Arlo Parks has gone through a musically meteoric rise, from recording in her parents’ bedroom in west London to releasing her debut EP in 2019 to winning the 2021 Mercury Prize, whose previous winners include Sampha, PJ Harvey, and the xx. It’s not hard to see why: she combines indie rock, soul, and R&B with her love of poetry to create timeless songs that touch on topics of mental health, sexuality, and friendships. Though she only has one album out, it’s no surprise she’s become the talk of the UK music scene so quickly.