Black Dog (Arlo Parks song)
{{short description|2020 single by Arlo Parks}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Black Dog
| cover = Arlo_Parks_Black_Dog.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Arlo Parks
| album = Collapsed in Sunbeams
| A-side = Eugene
| released = {{Start date|2020|05|04}}
| genre = Contemporary R&B
| length = 3:45
| label = Transgressive
| writer =
- Anais Marinho
- Gianluca Buccellati
| producer = Gianluca Buccellati
| prev_title = Eugene
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = Hurt
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|QOu0Ht0-D4M|"Black Dog"}}
}}
}}
"Black Dog" is a song by the British singer and poet Arlo Parks from her first studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams (2021).{{Cite web|last=Richards|first=Will|date=20 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks: Creator of the year's most devastating song|url=https://www.nme.com/features/nme-radar-arlo-parks-black-dog-is-the-years-most-devastating-song-2671623|access-date=5 June 2020|website=NME|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528021835/https://www.nme.com/features/nme-radar-arlo-parks-black-dog-is-the-years-most-devastating-song-2671623 |archive-date=28 May 2020 }} Named after Winston Churchill's term for depression,{{Cite news|last=Smyth|first=David|date=29 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks interview: 'Music was my refuge in a lost space'|work=Evening Standard|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/music/arlo-parks-interview-black-dog-eugene-a4454216.html|access-date=5 June 2020}} the song focuses on mental health.{{Cite web|last=Reilly|first=Nick|date=5 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks shares powerful new track 'Black Dog'|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/arlo-parks-shares-powerful-new-track-black-dog-2659950|access-date=5 June 2020|website=NME|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514050902/https://www.nme.com/news/music/arlo-parks-shares-powerful-new-track-black-dog-2659950 |archive-date=14 May 2020}} "Black Dog" was Parks' first song to have mainstream radio airplay in the UK, on the A List of the BBC Radio 1 Playlist in July 2020.{{Cite web|title=Radio 1 Playlist|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716005816/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist|archivedate=16 July 2020|accessdate=9 August 2020|website=BBC}} Critics at NME ranked "Black Dog" as the fourth best song of 2020.{{Cite web|date=December 8, 2020|title=The 50 best songs of 2020|url=https://www.nme.com/features/nme-best-songs-of-the-year-2020-2833773|access-date=December 8, 2020|website=NME}}
Background and release
The song was released a month before Parks became an ambassador for the British mental health charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably.{{Cite web|date=5 June 2020|title=Introducing Arlo Parks, new CALM ambassador|url=https://www.thecalmzone.net/2020/05/introducing-arlo-parks-new-calm-ambassador/|access-date=5 June 2020|publisher=Campaign Against Living Miserably|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521033511/https://www.thecalmzone.net/2020/05/introducing-arlo-parks-new-calm-ambassador/ |archive-date=21 May 2020}} It was released as a double-sided single with the song "Eugene" on 4 May 2020. Both songs were produced by Gianluca Buccellati, who also wrote them with Parks.{{Cite web|title=Black Dog by Arlo Parks on Tidal|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/138582310/credits|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Tidal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605123538/https://listen.tidal.com/album/138582310/credits |archive-date=5 June 2020 }} Referring to "Black Dog", Parks said, "It's supposed to make people who are struggling feel less isolated and start a conversation surrounding the prevalence of mental health issues in today's world."{{Cite web|last=Kenneally|first=Cerys|date=5 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks unveils new single "Black Dog"|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/arlo-parks-unveils-new-single-black-dog|access-date=5 Jun 2020|website=The Line of Best Fit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605121613/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/arlo-parks-unveils-new-single-black-dog |archive-date=5 June 2020 }}
Critical reception
The song was placed on Amazon Music's UK Rising playlist within a week of its initial release.{{Cite web|date=6 May 2020|title=UK Rising (6 May 2020)|url=https://archive.org/details/uk-rising-black-dog|access-date=5 June 2020|publisher=Amazon Music}}{{dead link|date=June 2022}} NME described the single as "the years most devastating song". DIY explained the song as being directed at those having to deal with mental health issues.{{Cite web|date=5 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks shares new song 'Black Dog'|url=https://diymag.com/2020/05/05/watch-arlo-parks-black-dog|access-date=5 June 2020|website=DIY|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512035213/https://diymag.com/2020/05/05/watch-arlo-parks-black-dog |archive-date=2020-05-12 }} Narzra Ahmed of When The Horn Blows revealed that the meaning of "Black Dog" is a metaphor for depression with the song intended for people suffering with mental health as a result of isolation, and encourages a conversation around the issue.{{Cite web|last=Ahmed|first=Narzra|date=13 May 2020|title=Singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks' confessional style seeps into her powerful new single 'Black Dog'|url=https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2020/5/10/arlo-parks-black-dog|access-date=5 June 2020|website=When The Horn Blows|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605110935/https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2020/5/10/arlo-parks-black-dog |archive-date=5 June 2020 }} Malvika Padin of Euphoria describes the song as starting a conversation around how people feel about themselves especially with the advent of social media making people question if they are a perfect person and their life.{{Cite web|last=Padin|first=Malvika|date=11 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks releases quietly stunning new song, "Black Dog"|url=https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2020/05/music/tracks-arlo-parks-black-dog/|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Euphoria|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605110406/https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2020/05/music/tracks-arlo-parks-black-dog/ |archive-date=5 June 2020 }} "Black Dog" was also reported on by Redbrick and Office magazines, both of which described the song as one that explores human relationships.{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Elsie|date=4 June 2020|title=Single Review: Arlo Parks - Black Dog|url=https://www.redbrick.me/single-review-arlo-parks-black-dog/|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Redbrick|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605110407/https://www.redbrick.me/single-review-arlo-parks-black-dog/ |archive-date=5 June 2020}}
- {{Cite web|first=David Aaron |last=Brake|date=4 May 2020|title=Premiere: Arlo Parks, "Black Dog"|url=http://officemagazine.net/premiere-arlo-parks-black-dog|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Office}}
Music video
In May 2020, a music video directed by Molly Burdett was released.{{Cite web|last=Robles|first=Jonathan|date=5 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks' new song 'Black Dog' is heartbreakingly beautiful|url=https://variancemagazine.com/sights/11173-arlo-parks-black-dog|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Variance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513202154/https://variancemagazine.com/sights/11173-arlo-parks-black-dog |archive-date=13 May 2020 }} The 4K video has scenes depicting depression, sadness and family issues.{{Cite web|last=Parks|first=Arlo|date=4 May 2020|title=Arlo Parks - Black Dog (Official Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOu0Ht0-D4M|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508011415/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOu0Ht0-D4M|archive-date=8 May 2020|access-date=5 June 2020|website=YouTube}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Black Dog
| length1 = 3:45
| title2 = Eugene
| length2 = 3:42
| total_length = 7:27
| extra_column = Producer
| writer1 = {{hlist|Anais Marinho|Gianluca Buccellati}}
| writer2 = {{hlist|Marinho|Buccellati}}
| extra1 = Buccellati
| extra2 = Buccellati
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col" | Chart (2020)
! scope="col" | Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Flanders Tip|44|artist=Arlo Parks|song=Black Dog|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Flanders Urban|32|artist=Arlo Parks|song=Black Dog|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|UKdownload|61|date=20200724|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 July 2020|refname=ukdown}} |
| {{single chart|Scotland|92|date=20200717|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 July 2020|refname=scotland}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
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