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Arlo Parks

Biography

Born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho in London in 2000, Parks is of Nigerian, Chadian, and French heritage. She began writing poetry and music as a teenager and released her debut single, “Cola,” in 2018. Her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams (2021), reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and won the 2021 Mercury Prize.


Parks followed with My Soft Machine (2023), an album exploring intimacy, anxiety, love, and self-discovery. She also published The Magic Border: Poetry and Fragments From My Soft Machine (2023), combining poetry, lyrics, and fragments connected to her music.


Parks released her third studio album, Ambiguous Desire, on April 3, 2026. The album incorporates electronic and dance influences alongside her songwriting and explores desire, connection, and nightlife.


BQW Impact

Parks' significance to BQW comes from the intersection of her Black identity, bisexuality, and openly bisexual creative work. She has directly discussed her bisexuality and described her queer identity as an intrinsic part of her music and songwriting.


Her songwriting explores queer desire, relationships, vulnerability, and coming of age. “Green Eyes” explores a relationship between two women, contributing to greater visibility for queer people of color in contemporary music.


Notable Works

  • Collapsed in Sunbeams (2021)

    Debut studio album that won the 2021 Mercury Prize.

  • My Soft Machine (2023)

    Second studio album exploring love, anxiety, intimacy, and self-discovery.

  • The Magic Border: Poetry and Fragments From My Soft Machine (2023)

    Debut poetry collection combining poems, lyrics, and fragments.

  • Ambiguous Desire (2026)

    Third studio album incorporating electronic and dance influences and exploring desire, connection, and nightlife.

Learn More
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