Introducing Arno Sacco: The New Age Yearner
Following the success of his breakout single, "Two Shots (Looking for Love)", we sit down with rising singer-songwriter Arno Sacco to explore emotion, desire and the cinematic world shaping his sound.
Arno Sacco in 2026. Image property of Isaac Farley.
Arno Sacco, the Belgian-bred singer-songwriter, just relocated to London. Moving in hopes of furthering his music career, Arno quietly waltzed onto the UK scene with his alternative R&B-leaning debut and sophomore singles, "Blue Boy" and "Two Shots (Looking for Love)". While he's still relatively new, we're investing in him early—make no mistake, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches up.
With just three singles out, he's already exposed listeners to the breadth of his talent. In a matter of months, he's earned recognition from London's current class of rising talent, including Venna, CARI and Sade Olutola, as well as amassing six-figure streaming numbers across both releases, marking him as a rare voice brimming with potential.
Just last month, "Two Shots (Looking For Love)" hit over 100,000 streams on Spotify. On the track, Arno pulls listeners into a story of desire, ushered in by breathy, melodic notes reminiscent of The Weeknd and Ariana Grande on tracks like the beloved "Die for You" remix.
In its bridge, the track escalates through heart-thumping production, resounding whispers of sweet nothings and heavenly harmonies, before descending into its addictive chorus. By the end of its three-minute runtime, you can't help but crave more.
With the release of his new single "Bridges", upcoming European tour dates and appearances at festivals including Cross The Tracks, Arno is only going up from here. The 23-year-old sits down with The Culture Crypt to talk about his inspirations, approach to artistry and love for the UK music scene.
The Culture Crypt: So "Two Shots" just hit 100k streams on Spotify, congratulations. It's such a genuine, deep-cutting track and is evidently resonating with people. What was the inspiration behind it?
Arno Sacco: "Thank you so much, it feels insane, honestly. I went through a breakup about two years ago and it was my first, so everything felt really intense. I was going through different phases, and there was a moment where I thought I just needed to go out and be with someone. But when I actually leaned into that mindset, I realised it was just making me feel worse.
So, while 'Two Shots' sounds like a sensual, intimate song, it's really about that feeling of looking for warmth in the wreckage and mistaking touch for healing."
It feels like, across music, we've lost some of that emotional openness that defined the 1990s and early 2000s R&B, but I feel like it's safe to say you're a new age yearner.
"That means the world. I 100% agree. I'm a very emotional person, so rawness and emotion are kind of all I have to offer. In my music and in the way I create, I let my emotions take the forefront. I think it's really important to keep that openness alive, especially now, with everything becoming so driven by AI—there's a risk of losing that human element.
Feeling things deeply is one of the most beautiful things you can do—that's when you feel most alive. I always try to centre that in my music. I love making things feel dramatic in that way."
“Feeling things deeply is one of the most beautiful things you can do—that’s when you feel most alive. I always try to centre that in my music.”
On BBC Introducing, you mentioned wanting your songs and visuals to have a "cinematic feel". Listening to "Blue Boy" and watching the music video, it almost has a coming-of-age quality, reminiscent of films like Moonlight. Was that a direct inspiration?
"100%. I've always been inspired by film. I've been a movie geek for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I'd be analysing scenes, thinking about symbolism and why certain choices were made. Moonlight was a huge influence. If that film didn't exist, I don't think 'Blue Boy' would either.
I also love [the 2000 film] In the Mood for Love—that's been a big inspiration too. I'm such a visual person, so I need to see how the visuals align with the music I'm making. Sometimes I'll even play a film in the studio, mute it and layer my music over it to see if it fits the world I'm trying to build. I want to immediately capture people's attention, and to do that, they need to know what my world is like."
You recently relocated to London to pursue music, but you originally grew up in Belgium. What drew you to the UK music scene specifically?
"Yeah, I'm from a small town called Maasmechelen. And in terms of what drew me here, honestly, the music coming out of the UK is magical, like I don't even feel like you guys fully realise it. Whether it's R&B, jazz or hip-hop, everything just feels spot-on to me. There's just so much talent. I noticed a lot of the artists I was listening to either came from London or had a strong presence here, so it started to feel like all roads led here. I could see so much happening, and I just felt like I needed to experience it for myself."
Are there any collaborations you'd love to explore?
"Absolutely. I love CARI. I think she's one of the most promising voices in music right now, it doesn't matter the country or continent. I'd also love to work with Sade Olutola as well—she's killing it. We're good friends too. They're both just so unique in their own ways, and their sounds are really exciting to me."
What can we expect next?
"New music for sure. I'm working every day to be a better artist, so I'm really excited for what's next. I'm low-key a little bit afraid to put some of my new stuff out because I'm being so honest and I worry it might be a bit much sometimes. But at the end of the day, my job is to speak my truth, and that's not something I want to shy away from anymore.
I feel like there's a reason I'm making music, and a reason I've been given this gift by the universe, God, or whatever is out there, so I need to use it to the fullest."
Stream "Bridges" below: