Arlo Parks is kicking off a brand-new music chapter.
On Tuesday, January 13, the British indie singer-songwriter shared “2Sided,” the lead single from her upcoming third studio album Ambiguous Desire.
On “2Sided,” Parks yearns for love and affection on the dance floor, detailing a release of inhibitions. Over a transcendent beat crafted by Grammy-winning producer Rob Bisel, as well as Baird — known for his work with Brockhampton and Kevin Abstract — Parks wears her heart on her sleeve, in hopes that the person for whom she longs reciprocates the feeling. “The heat and the dark / My head is so cloudy / You know how I feel / Tell me it's two-sided,” she sings on an all-too-relatable chorus.
“At its core '2sided' is about yearning and tension,” said Parks in a statement. “It’s about being struck by a bolt of desire and building up the courage to put language to that feeling, to make it real.”
Parks recorded much of Ambiguous Desire in New York City in Baird’s downtown loft apartment. She took inspiration from the city’s vibrant community and nightlife.
Making a departure from live instrumentation, Parks sings with accompaniment by synths and drum machines, signaling a new sonic evolution. In an Instagram post, Parks hinted at additional contributions from legendary producer Paul Empworth, as well as British singer Sampha. The video for “2Sided” features Parks moving through a dancefloor, fueled by the power of raw emotion.
"I danced more than ever as I made this record,” said Parks in a statement. “I made more friends than ever too, found myself in the weird underbelly of New York juke nights, unleashed, laughed and laughed and laughed. This record has desire at its center. Desire is a life force, it’s a wanting, a yearning, a momentum - we are all alive because there is something or someone we want - desire is an engine. But it is also mysterious, tangled, random, enlightening and HUMAN."
Ambiguous Desire is out Friday, April 3 via Transgressive Records.
