During Ari Lennox‘s NPR Tiny Desk Concert this week, the Shea Butter Baby singer packed her set with impressive range, vibrato and charming banter in between songs. It’s not what viewers would’ve expected from an artist who felt under the weather that particular day.
But Lennox has no off days, as she croons, “Ayy, boy, don’t you waste my time” in the pre-chorus of “Speak to Me” to kick off her set. The first female Dreamville signee bubbled with affection. She humbly announced, “I know you’re in here and you’re a little young, but this next song is called ‘Pussy Pop.’”
The laughter subsided before guitarist Taylor Gamble tenderly plucked her way into “Pop,” a provocative ballad complemented by backing vocalist Dave James.
The R&B starlet instructed, “Everyone 50 and up, I need you to the front busting it,” before beginning “New Apartment,” the third track of her performance that married her explicit lyrical flow and pitch-perfect tone. Her NSFW “Get the fuck out” call-and-response mid-performance never felt out of place, as Lennox dominated the space.
Her final song, the titular “Shea Butter Baby,” was preceded by a special dedication. “This next song is for my natural sisters,” Lennox said. “I made it for us ‘cause we sexy and fine. And I feel like a lot of people sleep on our gloriousness. This is for my natural brown queens, OK? And I’m talking about all shades of brown.”
The remaining members of Lennox’s backing band are keys player Chris Worthy, drummer CJ Trusclair, bassist Jerome Lawrence and percussionist Stanley Banks Jr.
Watch her entire NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance in her D.C. hometown below.