Collapsed in Sunbeams (album)

## **Singles from *Collapsed in Sunbeams***

1. "Eugene"
Released: 11 February 2020
2. "Black Dog"
Released: 4 May 2020
3. "Hurt"
Released: 18 August 2020
4. "Green Eyes"
Released: 20 October 2020
5. "Caroline"
Released: 23 November 2020
6. "Hope"
Released: 27 January 2021
7. "Too Good"
Released: 28 July 2021

***Collapsed in Sunbeams*** is the debut studio album by Arlo Parks, released through Transgressive Records on 29 January 2021. The album won the 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize for best album, and was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

## Synopsis

"I don't like to agonize over things," Arlo Parks tells Apple Music. "It can tarnish the magic a little. Usually a song will take an hour or less from conception to end. If I listen back and it's how I pictured it, I move on." The West London poet-turned-songwriter is right to trust her gut feeling." *Collapsed in Sunbeams* is a debut album that crystallizes her talent for chronicling sadness and optimism in universally felt indie-pop confessionals. "I wanted a sense of balance," she says. "The record had to face the difficult parts of life in a way that was unflinching but without feeling all-consuming and miserable. It also needed to carry that undertone of hope, without feeling naive. It had to reflect the bittersweet quality of being alive." *Collapsed in Sunbeams* achieves all this, scrapbooking adolescent milestones and Parks' own sonic evolution to form something quite spectacular. Here, she talks us through her work, track by track. (*Apple Music*)

## Background

According to *i-D*, she aimed for the factors of "vulnerability and fluidity sonically," that aligns with her "always making very personal and sensitive music." She added of evolving as an artist, "without clinging onto what's familiar is really important. I think I've got to the point, where I'm like, 'This album is a time capsule, and it's the best that I can do at the time, but there's still space to grow.'" Speaking with *Under the Radar*, the basis of the album "was just kind of discovering and processing things in my life that have shaped me up till now," where she looked at her past through old writings and journal entries. She started writing for the record before COVID-19, though when the pandemic began, she was "holed up in this Airbnb in East London" and focused on its creation. To *BAZAAR.com*, she revealed that most of the tracks were written in January 2020, and added, "Most of *Collapsed in Sunbeams* was produced with guitar bass and a computer."

### Singles

* "Eugene" – 11 February 2020
* "Black Dog" – 4 May 2020
* "Hurt" – 18 August 2020
* "Green Eyes" – 20 October 2020
* "Caroline" – 23 November 2020
* "Hope" – 27 January 2021
* "Too Good" – 28 July 2021

## Title

In an interview with *Hypebae*, she revealed that the title derived from the novel *On Beauty* by Zadie Smith, "which is a brutally human book that encompasses everything from marriage to the nature of art, and race to friendship. There was something about the phrase that felt very bittersweet, that idea of being overwhelmed by emotion. However, whether it's melancholy or euphoria, it's up to the listener's interpretation. It reminded me of summer in London, which is when most of the stories on the album took place."

## Critical reception

*Collapsed in Sunbeams* has received widespread critical acclaim, praised for its lyricism that delves into the human condition, and ended on many year-end lists for Best Albums of 2021. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100, the album received a score of 83 based on 20 critical reviews, citing "universal acclaim". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? reported an average of 7.9/10.

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic wrote, "If the musical qualities of Collapsed in Sunbeams suffer from a bit of sameyness by the end, the formula is a soothing, pleasant one with sentiment to spare and, as a debut, full of promise." *The Guardian* noted, "Her real skill lies in observing small, telling details." *Loud and Quiet* wrote, "The music is as laidback as her delivery, blending R&B with jazz-inflected pop and funk." While they remarked on hopefulness for a few experimental tracks, they praised the consistency of the project. *Pitchfork* applauded the album lyrically, where "Parks' songwriting is affectionate and friendly, never straining too hard, always cool and collected." *The Harvard Crimson* in similar opinion stated, "Parks' ability to capture both the heights and depths of love with such painstaking precision is a testament to her poetry and song-writing skills."

*Consequence* described *Collapsed in Sunbeams* as "guided by a masterful delicacy that speaks to a careful early attention to her craft [...] blankets the listener in an enveloping sound." They praised the lyricism, and while mentioning of not being very "risk-taking," maintained that the project was cohesive. *DIY Magazine* stated "an ambassador for a new era of empathy," while *Exclaim!* observed, "she's able to communicate such profound feelings." The latter continued, "Parks can raise hairs with a simple turn of phrase and poetic image — if only the music encompassing her words was as compelling [...] the overwhelmingly simple bedroom pop stylings that decorate the majority of the album struggle to leave a mark." Nevertheless, they acknowledged the strength of songwriting, where her "wise words are indeed the album's saving grace. With her precocious writing capabilities, it's possible to envision the potential of someone who really could become the voice of this new generation. If anything, she's a special storyteller who will only garner more respect and attention as time passes." Echoing these sentiments, *NME* said, "Arlo Parks may be the voice of Gen Z, but there’s no doubt that this is a universal collection of stories that’ll provide solace for listeners of all ages and backgrounds for decades to come." *Paste* magazine wrote of the "vibrant fusion of rock, jazz, folk and hip-hop [...] and sprinkled with a blueness distinctly her own. Her sound is compelling enough that, even when her lyrics regress into platitudes, her music remains stirring and intense." *The Guardian* summarised, "Parks's kind-but-firm determination to hold difficult feelings up to the daylight is given a positive, forward momentum by the rattle of live drums. This percussive energy drives the whole record, keeping the easy-soul loops from mulching down into hipster coffee shop background music."

*The Observer* also gave praise, stating "With its silky delicacy, percussion that plays with everything from trip-hop to neosoul, and that deft voice gliding through sublime imagery, this is a quietly enriching and powerful first album." *Variety* believed that "intimacy" was what made the album stand out, where the lyrics were based on her old journals, creating "sharp, novelistic observations and funny references." While they did feel that the "relatively one-dimensional voice does get a bit repetitive," they concluded "her talent and reach are undeniable." *The New York Times* opined, "the music on her album is restrained but far from austere."

## Accolades

Awards

Year-end lists

## Track listing

All tracks written by Anaïs Marinho and Gianluca Buccellati, except where noted. All tracks are produced by Gianluca Buccellati, except where noted.

## Personnel

Musicians
* Anaïs "Arlo Parks" Marinho – vocals (1–20), writing (1–16)
* Gianluca Buccellati – writing (1–16)
* Alessandro Buccellati – writing (7, 15)
* Claire "Clairo" Cottrill – vocals (7), writing (7, 17)
* Phoebe Bridgers – writing (18)
* Archy Marshall – writing (19)
* Christopher Breaux – writing (20)
* Malay Ho – writing (20)
* James Fernandez – drums (4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15)

Technical
* Gianluca Buccellati – production (1–12)

## Gallery

* Track-by-track
* PIAS
* BTS

## References

1. ↑ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". *Grammys.com*. 23 November 2021.
2. ↑ Phillips, Aimee (29 January 2021). "Arlo Parks: "I Wanted It to Be a Time Capsule - A Step by Step of the Moments That Have Shaped Me"". *NOTION*.
3. ↑ Mahale, Jenna (27 January 2021). "Arlo Parks on Her Debut Album and the Importance of Staying Vulnerable". *i-D*.
4. ↑ Irving, Jennifer (24 December 2021). "Arlo Parks on "Collapsed in Sunbeams"". *Under the Radar*.
5. ↑ Marsh, Ariana (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks Gives Gen-Z Anxiety a Voice on Her Debut Album, *Collapsed in Sunbeams*". *Bazaar'.com*.
6. ↑ De Leon, Pauline (March 9, 2021). "BAEwatch: Arlo Parks". *Hypebae*.
7. ↑ "*Collapsed in Sunbeams* by Arlo Parks Critic Reviews". *Metacritic*.
8. ↑ "Collapsed in Sunbeams Review by Marcy Donelson". *AllMusic*.
9. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks: Collapsed in Sunbeams Review – A Diaristic, Near-perfect Debut". *The Guardian*.
10. ↑ Darlington, Susan (25 January 2021). "Arlo Parks Collapsed in Sunbeams". *Loud and Quiet*.
11. ↑ Jocelyn, Hannah (1 February 2021). "*Collapsed in Sunbeams* by Arlo Parks".
12. ↑ Ashford, Joy (2 February 2021). "Arlo Parks' 'Collapsed in Sunbeams' Review: An Easy Listen with Hints of Radiance". *The Crimson*.
13. ↑ Dzubay, Laura (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks' Collapsed in Sunbeams Is Both Intimate and Expansive: Review". *Consequence*.
14. ↑ Williams, Jenessa (29 January 2021). "Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams Album Review". *DIY Magazine*.
15. ↑ Kohner, Kyle (25 January 2021). "Arlo Parks' 'Collapsed in Sunbeams' Shows Her Potential to Become the Voice of a Generation". *Exclaim!*
16. ↑ Evans, Georgia (26 January 2021). "Arlo Parks – 'Collapsed in Sunbeams' Review: Soothing Sounds and Universal Tales". *NME*.
17. ↑ Freedman, Max (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks Gives New Meaning to "Wise Beyond Her Years"". *Paste*.
18. ↑ Brown, Helen (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks Review, Collapsed in Sunbeams: Artist's Debut Album Is a Spot of Brightness in a Dark Year". *The Independent*.
19. ↑ Joshi, Tara (31 January 2021). "Arlo Parks: Collapsed in Sunbeams Review – Silky and Sublime". *The Guardian*.
20. ↑ Aswad, Jem (29 January 2021). "Arlo Parks' 'Collapsed in Sunbeams' Marks the Arrival of a Major New Voice: Album Review". *Variety*.
21. ↑ Pareles, Jon (28 January 2021). "Arlo Parks Offers Solace Without Illusions on Her Debut Album". *The New York Times*.
22. ↑ "Rd". *A.V. Club*. 23 December 2021.
23. ↑ "6 Music's Albums of the Year 2021". *BBC Radio 6 Music*.
24. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021: Staff List". *Billboard*. 6 December 2021.
25. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2021". *Consequence*. 7 December 2021.
26. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2021". *Coup de Main*. 17 December 2021.
27. ↑ "DIY's Best Albums of 2021". *DIY*. 17 December 2021.
28. ↑ "Dork's Albums of 2021". *Dork*. 31 December 2021.
29. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". *NME*. 10 December 2021.
30. ↑ "The Best Music of 2021". *NPR Music*. 2 December 2021.
31. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". *Paste*. 29 November 2021.
32. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2021". *Rolling Stone*. 3 December 2021.
33. ↑ "The 30 Best Albums Of 2021". *Spin*. 13 December 2021.
34. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas-Ben and Snapes, Laura (17 December 2021). "The 50 best albums of 2021". *The Guardian*.
35. ↑ "The 40 Best Albums of 2021, from Adele's 30 to Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever". *The Independent*. 18 December 2021.
36. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2021 Ranked". *The Line of Best Fit*. 13 December 2021.

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