Ari Lennox‘sVacancyis here. The Washington, D.C., native has released her third album via Interscope Records. (It’s her first release since parting ways with J. Cole’s Dreamville Records.)
The 15-track set was preceded by the singles “Soft Girl Era,” the title track, “Under The Moon” and “Twin Flame.” Lennox performed the latter song live onThe Jennifer Hudson Showon Wednesday (Jan. 21).
Following her must-see performance, Lennox sat down with Lennox to discuss the meaning behind her new album. “Vacancy, the title, it really is that. There’s a space — a void — that I would love for someone to feel, but the reality is people be in and out like a gosh darn hotel,” she said. “So I’ve just been writing a lot about my infatuation phases all the last 34 years of my life.”
Executive produced by Elite, Lennox spent the last three years recordingVacancy across Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami. The album is laden with sultry numbers like “Mobbin in DC,” “Pretzel” and “High Key.”
On the latter track, which samples Switch’s “This Is My Dream,” Lennox craves a lover who can make her whistle. “Let me be your freaky lullaby / Hit them high notes just like la la la,” she sings on the bedroom-ready cut.
Buju Banton, the album’s sole feature, appears on reggae-tinged “Company,” where Lennox yearns for an intimate connection: “Lay me down put my soul at ease.”
Vacancyfollows Lennox’s 2022 album,Age/Sex/Location. The latter featured her No. 1 hit “Pressure,” produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, who also worked on “Soft Girl Era” and “Vacancy.”
Stream Ari Lennox’s new albumVacancybelow.