Last night at Max Watts Arena, Ari Lennox performed through the recent Coronavirus scares, and gathered together some of her most loyal fans for an unforgettable night of musical perfection. 

Before Ari Lennox came out to grace the stage with her unforgettable presence, Tanerélle opened up the night. Although a stranger face to many in the crowd, she wasted not a moment in introducing herself to a whole set of new fans with her impeccable voice and stunning appearance.

Once the crowd were ready and primed for Ari, she made her appearance, asking for expressed permission from the crowd to “talk her shit.” Naturally, we let her, because we had all heard the magnificence of her last album Shea Butter Baby, and apart from being an album of raw sexuality and confidence, it is also a project of talking some mad shit.

As expected she slid through her hits such as ‘Whipped Cream,’ ‘Facetime’ and ‘Pop,’ which completely energised the crowd with the kind of Friday Night energy they needed.

In a recent interview, Ari opened up about how being slept on by the music industry is what motivates her to continue and succeed. While it is clear that not enough people have been introduced to the voice of Lennox, her talent is simply undeniable.

Moving on to ‘New Apartment’ and the ever-seductive ‘Up Late’, it was incredible to see everyone in the crowd singing every single word alongside Ari. To everyone present, the voice of Ari Lennox represents so much more than talent. The Washington-born singer represents something that has been sorely missing in music. She’s sexually confident but she’s also not afraid to sing about heartbreak and longing. She’s a representative for loving your black skin and body, but she isn’t afraid to speak about shyness and nerves.

Ultimately, Ari is human, and that’s why so many people connect with her up on that stage.

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Finishing off with the ode to black excellence, ‘Shea Butter Baby’ and the bombastic and crowd-pleasing slapper ‘BMO,’ it was hard to believe that the concert was already finished, but it was clear to so many of us that we had just witnessed greatness in the live.

No matter what Ari does from here, it is clear that she is the future of music, and one of this generations most vital voices in the scene. We need more artists like her, and most importantly, we need more people to realise how incredible they are at what they do.

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