Arlo Parks, born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho on August 9, 2000, in West London, England, began writing poetry and music as a teenager. She debuted with the single 'Cola' in November 2018, followed by EPs Super Sad Generation and Sophie in 2019. Her music blends indie-pop, jazz-infused lo-fi, folk, and R&B elements, drawing from influences like Frank Ocean and Radiohead, with lyrics exploring adolescence, mental health, relationships, and personal experiences. Parks released her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams in January 2021, which reached number three on the UK charts and won the Mercury Prize that year. She also received the Breakthrough Artist Award at the 2021 Brit Awards. Her second album, My Soft Machine, followed in 2023. Live, she is recognized for intimate, confessional performances that reflect her poetic style and evolving sound. Raised in a musically inclined family with exposure to jazz, Parks signed to Transgressive Records early in her career after gaining notice from artists like Loyle Carner.