Arlo Parks performed a beautiful rendition of her song “Black Dog,” surrounded by sunflowers, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Monday night.
The 20-year-old singer began the set by walking along a pathway lined with the blossoms, wearing a backpack with sunflowers bursting out the top to match. Along the way, she came across what looked like a small shrine featuring more sunflowers and a telephone hanging off the hook. Then, as if by magic, Parks transported herself to another stage with a gorgeous backdrop and curtains made of sunflowers, where she was joined by her full backing band for the end of the song.
Parks released her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams in January. “There is obviously a sense of fear, putting out something where I’m exposing a soft, vulnerable point in myself,” she told Independent. “I was bitter and unhappy with a situation and hurt. But when I realised that it [Parks’s experience] had the capacity to help people, that outweighed the fear. I also think if you don’t feel a bit scared when you’re putting stuff out, it’s not close to the bone enough.”
Last year, Parks collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers on a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” performed for Phil Taggart’s Chillest Show on BBC Radio 1; the two of them also dueted on Bridgers’ Punisher track “Kyoto.” She’s set to make an appearance on on the Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats remix EP UNLOCKED 1.5, out March 5th.
From Rolling Stone US
