KrashingWaves

It’s 2019. I graduated college. I have a job. And yet, I still have to live in my mom’s house.

I’m constantly daydreaming about exposed brick, stainless steel appliances, a big fluffy sectional with pillows for days, and a rug I can sprawl my limbs out on. All the while sipping wine from my Dollar Tree wine glass.

I’m gon’ walk around this bitch naked ‘and nobody can tell me SHIT! Pop my wooha in the sky ‘cause nobody here to judge my life.

My sentiment exactly.

Ari Lennox’s song titled “New Apartment” has been the root of my fleeing the nest fantasies while it’s not even close to becoming reality at this very moment (thank you Student Loans for pausing my life). As a matter of fact, her latest project in its entirety has been quite the inspiration.

Lennox’s debut studio album Shea Butter Baby has been my driving buddy, my walking buddy, and my let’s go run errands and by run errands I mean go to Target for no reason buddy. SBB reminded me how beautiful and freeing it is to be young Black millennial woman.

Let me be honest; I didn’t know who Ari Lennox was before this album and you can thank the people I follow on Twitter for tweeting about her incessantly to the point where I just said “fuck it” and played the entire album through.

I don’t regret one second of it.

Don’t get me wrong, at first I was hesitant. I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then get disappointed when the music turned out lame. All this hype had to come with a catch, right? I mean the people aren’t always the sounding board of good taste.

In this case, believe the hype. Shea Butter Baby is what Neo-Soul welcomed with open arms

R&B, Soul, and Jazz stem from the Black experience in the United States over the last 100 years while Neo-Soul is an extension of them, but from the early ’90s to present. Artists like Erykah Badu, Maxwell, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill and the like have created a branch of music that has helped redefine the power, confines, and longevity of Black popular music. From being hurt to being in love to just appreciating what music is and can do to people, these genres have shaped the music industry into what they are today and it’s clear that Ari Lennox isn’t afraid to show her vulnerability and appreciation as a Black artist.

SBB gave me a sense of excitement to be myself again, shamelessly Black and introverted as hell. Listening to the album on repeat has made me feel valid, someone who can enjoy being by herself but also appreciating the friends I have when we get together every once in a blue moon. Lennox isn’t afraid to say that she loves her alone time but can also understand that being alone isn’t always the answer, exclaiming I NEED PEOPLE! at the end of New Apartment a clear indication of that, something I’m also learning as I grow up.

It’s been a while since I’ve played an album through without getting bored or uninterested and I’m glad SBB came along to change that. SZA’s Ctrl came out two summers ago and it’s since been a grateful addition to almost every single playlist I have created. I’ve even played the *clean* versions in my classes to remind students of its therapeutic qualities. Along with Ctrl, the only other album in the R&B/Soul genre I can play through is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, one I would gladly play on vinyl for the rest of my life (on the record player I have in my imaginary apartment).

Shea Butter Baby is unapologetic, catchy, and just as relatable as Ctrl but also soulful like Miseducation. I love me a black girl anthem that doesn’t just emphasize the importance of shaking your ass or cussing someone out (as much as I do love them, I get tired). Sometimes ya girl just needs a bop or three to chill to and put a face mask on while recharging my social battery. SZA, Miss Lauryn, and Ari create the sound I look for when I need an escape from putting on my daily performance and just want to be my true authentic self.

What I find most intriguing about Lennox: she began her musical journey by making cover songs and posting them on YouTube. Her little taste of popularity sparked a new wave of artistry once she started dropping songs of her own on SoundCloud where more well known artists then reached out to her to collaborate.

Talk about the power of the internet.

Right before she debuted her EP PHO in 2016, Lennox sat down with The Fader magazine and talked about her sound, her influences, and what lead to her being the first female artist signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records label.

Yes, you read that right.

The FIRST FEMALE artist on Dreamville.

When PHO finally dropped, it was clear that Lennox was a force to be reckoned with. My favorite single La La La takes you on a soulful journey, backed up with an organ and a bassed up beat while Lennox sings her heart out.

And how does it feel to know that I’m wrapped around you?

~Ethereal~

I’ve always loved the bass backed tracks of R&B and soul. Albums like Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black are albums on a list of few that have forged who I am in terms of music. Ari Lennox’s Shea Butter Baby is slowly making its way onto said list.

It’s been a while since an artist made me sit and listen to their entire discography all the way through solely based on their complex level of balancing vulnerability, creativity, and just pure feeling.

Shea Butter Baby is Lennox’s first debut album and damn what a debut it is. I look forward to what the future lies with this one. I’ve got a good feeling about her.

Update as of November 2019: I finally moved out of my mom’s house!

Thanks, Ari, for the soundtrack to my move!