R&B singer Ari Lennox is opening up about her journey to sobriety.
In July 2023, the “Shea Butter Baby” singer revealed in an Instagram post that she is celebrating seven months of sobriety, “7 months sober. That’s a lot of sober flights. A lot of sober conversations. A lot of facing things raw and head on. Don’t know if sobriety is forever or not but I can’t imagine going back to how things were.”
The Grammy-nominated artist is not only known for her uniquely recognizable tone, but also her explosive personality. For years her Instagram Lives were filled with edgy yet hilarious skits, tongue-in-cheek jokes, and music previews that would all get reposted by fans and turned into memes.
On the flip side, she wasn’t known for having a filter on social media, posting content that offended many people. One of her posts on then-called Twitter, now X, caused such an uproar with Ghanaian fans, that she announced her departure from social media in January 2022 typing in a deleted post, “I do not like twitter. Or SM rather. So I’m giving my passwords to my label. Hopefully this will last.”
The “Pressure” singer who once shared every part of her life, ended up deleting many of her posts on her X and Instagram accounts, only keeping a few pictures from concerts and tributes to family and friends. Now, she’s focusing on staying sober and reflecting on what her life has been like since turning her life around, “I have less anxiety socially and when I’m ready to go, I go. I recognize my threshold with things and implement boundaries. I don’t find interest in partying anymore :/ maybe I’m changing and that’s deeper than alcohol.”
She also shared some details about what she used to experience while leaning on alcohol, “I like waking up with no hangover or embarrassment. I like waking up with no night terrors and panic attacks from liquor. I’m so raw feeling everything in this world and my coping mechanisms are only healthier now. It’s nice to remember events as they are happening. It’s nice to be present. Sobriety is a very present experience.”
Congratulations, Ari!