Ari Lennox Talks New Album ‘Age/Sex/Location’ and Her Bond With Summer Walker

Ari Lennox is putting herself first. Last month, the DMV native released her sophomore album, age/sex/location, after amassing incredible success with the project’s first single and Hot 100 hit, “Pressure.” The 12-track effort highlights Lennox’s liberating road to self-care and is an entrancing listen for R&B lovers and hapless romantics. 

“It’s a beautiful thing being single,” Lennox says in her latest Billboard News interview. “Dating is hard. I feel like it’s really responsible to make sure that I’m taking care of myself mentally before I decide to embark on any relationships. So I’ve just been focusing on self-love and pouring into myself.” 

Lennox admits that her boundless attempts at romance derailed her from focusing on the true love of her life: herself. “First, it’s about moving with intention and being more aware of what you’re doing, not just aimlessly, mindlessly moving around,” she says. Songs like “POF” and “Waste My Time” detail a renewed Lennox pouring into herself more and learning to stay accountable on the dating scene. “I’m also aware that there’s a lot going on inside, which would make me drawn to the red flags or terrible dates,” she says matter-of-factly. “I recognize that “POF” doesn’t have that much accountability.”

After stitching together her acclaimed debut album, Shea Butter Baby, in 2019, Lennox has bloomed into a surefire star in R&B and soul alongside her sister-in-arms, Summer Walker. The vivacious twosome first paired up on Walker’s 2021 “Unloyal” before linking back on Lennox’s newest record, “Queen Space.” 

“Summer is that girl,” Lennox says. “Summer is an IT Girl. She is modern R&B and phenomenal. [She’s] literally leading and phenomenal at it. I’m just honored that she always showed me love. We reached out to her, and ‘Queen Space’ felt incomplete until Summer sent that verse in. [It] changed my life. Cole came in and helped me add a beautiful pre-chorus that wasn’t there and made me fall in love with the record all over again.”

Watch her full interview with Billboard News in the video above.