Since the release of her first single in 2018, Parks has combined elements from a myriad of genres into her own sound, playing with textures of bedroom pop, soul, trip hop and R&B. Previous single ‘2SIDED’, her first solo outing since 2023, took cues from breakbeat and dance music, and ‘Heaven’ continues that exploration of a more club-inspired sound, while never trading in Parks’ delicate building of emotion.
Over persistent percussion, Parks and producer Baird layer ambience, piano and bass together for a simple yet emotive house-like soundscape that builds over four minutes. The beat picks up for a chorus section, kicks hitting harder, bass getting lower, but always keeping a blissful and lightly nostalgic energy.
Parks’ gentle voice weaves into the instrumental wonderfully as she contemplates “euphoria, community and staying present”. Listeners get that typical poetic slant from her lyrics, like the line “you’re embedded in me like mascara” in the opening verse, or “when I catch a glimpse of heaven / I know I can’t take it with me / maybe knowing that is closure” later in the song.
'Heaven’ embodies the euphoric feeling of being lost in collective dance and successfully merges Parks’ singer-songwriter tendencies with a club ethos, furthering an energy that started with ‘2SIDED’. As teasers for ‘Ambiguous Desire’, both tracks are exciting and insightful glimpses into what's to come.
Alongside the release of the single, a music video was released. Directed by Rob Thorogood, it contrasts simple shots of Parks performing the track against a city skyline with fast-moving footage from within the city. It matches that merging of styles that the track does so well, and is a fitting compliment to the song.
‘Ambiguous Desire’ drops April 3rd.