Ari Lennox: Braver & Riskier

Originally published in print in 2017 in the Love Issue of CRWNMAG

A bona fide vocal talent and natural beauty, 25-year-old singer-songwriter Ari Lennox burst onto the scene in 2016 after signing to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records. The buzz from her soulful EP, PHO, and its sultry lead single, Backseat, led the songstress to an active 2017 — touring with D.R.A.M and J. Cole, performing at Philadelphia’s Made In America Festival and memorably sharing Essence Fest’s main stage with Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige. of Honesty and Frankness. Describing her own voice as “vulnerable and soulful; imperfect but pretty,” she hopes to influence the narrative around women’s sexuality. “Sometimes women are put in this box where we’re only supposed to talk about certain things,” she explains. “I want to be braver and riskier. I think people want to hear that kind of honesty and frankness.” The recently released visuals for her second single, Night Drive, indicate that Lennox is just warming up. A follow-up to PHO is currently in the works, and it’s rumored that her first full-length album will drop in 2018.

I want to be braver and riskier. I think people want to hear that kind of honesty and frankness. — Ari Lennox

Describing her own voice as “vulnerable and soulful; imperfect but pretty,” she hopes to influence the narrative around women’s sexuality. “Sometimes women are put in this box where we’re only supposed to talk about certain things,” she explains. “I want to be braver and riskier. I think people want to hear that kind of honesty and frankness.” The recently released visuals for her second single, Night Drive, indicate that Lennox is just warming up. A follow-up to PHO is currently in the works, and it’s rumored that her first full-length album will drop in 2018.