Ari Lennox Melds Motown-Era Soul With Modern R&B on 'Shea Butter Baby'
The Dreamville artist’s debut album is out now.
Just two months after releasing a visual alongside J.Cole for their track “Shea Butter Baby” and following last week’s Masego co-produced “Up Late,” fast-rising Dreamville artist Ari Lennox has released her debut studio album, Shea Butter Baby. The neo-soul singer-songwriter continues with her idiosyncratic direction, enlisting her signature sound that provides an eclectic mix of R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and more.
The new 12-track project, which also boasts a feature from J.I.D on “Broke,” relishes heavily in smoothly-tilted R&B anthems, re-envisioning the era of powerful female propagators from Erykah Badu, Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, and more. In many senses she’s meticulously crafted a sound that incorporates slices of Motown-era funk and soul with modern R&B sensibilities, employing a sonic direction that is both silky smooth and intelligently-written. Billowing away, Lennox’s soprano vocals are reinforced through layered instrumentation, culminating in a sound that resonates well with current generation audiences.
You can listen to Ari Lennox’s debut album, Shea Butter Baby, below. She is also set to begin her North American tour later this week.
For related news, check out Rhye’s latest single “Needed.”
