They say good things come to those who wait, and Ari Lennox's latest effort is proof of that idiom. We're days into enjoying the singer's age/sex/location record that has been tearing up the R&B charts—a follow-up to her 2019 debut, Shea Butter Baby. Lennox has been a standout over at Dreamville, which is a difficult feat considering their roster, and her talents have continued to shine with each new release. Whether it be a song, feature, collaboration, or full-length album, Ari Lennox is proving one note at a time that R&B is certainly not dead.
The delivery of age/sex/location came with much anticipation as there had been delays regarding its release. Lennox didn't share much of what to expect, but she did emphasize that the record would be infused with Soul, a genre, much like R&B, that has been a hot topic of music conversations. These days, we hear much about Trap R&B as more artists are making waves in the growing subgenre, but many fans are nostalgic for records that set temperatures reminiscent of our favorite classics.
This is where Lennox thrives, as her vocal stylings and ability to match perfectly with productions bolster her talents. Because the singer is a student of artists like Whitney Houston, Minnie Riperton, SWV, Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, Lauryn Hill, and more, she often combines classic R&B sounds with Pop reliability and Neo-Soul vibes. She sets that tone from the beginning of age/sex/location on her track "POF" and rides that wave throughout.
"I don’t want to keep this music any longer. I want to release it to the world. I think it’s a part of healing to release music, and I kind of feel like it’s a whole bunch of just… stuff I have to keep inside, when I would like to just get it out. And, I also start thinking about new music. It’s like it kind of creates a block in regards to creating new music because I want to, but I have to focus on getting my baby out."
-Ari Lennox, VIBE magazine July 2022
The title of this record is a play on online dating, romance, relationships, and situationships, and Lennox feeds into this well. Listeners will find themselves almost feeling as if they've gained access to the singer's journal of sorts, as she expresses passion and lust on tracks like "Hoodie," "Pressure," the Chlöe-assisted single "Leak It," and "Stop By" which hosts a production by J. White Did It. Meanwhile, in contrast, Lennox also expresses being fed up with games on "Waste My Time" or the Elite and Ibrahim Hamad-produced "Boy Bye" featuring Lucky Daye.
Not every track is about heart eyes or lovelorn texts; "Outside" is a "get ready" jam for those pre-party moments with lyrics like: "Bad b*tch, lace front past my knee (Past my knee) / Too hot, baby, this ain't for the weak (For the weak) / This for my thickums and petites (And petites) / Fat ass and my little booty freak / Short hair, yeah, givin’ E-V-E (E) / Rough ride when you deep inside the Jeep / It's how you do that when I flip this lil' peach (Lil’ peach) / Yeah, nah, I ain't something you can keep (Inside)."
What's even more enjoyable about age/sex/location is that Ari Lennox & Co. tap into the art of storytelling as the record evolves into a message of self-love and regaining one's power—sort of. Where the album begins with the search for authenticity, it ends with removing negative influences on a track like "Blocking You" before concluding with "Queen Space," a collaboration with Summer Walker. While that song still speaks on love and relationships, the ladies exchange buttery vocals about not wanting someone to take advantage of their "queen space" (we'll let you read into that for yourself), especially when they know the power it holds.
Lennox's age/sex/location shows that she is an artist on a quest to evolve not only personally, but professionally. Many times, fans simply await new music to replace the records they've grown used to or tired of. Yet, because Lennox takes her art seriously, this stellar sophomore effort has placed her maturation center stage. We look forward to hearing what she cooks up next, but for now, we'll keep age/sex/location on repeat.