Ari Lennox is leaving no vacancy for R&B music in 2026.

The neo soul songstress released her third album, “Vacancy,” on Friday – one of the first major R&B releases of the new year and her first LP since 2022’s “age/sex/location.” The 15-track, 51-minute album leans heavily upon Lennox’s past lyrical themes about sex and relationship woes while adopting a more jazzy sound than her previous work, complete with rich saxophone throughout. While “Vacancy” might not be as immediate as “age/sex/location” or as sonically diverse as Lennox’s 2019 debut “Shea Butter Baby,” the artist’s consistently outstanding vocals and groovy production make “Vacancy” a rewarding listen.

The album kicks off with one of its most sultry tracks, “Mobbin in DC,” referencing Lennox’s hometown of Washington, D.C. After an extended jazzy intro, the song settles into a lilting and relaxing melody backed by saxophone as the singer delivers humorous lyrics such as “You know where I stay, uh, you know where I be, uh / This ain’t calculus, no ChatGPT, uh.” Lennox’s swagger is palpable and confident, asserting her worth to a dissatisfactory partner while settling deep into one of the album’s finest, most infectious grooves.

The title track comes next with a slightly higher tempo and a playful, flirtatious vibe. The wordplay is more explicitly sexual and the horns are punchier, but Lennox expertly balances the sensuality and fun of the song with lyrics longing for her partner as she croons, “Ooh, baby, I want you to fill this vacancy, come through.” Her velvety vocals – which are consistently impeccable across the entire record – are at their most expressive on this track before moving into the faster wordplay of equally erotic third track “Pretzel.”

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Sprinkled in the middle of the album are a handful of more upbeat tunes, including lead single “Soft Girl Era,” which was released in March 2025. Due to its passive lyrics, “Soft Girl Era” is not as enduring as the “age/sex/location” lead single “Pressure” was, but the production from Jermaine Dupri still offers a compelling 2000s throwback sound that Usher or Mariah Carey could easily freestyle over. Fifth track “High Key” strikes a similar chord but falls just short of being a standout – had it been a bit longer than its condensed two-minute runtime, it could have evolved into one of the album’s best tracks.

The most successful uptempo number during the album’s middle stretch is the flouncy catchiness of sixth track, “Twin Flame.” The propulsive drums bumping in the production are reminiscent of tunes such as Chloe x Halle’s 2020 bop “Do It,” and the way Lennox’s voice gathers momentum through the buoyant chorus as she sings “I’m askin’ do you love me? Say you love me” is irresistibly jovial. The last minute of the song features a jarring shift to a woozy midtempo rhythm that was unnecessary, but the strength of the first two minutes of “Twin Flame” are the most energetic of the entire LP.

A couple of the tracks in the album’s midsection are less memorable, but still provide pleasant background music. “Deep Strokes” is one such slow jam, not standing out much lyrically but evoking a blissful energy with its production nonetheless. The same is true for the smooth but forgettable “24 Seconds” and the bouncy but unfinished “Cool Down,” both of which float by but do not command much attention.

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The back third of the album features more tracks that blur together, particularly the generic “Wake Up” and “Dreaming.” Sandwiched between these two songs is the album’s only collaboration, the Buju Banton pairing “Company.” Despite the tune’s carefree reggae production and laid-back vibe, Banton’s contribution is lacking in personality and panache – he was much more effective on his featured appearance on Victoria Monét’s 2023 single “Party Girls,” for example.

That said, the essential song hidden in the final stretch of the album is 11th track, “Horoscope,” which deploys a similar theme about astrology to Beyoncé and Missy Elliott’s 2003 collaboration “Signs.” Where “Signs” is a rare misstep in Beyoncé’s discography, “Horoscope” is a cinematic kiss-off Lennox has been working toward her entire career thus far. The fusion of a confessional tone and well-placed humor makes each lyric burn, especially the line “That boy put the hoe in horoscope (Horoscope) / I know because I been there beforе (Before).”

As a whole, “Vacancy” represents a positive continuation of quality music from Lennox. The 34-year-old singer is still waiting for her proper breakthrough moment into the mainstream via a crossover single or a Grammy nomination for her solo material. Yet, the consistency of her output suggests a bright future for her as a musician. At the very least, the euphonious soundscape cultivated across the “Vacancy” track list is all but certain to please Lennox’s loyal listeners while effortlessly paying homage to the legacy of R&B icons such as Erykah Badu and Toni Braxton.

Lennox’s reliable talents for emotive singing and her evident intuition for immaculate production make “Vacancy” an album worth keeping in rotation.