Vacancy

Ari Lennox’s third full-length finds the Washington, D.C.-hailing R&B singer-songwriter parting ways with J. Cole’s Dreamville label after the release of 2019’s <i>Shea Butter Baby</i> and 2022’s <i>age/sex/location</i>. The title of <i>Vacancy</i>’s opening track, “Mobbin in DC”, suggests that Lennox is returning to her roots here, and sure enough, her first album for Interscope recalls the soulful aesthetic that made <i>Shea Butter Baby</i> an instant sensation with R&B listeners. Legendary hitmakers Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox (USHER, Mariah Carey), who previously threw in on <i>age/sex/location</i> single “Pressure”, return here for the velvety vibes of the title track as well as the gum-snapping gospel-pop of “Soft Girl Era”.