After multiple years of anticipation, Ari Lennox has released her sophomore effort, age/sex/location. Released via Dreamville/Interscope Records, the 12-song effort is poised to place Ari in the pantheon of R&B icons.
The record was highlighted by first single “Pressure.” Produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, the sugary anthem had fans hooked and enthralled as it topped the Adult R&B Airplay chart. As the new vanguard of soul, Ari Lennox ramped up the intensity with more standout tracks “Hoodie” and “Queen Space,” the latter of which was created with oft collaborator Summer Walker.
“Queen Space” first originated from Lennox’s EP Away Message. The short set was an anticipation-setter as Ari tantalized her fanbase with a brilliant appetizer littered with sultry vibes. age/sex/location is a stellar entry point for new fans eager to dive into the creative mind of Ari, who gained mainstream notoriety with her acclaimed 2019 debut album Shea Butter Baby.
The build-up for age/sex/location was headlined by a week full of celebrations for Ari and her newest magnum opus. First, she held an intimate listening party in New York City before spending time in her hometown of Washington, DC for a comedy night hosted by KevOnStage at DC Winery, another night enjoying the city’s best GoGo music hosted by Ari herself, and then finally partnering with Amazon Music on album release day for the project’s release party. To close things out, Ari will hold a live performance at a secret location in New York City on September 11.
age/sex/location is the hotly anticipated follow-up to Ari’s acclaimed 2019 debut, Shea Butter Baby. The project, now with over 1.4 billion global streams, spawned significant hits: the RIAA platinum-certified title track, featuring Dreamville label head and marquee artist J. Cole, the fan-favorite, gold-certified singles “BMO” and “Whipped Cream,” and “Up Late,” whose intimate video drew praise from ESSENCE, Noisey, Pitchfork, and Billboard. Awards recognition capped off the debut era with nominations at the GRAMMYs (for her contribution to Dreamville’s album, Revenge of the Dreamers III), three 2019 Soul Train Awards, and two 2020 NAACP Awards.