Ari Lennox returns to music with her tantalizing sophomore album, “age/sex/location,” full of deep cuts and outright hits that are sexy and bedroom-ready! Features from the empowering “Queen Space” with Summer Walker, the good-girl-gone-bad dilemma of “Leak It” featuring Chlöe, to the love-y back-and-forth on “Boy Bye” with Lucky Daye give the album a certain spice unseen in Lennox’s previous work.
The album is a powerhouse in all aspects: big names like J. Cole, Organized Noize, and Jermaine Dupri have production credits. And Cole, who co-founded Lennox’s Dreamville Records label, can be heard on the album opener, “POF.”
The Vibes on “age/sex/location” are Immaculate
“This is my eat pray love journey,” Lennox said of album in an Instagram post. “And it’s my honest goodbye to searching for love. I got it right here inside of me. The end of searching for anything other than self love and family. Pouring into me and giving the greatest love to me.” The singer oozes sexy, sultry vibes in her follow-up effort to “Shea Butter Baby” (2019) in a (still) effortless way.
Lennox’s low notes roll punch against lazy drums and trap beats similar to Mary J. Blige‘s vocal swagger on “The Breakthrough” (2005). Even the production’s sensual and sultry timbre and breezy atmosphere mimics the sound of late 90s R&B divas, specifically Mariah Carey‘s “Butterfly” album.
Hot Tracks
1) “Waste My Time”
“Waste My Time” is the true start of the album. Where Lennox plays a (creepy) game of 20 questions on “Hoodie,” she draws the line and digs her feet into the sand here. While there are many vocal layers, it’s easy to understand her pleas: she wants immediate gratification. She sings, “Waste my time, get on my line / Then you get me on your way / Use that mouth, pull a track out.”
2) Stop Bye
From the “Oochie-wally, make it gushy with the lights out,” there was no way not to immediately *heart* the song. This track is all about sexual desires, full of innuendos that feel a little TMI– but only Ari Lennox can pull off being casually explicit. For example, she goes, “Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch some water/ Give me some Jack, and now I’m wet just like a sea / Oh, let’s go swimin’, go on and dive between my legs now.”
3) “Outside”
Best song on the record. Perhaps the epitome of “age/sex/location” is captured within this song: have self-love no matter what you have going on in your life or, more specifically, your body. Lennox might be journaling to herself, but this song is an undeniable ray of sunshine. “Givin’ the girls Diana Ross / Walkin’ around like I’m the boss / Cop the coat, fuck the cost,” she preaches.
4) “Leak It” feat. Chloe
What’s better than one siren? Two. Well, that’s what you get with the “Have Mercy” singer, Chlöe, on the track. The Beyoncé protégée takes over the second verse on this devious foreplay track and experiments with some stellar low register notes. Bailey took a page out of Lennox’s book, going, “I’ll quench your thirst, I’ll make it wet / A hurricane, yeah, I’m the best / Million-dollar movie, we can make a tape.”
5) “Queen Space” with Summer Walker
Lennox ends her “eat pray love” journey the right way: with serenity. Oh, and Summer Walker. The two R&B girls instantly understood each other’s vibe and need for security and decided to be each other’s cheerleaders on this track. Lennox and Walker reaffirm each other’s resilience in turbulent situations and relationships. The pair go back and forth, harmonize, and adlib away like it’s their birthright. The Jhené Aiko-esque track is perfect for just that bit of extra strength and reassurance.
Do you agree with my top picks from Ari Lennox’s “age/sex/location”? Let us know in the comments!
