The BPM


The BPM is the third studio album by American singer, songwriter and violinist Brittney Parks under her stage name Sudan Archives. It was released on October 17, 2025, through Stones Throw Records.
The album follows her critically acclaimed 2022 release Natural Brown Prom Queen and is said to blend club sounds from Detroit and Chicago with diverse dance styles. It features close collaborators and explores themes of technology, self-exploration and emotion.

Background and themes

The BPM was inspired by Parks's parents' roots in Michigan and Illinois, with recording sessions partially taking place in both Detroit and Chicago, incorporating club sounds from both cities. The album features mainly contributions from her close circle, including her sister, cousin and best friend. It also explores various styles of dance music, such as Jersey club and experimental beatwork. Parks notes that her beats often reflect where her parents come from, but with a more experimental twist on this record. She also expressed her intention to create a definitive dance album with The BPM.
Visually, Parks adopts a new persona called "Gadget Girl", representing her connection with technology. This character embodies being "self-made and self-contained", utilizing the tools around her to become the best version of herself without outside assistance. Parks describes this as "hyper-independence" but ultimately considers it a form of "self-exploration". According to a press release, the album explores themes such as mental illness, self-love, technology, romance and heartbreak.

Release and promotion

The album was preceded by the lead single "Dead" on June 3, 2025, followed by the dual single "My Type" / "Yea Yea Yea" released on July 16. "Ms. Pac Man" was released as a single on August 12, 2025. On September 10, 2025, she released the album's fourth single, "Come and Find You". She released "A Bug's Life" as a single on October 14, 2025. Parks started touring in the United States and Europe in support of the album in fall 2025, and later added more dates for the U.S. for January and February 2026.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Musicians

  • Sudan Archives – vocals, violin, bass, drum programming, synthesizer, sound effects, drums, backing vocals
  • Ben Dickey – drum programming, sound effects,synthesizer, bass, drums, keyboards, chops, piano, percussion
  • Eric Terhune – drum programming, synthesizer, sound effects, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion
  • D-Composed – ensemble
  • * Caitlin Edwards – violin
  • * Anya Brumfield – violin
  • * Wilfred Farquaharson – viola
  • * Tahirah Whittington – cello
  • Ghalani of Greenwood – synthesizer, bass, Moog
  • Kafari – keyboards, bones, synthesizer
  • Umesi Michael – drum programming
  • Zep Barnasconi – live drums
  • Richard Lawrence – keyboards
  • Damon Terrell – bass, keyboards ; drum programming, drums, sound effects
  • James McCall IV – vocals
  • Dexter Story – bass ; backing vocals, drums, percussion, synthesizer, bass, piano, flute

    Technical and visuals

  • Red Charon – engineering
  • Jeremy Zumo Kollie – engineering
  • Brian Deck – engineering
  • Ghalani of Greenwood – engineering
  • Adam Kobylarz – live drum engineering
  • Noah Glassman – mixing
  • Joe LaPorta – mastering
  • Christie Dawson – project coordination
  • Maya Kalev – project management
  • Ben Zucker – string transcription
  • Alexa Carrasco – creative direction
  • Yanran Xiong – photography
  • Louis Moss – design
  • Midnightt – design
  • Tom Noon – design

    Charts