"Caroline" is a song by British singer

Arlo Parks Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a British singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, ''Collapsed in Sunbeams'', was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number thr ...

. It was the fifth single to be released from her debut album ''

Collapsed in Sunbeams ''Collapsed in Sunbeams'' is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks, released via Transgressive Records on 29 January 2021. The album received widespread acclaim, with many music critics praising Parks' versatility and vu ...

'' (2021).

Background

Caroline debuted to streaming platforms on 23 November 2020, the same day it premiered as

Annie Mac Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...

's Hottest Record in the World on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. Describing the song, Parks said "’Caroline’ is an exercise in people watching and seeing situations unfold without context, It’s an exploration of how something once full of healthy passion can dissolve in an instant." The song describes a fallout between a couple from the perspective of an onlooker waiting for the bus.

Music video

The music video was released in December 2020.

Critical reception

Molly Rushton from ''Redbrick'' described Caroline as "melancholy" and stated that it "captures a tragic energy". Rushton called it "one of the best singles to have come from Parks yet". Robin Murray from ''Clash'' also praised the song.

Charts

References

{{reflist 2020 songs 2020 singles Arlo Parks songs