Arlo Parks and Sampha have reunited to unveil the video for their first joint single, ‘Senses’. Though both are multi-award-winning British artists in their own right, ‘Senses’ marks the beginning of their creative alliance, featuring on Parks' third studio album 'Ambiguous Desire’, which debuted at number one on the Official UK Independent Albums Chart.
The video itself embodies an unadorned look and feel, with just Parks, Sampha, and their shared DJ desk filled with decks and controllers at the focal point; a setup not unlike the stripped-back stages of her intimate album release shows. Sporting a distressed patchwork tee embellished with a calligraphic scribble reading "desire", a nod to her latest body of work, Parks spends her time lost in her own music beneath a bright light – a phrase she reserves for her friend and collaborator Sampha, whose influence on the album is near impossible to miss.
Parks herself dubs the track "part painting, part confession", and with lyrics as poetic and heart-wrenching as "Sometimes when I cycle late I / Wish I'd disappear at speed", it’s hard to argue otherwise. Cinematically and sonically, ‘Senses’ illuminates the stardom that lives in both artists' simplicity and sensitivity, and sits among the most vulnerable tracks Parks has ever put her name to. With the duo so naturally in sync, both on screen and in the studio, here's hoping this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful artistic partnership.
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