Description
Ari Lennox – Age / Sex / Location – Sea Blue Vinyl Record
Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location, released on September 9, 2022, is a sultry, sophisticated, and emotionally rich R&B album that firmly cements her status as one of the genre’s most distinctive modern voices. As the long-awaited follow-up to her acclaimed 2019 debut Shea Butter Baby, this sophomore effort is a confident evolution in sound, lyricism, and vulnerability—an album that blends neo-soul smoothness, ’90s R&B nostalgia, and modern sensibilities, while offering an unfiltered look into Lennox’s experiences with love, self-worth, and romantic disillusionment.
The album title, age/sex/location, recalls the early days of internet chatrooms—a nod to digital-era dating and identity-seeking, themes that are woven throughout the project. But instead of focusing solely on external relationships, Lennox flips the lens inward. She has described the album as a reflection of her personal growth—a “transitional space” between her twenties and full womanhood, filled with honest self-assessment, tender hope, and subtle, often self-deprecating humor.
Musically, age/sex/location is lush, layered, and deeply rooted in soul and classic R&B textures, with production from an elite roster including Jermaine Dupri, Elite, Organized Noize, and Bryan-Michael Cox. The sound is warm and organic, driven by live instrumentation, soft drums, Rhodes keys, and sensual grooves that give Lennox’s voice room to breathe, flirt, and flex.
The album opens with “POF” (Plenty of Fish), a thematically fitting intro where she lays out her frustrations with the dating pool, setting the tone for the album’s wry honesty and emotional candor. Tracks like “Hoodie” and “Stop By” smolder with sensual longing, while “Pressure” (produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox) serves as the lead single—a shimmering, uptempo throwback that channels the sparkle of early-2000s radio R&B.
Elsewhere, “Waste My Time” and “Blocking You” tackle the rollercoaster of modern relationships with pointed, witty lyricism. Lennox is at her most emotionally open on “Boy Bye” (featuring Lucky Daye), a cheeky yet intimate duet about mutual miscommunication and romantic detachment, and on “Queen Space” (featuring Summer Walker), where she confidently asserts boundaries in a soulful anthem of self-respect and female empowerment.
What sets age/sex/location apart is its emotional range. Ari Lennox moves seamlessly from playful to pained, romantic to introspective, always maintaining a conversational tone that makes the album feel like late-night thoughts spilled across silk sheets. Her voice—rich, agile, and expressive—remains the album’s greatest instrument, capable of channeling Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, and Minnie Riperton while never losing her own identity.
Critically, age/sex/location was met with strong acclaim for its cohesive sound, maturity, and honesty, earning praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and The FADER. It didn’t chase trends or viral hits—instead, it served as a soulful, grown-woman R&B album that spoke directly to listeners navigating the complexities of modern love and personal evolution.
In essence, age/sex/location is more than just a dating reference—it’s a personal timestamp, capturing Ari Lennox in a state of reflection, transition, and self-empowerment. It’s a late-night, wine-glass-in-hand kind of record that balances vulnerability with strength, pleasure with pain, and longing with self-love.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
POF
Hoodie
Waste My Time
Pressure
A/S/L (Interlude)
Mean Mug
Boy Bye Featuring – Lucky Daye
Stop By
Outside
Leak It Featuring – Chlöe
Blocking You
Queen Space
