Weightless

Album: My Soft Machine (2023)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Weightless" deals with the emotional pain of caring deeply for someone who only offers minimal affection. "It's about suddenly realizing that a person has dulled your edges and embarking on the slow journey back to being a brighter version of yourself," explained Arlo Parks.
  • The title doesn't appear in the lyrics, but appears to be a play on the chorus ("Don't wanna wait"/ "weightless").

    I don't wanna wait for you
    Don't wanna wait for you
    Don't wanna wait for you
    But I need you so I won't go
  • Arlo Parks wrote "Weightless" with Paul Epworth. British producer Epworth has worked with a variety of artists, including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Coldplay, and Paul McCartney. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for co-writing "Skyfall" with Adele. Epworth previously produced the tracks "Too Good" and "Portra 400" on Parks' debut Collapsed In Sunbeams album.
  • "Weightless" is distinct from Parks' earlier works, which have a slower tempo and emphasis on groove. It showcases a fast-paced beat and robust synth production while still maintaining her sharp lyrics. She released the song as the first single off her sophomore album, My Soft Machine.

    "I wanted something that would throw people off balance a little bit. I guess people expected maybe something a little bit more sparse and minimal," Parks told BBC Radio 1's Clara Amfo. "And I was like, 'Okay, maybe actually I go bigger,' like I love Jay Paul, I love Joy Orbison, I love John Glacier, I love like UK electronic music, and I was like, okay, something in that vein. And I wanted to surprise people and show people that maybe I'm a little different what they expected."

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