Ari Lennox is one of the brightest up-and-coming R&B stars at the moment. The Dreamville recording artist is part of a generation made up of other talented performers like Chlöe, Normani, and Summer Walker.
Apple Music 1’s Dotty caught up with Ari Lennox for a conversation. The Dotty Show interview included Lennox reflecting on some music fans’ tendency to pit Black female artists against each other.
“You think you’re lifting me up, but you’re actually causing havoc. You’re causing divisiveness between me and another beautiful fellow Black artist,” said Ari Lennox. “I want everyone to win and I’m doing my own thing and Chlöe’s doing her own thing. And I feel like there’s room for all of these things in this industry.”
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The “Pressure” vocalist added, “I’m enjoying what everyone else is doing, but I’m also focused on just being grateful and being content where I’m at. Because I know it’s special and I know there’s a special place for it. And it’s so much more peaceful that way to just be grateful. At the end of the day, I am making a living off of my dreams and I couldn’t be happier. What else do I need more in life?”
Earlier this month, Ari Lennox responded to someone on social media who argued that Chlöe’s new single “Have Mercy” has more YouTube views than “Pressure” because of light-skinned privilege. Lennox pushed back on that take.
“Please delete that hateful think piece. It’s negative and counterproductive and creating unnecessary backlash for both Black women. Chlöe and her music video [are] legendary and on REPEAT over here. ‘Pressure’ is doing just fine,” posted the Washington, DC native.
Ari Lennox Talks Working With Jermaine Dupri On “Pressure”
“Pressure” hit DSPs on September 10. Johntá Austin and Jai’Len Josey helped pen the lyrics. The track was produced by ELITE, Bryan Michael Cox, and Jermaine Dupri. Dotty asked Ari Lennox about working with the legendary JD on the song.
“It was a dream. It was very intimidating at first because I’m a big fan of his entire catalog, specifically Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi. They have an incredible work relationship,” replied Ari Lennox. “And so I was very intimidated, but we just fell into it because he started making this beautiful beat and it was probably one of the third beats that we had worked on.”
She continued, “I could hear it in his headphones and I was like, ‘That one.’ And Johnta started writing to it and I started writing to it. Then we sat with it for some weeks. Then we got back in the studio. Then I called my girl up, Jai’Len, who’s a phenomenal singer, phenomenal songwriter. And she came up to the studio and she finished it for us and she murdered it.”