– Fenton Wright, Web Services Coordinator
This week for our Pick of the Week, we have an amazingly powerful and raw song by Arlo Parks, “Beams.” On “Beams,” Parks becomes more vulnerable than perhaps she has ever been on one of her songs, as she takes us through years of her navigating her own mental health and the people around her.
People You Love
The main theme of “Beams” by Arlo Parks is being able to treat people in your life the right way while they are around you. Here, Parks acknowledges that she hasn’t done that in the past. In fact, it was the opposite. She sings about how she placed all of her burdens onto other people, and despite them wanting to know about them, it was unfair to those people to be put into those situations.
In the second verse, she even notes how this has become something detrimental to her relationship with the people closest to her. She sings, “I never thought my oldest pain/ Could be something you’d grow to resent.” By having this in the song, Parks understands that the downfall of her relationship is that she places too much pressure on the people around her through her own mental state.
Simple Video
For a song as heavy and raw as “Beams,” the music video is absolutely perfect. Nothing is over the top, but instead it is very much grounded and real.
By having the video be one continuous shot of Parks looking out the window of a driving car, the listener can focus on the lyrics of the song and the message that Parks is trying to convey. Even though it is simple, nothing else would have matched the vibe of this song.
Threads of Indie and R&B
One of the best things about Arlo Parks’ music overall and especially on “Beams,” is how she melds both Indie and R&B music together to create her own style. On “Beams,” she floats through the song and allows the piano to do most of the heavy lifting for her.
What’s Next?
If you liked “Beams,” then good news because Arlo Parks’ discography is big enough to give you countless other songs that you can listen to and enjoy. Also, Parks is currently touring her latest album, Ambiguous Desire, which released earlier this year!
