It’s not every performer that has the audacity to cover Frank Ocean, because delivering a performance that’s at least comparable to his exemplary vocal abilities is a significant challenge. However, Arlo Parks has emerged as one of the finest new vocalists to emerge in a while, and she did just fine when she took a crack at Ocean’s “Ivy” for a new BBC Radio 1 Piano Sessions performance. Seated behind the keys, she also sang one of her own songs, “Hurt.”
She shared some photos from the session and wrote, “It was an honour to sing sum Frank Ocean and Hurt for @bbcradio1’s Chillest Show – there’s something so deep and soothing about the piano as an instrument.”
These performances don’t come too long after her last time in a Radio 1 Piano Session: Back in September 2020, she joined Phoebe Bridgers to help out with a rendition of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Parks also played piano as Bridgers sang her single “Kyoto.”
This also arrived just days ahead of this year’s Brit Awards, which take place tomorrow, May 11. Parks is up for handful of big awards: Best British Female, Breakthrough Artist, and Best Album (for Collapsed In Sunbeams).
Watch Parks’ performances of “Ivy” and “Hurt” above.
