Arlo Parks sings about her own mental health. Now, she's working to improve ours too.
The London-born musician and poet Arlo Parks makes indie pop with the warmth and tenderness of folk. And since her 2021 debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, she's become known for songs that are so strikingly candid and familiar that they can seem like diorama boxes filled with life's tiniest moments. 'I just have my notebook for every record,' she says, 'and I'm collecting fragments and phrases and nuggets from my life, and that's where the music comes from.'
Because her music is so possessed by interior life, it can naturally seem to yearn for a reckoning with our collective mental health. Her 2020 single 'Black Dog,' for instance, was written for a close friend who she feared was spiraling into depression. As she explains it, 'The reason why you're moved to write something like that is to kind of be like, Is anyone else out there? Is anyone else experiencing this in this way?'
Granting solace to the lost and disheartened has since become part of a larger personal mission. Shortly after the release of 'Black Dog,' Parks, 24, started working with the Campaign Against Living Miserably, a London-based suicide prevention charity, and in 2023 she met with members of UNICEF's Youth Advisory Board to write a poem later released on World Mental Health Day. Last year, she pushed further into activism, becoming the organization's youngest U.K. ambassador. 'I always knew that I wanted to shift the focus from me and my music into something that felt a little bit more expansive, using my privilege and the position that I was in to enact change,' she says. While the world of her songs can be intimate, even insular, she's finding that the work of a UNICEF ambassador—navigating the effects of harm and giving voice to those marked by it—has to exist on a very large scale.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
37 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
KelpFest inspires stewardship of coastal ecosystem
The young and the curious had ample opportunity to take a deep dive into oceanic matters on Saturday with the return of KelpFest in Laguna Beach. An annual event that began in 2010, the festival draws attention to the local kelp forest and its importance to marine life. Laguna Ocean Foundation serves as the host organization for KelpFest, partnering with other environmental groups focused on protecting, restoring and educating the community about the coastal ecosystem. It seeks to encourage the public to play an active role in protecting the fragile ecosystem, according to Alayna Ader, the foundation's education and leadership manager. 'The beach cleanup that kicked off the event gathered more than 50 pounds of trash from Main Beach in just one hour,' Ader said of Saturday's festival. As schools go on break and students are off for summer, there was steady foot traffic wandering up to the booths and exhibits at the Main Beach cobblestones. Among about a dozen participating groups were the American Cetacean Society, California State Parks, Laguna Beach County Water District, Laguna Bluebelt, Laguna Canyon Foundation, Orange County Coastkeeper, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, San Pedro-based Kelp Ark, and the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. 'KelpFest exhibitors offered ocean awareness education and hands-on STEAM activities for everyone to enjoy,' Ader said 'The event ended with an hour-long 'Algae Walk and Talk,' where participants learned about the different algae species found along the beach and tidepools. 'With an estimated 1,000 people enjoying KelpFest, Laguna Ocean Foundation is confident that the event sparked appreciation for the coast and created future environmental stewards.' An interactive stand provided a chance for kids to paint flounders and scallops, while also displaying informational panels about marine wildlife. The Huntington Beach Mermaids also had a tent where children were invited to dress up, flip their fins and pose for pictures. Live music was provided by the SeaView Serenaders.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dua Lipa confirms engagement to actor Callum Turner
Dua Lipa casually confirmed her engagement to British actor Callum Turner, after months of speculation. The 29-year-old Grammy winner confirmed in British Vogue's July cover story, 'Yeah, we're engaged. It's very exciting.' The stars, who've been linked since January 2024, were introduced by the cofounder of London's The River Cafe and crossed paths again a year later in Los Angeles. The 'Houdini' pop star says they had many ''Sliding Doors' moments,' referring to the 1998 romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow, including their 'many' mutual friends. Currently, Lipa and the 'Masters of the Air' actor, 35, are 'just enjoying' their engagement. 'I want to finish my tour, Callum's shooting,' she explained. 'I've never been someone who's really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden I'm like: 'Oh, what would I wear?' … This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don't know, be best friends forever — it's a really special feeling.' The 'Levitating' singer added that, while she'd 'love to have kids one day,' scheduling comes into play with family planning as well as wedding preparation. 'It's like the constant question of when would there ever be a good time — how it would fit in with my job and how it would work if I went on tour, and how much time out I'd have to take,' said Lipa. 'I think it's just one of those things that's going to happen when it happens.' The 'Levitating' singer also showed off her bespoke engagement ring, which she's 'obsessed with.' 'It's so me,' said Lipa. 'It's nice to know the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.' Lipa first showed off her ring on Christmas Eve in an Instagram carousel. Though she's remained mum on the pending nuptials till now, she regularly posts Turner on her feed. Earlier this week, she shared another carousel that opens with a photo of Turner kissing her head as she beams in his arms, captioned: 'That's amoreeee…'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dua Lipa Confirms 'Exciting' Engagement to Callum Turner, Says She's 'Obsessed' with the Ring
During an interview with British Vogue, Dua Lipa confirmed that she's engaged to Callum Turner "It's nice to know the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well," the singer told the outlet The couple sparked romance rumors in January 2024. Meanwhile, speculation that the pair got engaged began after Lipa shared a photo of herself via Instagram on Christmas Eve 2024 wearing a diamond ring on that finger on her left handDua Lipa has found the one! The singer, 29, confirmed her engagement to actor Callum Turner, 35, during a recent interview with British Vogue. 'Yeah, we're engaged. It's very exciting," Lipa told a reporter from the outlet over dinner. She added that her engagement ring was made after Turner consulted her best friends and her sister. 'I'm obsessed with it. It's so me," Lipa said. "It's nice to know the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.' For now, the couple are enjoying their engagement and haven't started wedding planning just yet. 'I want to finish my tour, Callum's shooting, so we're just enjoying this period," Lipa said. "I've never been someone who's really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden I'm like: 'Oh, what would I wear?' ' is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! It wasn't until the "Training Season" singer got engaged herself that she "really understood the weight of it'. 'This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don't know, be best friends forever – it's a really special feeling," she said. Lipa and Turner sparked romance rumors in January 2024 when they were first spotted together at the Masters of Air afterparty following its London premiere. Turner, who stars in the Apple TV+ drama series, was captured in a video slow dancing with Lipa. Since then, the couple has maintained a low profile but have still been seen with one another on various occasions, including dinner and industry events. The two made their relationship Instagram official in July 2024 after the Grammy winner snuck in two sweet pics with her beau in a carousel from the 2024 Glastonbury Festival, where she performed. In one image, Turner was seen kissing the singer's head with his arm around her shoulders, while another showed the couple engaged in a lively chat while laying on the ground. Lipa and Turner rang in the new year with a celebratory kiss, a photo of which was included in an Instagram carousel posted by the singer. "Danced our way into the new year!!! HELLO 2025!!!!🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸," Lipa wrote in the caption. "Only took me a couple days to resurrect blaaaady ellllll but here we areeee." On Christmas Eve, Lipa ignited speculation over whether or not the couple had gotten engaged after she shared photos of herself on Instagram wearing a diamond ring on her lefthand ring finger. While posting photos at Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 28, the pop star hid her left hand underneath her dramatic cape. Lipa didn't completely conceal her ring, however, as her gold band was caught when she removed her cape and posed for cameras outside the show, and was spotted in one of the photos she shared on Instagram. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Lipa has continued to post photos of her rocking the ring in loved-up posts with Turner and has been seen wearing it onstage in Europe while performing her Radical Optimism Tour. Lipa and Turner made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2025 Met Gala in May. Read the original article on People
