to the core of her subject matter over dreamy chords, poetically addressing the weight of helping a friend break out of a depressive episode. “I’d lick the grief right off your lips / You do your eyes like Robert Smith / Sometimes it seems like you won’t survive this / And honestly it’s terrifying,” she sings.
Watch Parks perform “Black Dog” on The Tonight Show above.
Collapsed In Sunbeams is out now via Transgressive. Get it here.