Ari Lennox
10th March 2020
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Warren Paea.
The talent pouring out of Dreamville Records chalice seems eternally endless as the labels first lady Ari Lennox from Washington D.C graced our shores with one of the most sensual and covetable voices of today. Raspy and grown with an angelic tone, Lennoxs’ singing captures the depth of Miss Erykah Badu’s blended stylings with the serene warmth of the late Aaliyah, all the while sounding both nostalgic yet unfamiliar.
Georgia born Tanerélle was a pleasant surprise as the opening act and curiously looked like a real-life version of Garnet from Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. Bold and incredibly beautiful, her outfit equally as gorgeous as her, she ran through a few of her songs and although for the most part unfamiliar to me, she sure made an impression with her blended covers of some Frank Ocean and Rihanna tracks. I am excited to see where her musical journey takes her.
Equipped with a wonderful band, Ms. Lennox came through the Powerstation on a brisk Tuesday evening and put on an amazing show for her admirers in Auckland who truly came to represent, displaying their animated affection and appreciation for the rising star.
Running through her debut album ‘Shea Butter Baby’ released in May 2019, her fans collective response was telling of her exceptional performance and stage presence as she delivered with favorite album cuts like ‘Speak to Me’ and ‘Up Late’. Admittedly I was a bit surprised when I heard vocal backing tracks and was struck by a split-second thought that she may be lip syncing, but that idea was quickly put to bed as she powered through with a stunning vocal performance, the backing vocals simply complimentary to the full sound she intended to bless us with.
As flawless as she may have seemed on the night she humbly and hilariously revealed a more human side of herself as she laughed about a wardrobe error – after narrowly avoiding a near trip on stage – which could have resulted in us seeing her “tits and vagina” she said giggling. Those following Ari on social media will know she has a lighter side and enjoys cracking jokes and speaking openly and vividly about herself. She later also asked the crowd what the legal weed smoking age was which I found funny because it’s still very much illegal in New Zealand *cough* legalize marijuana 2020 *cough*.
Seeing and hearing ‘I Been’ performed live was a personal favourite for me, and many of the crowd would agree as she belted it out with as much style as she did grace. Her demeanor is instilled in being comfortable as a young woman and proudly African American, her music dedicated to “all the chocolate girls with curls”. Yet her voice echoes a truth for all to embrace and that is that talent is colour blind and beauty is not a homogenized ideology comprised of make-up, collagen and hair straighteners but rather founded in passion, dedication and confidence in both knowing and loving yourself.
Ms. Lennox closed out the night with the albums lead single ‘Shea Butter Baby’ then cheekily snuck off stage before letting the beat for the bedroom/dancefloor/any floor anthem ‘BMO’ drop which had the crowd in a frenzy, almost inciting what would’ve possibly been the first neo-soul mosh pit, after which she then made a genuine stage exit before reappearing for an encore in which she performed her breakthrough record ‘Backseat’ from her Pho E.P. It was clear for all to see that Ari Lennox has come into her own as a writer and performer with her finger on the pulse, generations of women and men wanting to sing along about a love relatable and the pains of dealing with immature relationships that lack a willingness to communicate, void of genuine intimacy.
Ari Lennox is an undeniable talent who let her voice soar throughout the streets of Auckland (her voice was just as crisp and clear outside the Powerstation walls) leaving nothing to be desired except maybe future visits to New Zealand as she, along with her career continues to blossom.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this magnificent contemporary R&B / Neo Soul gig? Or have you seen Ari Lennox perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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