Today, Arlo Parks has shared her version of an incredibly well-known song with a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. The indie singer recorded an emotional combination of simple piano and vocals, bringing in 2,000 views on her YouTube video.
Parks made a statement when announcing the release, saying “Radiohead is a band that has brought me peace and comfort in the pit of things – I hope my version soothes you in some way. Sending joy and strength to those in need of it right now.” As a song originally written for people who don’t feel like they belong, the cover has brought comfort to many fans.
In playing the song, the artist hopes to send a message to all those protesting, educating, and working for change: “I see you,” and “I am thinking of you and singing for you.” The current situations around the world are trying, yet people are uniting to move forward, with the support of many creatives such as Parks. Continuing with her use of deeper meanings, the singer worked with Stephen Anthony Davids to create single artwork for ‘Creep‘, writing a poem of the same name.
2020 has been a year of painful growth and anxiety. I wanted to share a cover of the song Creep by Radiohead. Radiohead is a band that has brought me peace and comfort in the pit of things – I hope my version soothes you in some way.
artwork: @SADLondon https://t.co/4x9tXx5b29 pic.twitter.com/AAaHoEeJvW
— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) June 11, 2020
Not only is this a personal favourite song of Parks’, but her rendition of it will be featured in short-film ‘Shy Radicals’, premiering in September. The film centres around Hamja Ahsan, and artist, activist, and author and is based on his book, released in 2017.
The cover follows single ‘Black Dog’, released in May and gaining over 2 million streams for its incredible production and musicianship, but primarily for its meaningful themes. Focusing on mental health, Arlo Parks’ songwriting shines through with lyrics such as “It’s so cruel what your mind can do for no reason.” Furthermore, Parks is known for her sociological approach, with ‘Super Sad Generation’ and ‘Sophie’ from her first and second EPs respectively.
It may be assumed that the singer has another EP on the way, since she has already shared three new pieces of music in 2020. Though she will not be able to play the song live, fans can watch Parks perform virtually for Greenpeace’s online party, taking place 18-20th June.
