Celebrity Coverage
Essence Festival 2024 Performer Ari Lennox Is Just Getting Warmed Up – Essence

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With recent performances in Las Vegas, sultry music videos for songs like “Get Close,” and timeless Instagram makeup looks, Ari Lennox reminds us that she’s just getting began.
In lower than per week, you possibly can hear the Grammy-nominated artist serenade the audience on the thirtieth anniversary Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
But this isn’t her first rodeo. The R&B and soul artist made her stage debut in 2017. Then again at House of BET in 2019, after which her final, earth-shattering performance on the festival last yr. This time, nonetheless, Lennox has a number of tricks up her sleeve.
Below, Ari Lennox talks to ESSENCE about preparing for the festival, evolving his look, and the brand new album we’ve all been waiting for.
BEING: What are you most enthusiastic about acting at the thirtieth anniversary of Essence Festival?
Ari Lennox: What excites me probably the most is being around all these beautiful, colourful people and performing with legends that I like, the legendary band Roots, who I like very much.
What does self-care appear like for you on the day of an enormous show like Essence Fest?
ALUMINUM: Self-care on show day involves walking 10,000 steps, possibly watching a number of forensic documentaries, drinking some ginger tea, talking to family members, maintaining a healthy diet, possibly playing Sims 3, and warming up.
How do you think that your approach to music and wonder has modified through the years?
ALUMINUM: When it involves music, I’m far more serious when creating and far more open to assist. I’m very focused and open to my colleague Pierre, who’s my vocal producer. He helps me be certain that I sing appropriately and motivates me to perform and perform higher, which is exciting. I never realized how essential it’s to have vocal producers around when creating. When it involves beauty, I actually fell in love with makeup.
I like the beat face and want I could get it done more often. I actually still hate getting my hair done since it’s a really manipulative process and I’m all the time afraid of my delicate strands breaking. And I like all of the hair experts I’ve worked with because they were gentle with me. I wish I may very well be more relaxed of their chairs.
Who is your biggest musical and wonder inspiration without delay?
ALUMINUM: Currently I draw inspiration from Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Deniece Williams, Beyoncé, Solange and Madonna.
Over the years, you’ve consistently released albums which were roughly 3 years apart. The last one was in 2022. That said, can we expect a brand new project from you in 2025?
ALUMINUM: Yes Honey, the album will likely be released in 2025. Expect beautiful songs soon. I’m so honest, responsible, self-aware and a complete mess with this music. I pour out my soul. I allow myself to experience and express all my emotions that I attempt to hide from the world. Courtney may have a baby.
I’m so comfortable to find a way to share latest experiences with the world and challenge the everyday topics my fans are used to hearing from me. I’m so grateful to the producers I’ve worked with, Bongo By the Way, Elite, Dave James, Ron Gilmore, Jermaine Dupri, Camper, Ant Clemons, Tommy Parker and lots of others. We’ve been in tight lockdown. I’ve never been so present, excited and serious a few body of labor. So stay tuned, cuties.
Celebrity Coverage
Tara Davis -woodhall reveals a rare photo of her essence

@_Taarra_ / Instagram
From boxes to turns and extensions, Track Pro and gold Olympic medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall did all this. But “many of you have never seen my natural hair,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
In a rare appearance, a floating, frame -fate of Afro Olympians occupies the front seat when he works with Dove, Rise.365 and The Crown Act to bring black hairstyles to the emoji digital universe.
“With almost 4,000 emojis there is not a single emoji representing real people with natural or protective hairstyles,” Dove wrote in one other post. “Why exists emoji, but there is no hairstyle where you can use them? The meaning of textures, protective styles and those who proudly wear them cannot be overstated.”
In relation to the #CodemyCrown movement, the hashtag used to persuade Unicode so as to add 4 latest emoji to our keys to our keys, Davis-Woodhall removed its extension to disclose the curls that all of us waited for. In the true representation of what – and who – is missing within the Emoji library, its hydrated, shrunken texture describes the wonder of our Afros – even in times after we rarely see them.
“There is no emoji that reflects my natural type of hair,” he says. “Or any hairstyle that I love to wear! Let’s change it!” With over 100 posts under the hashtag #codemyCrown, the longer term of hair integration means showing our natural texture – and all styles between them.
Celebrity Coverage
“I was not intelligent”: Kelli Ferrell Rhoa about the almost loss of her activity after the Estrained husband took all the money from it – essence

When Kelli Ferrell launched her culinary brand, Chicken and waffles nanyShe brought a vision and half of the investment capital – her husband, she says, from now on coping with funds. It was a dynamics that seemed efficient and supportive – until it was. In the last episode, Ferrell revealed that her alienated husband allegedly emptied business accounts, almost launching his beloved restaurant to Earth.
“I wasn’t smart,” says Essence in sitting. “I trusted him everything.”
Ferrella’s story is each deeply personal and deeply familiar. In various industries of women – especially wife and company owners – often encouraged to “allow men to deal with money”. But this trust can bring a destructive cost. Ferrell is now in the process of rebuilding its activities and recovery of financial control. Her story increases the growing conversation about financial sensitivity, from which many ladies stand once they abandon control or transparency of their business matters. After its recovery, a robust narrative about immunity, money management and the importance of being an lively participant in your personal financial history emerges.
Ferrell’s experience is not unique. According to 2023 UBS report, over 50% of married women are postponing long -term financial decisions for his or her spousesA trend that’s much more common amongst women in color. Although the intention might be rooted in trust or division of work, the consequences might be tragic: hidden debt, exhausted bills and loss of business or retirement assets.
In one other study conducted by National equipment of financial education, almost 30% of adults admit “financial infidelity”—Thee accounts, expenses or debts from their partners. And yet many ladies are still socialized to give attention to the protective facets of relationships and business, leaving “monetary things” to another person.
He played this trail in a recently broadcast episode, when Ferrell explained to the viewers that she had taken all the money she allocated to the opening of the second location of the restaurant.
“Everything has been combined”, shares with Essence, when asked about the financial structure of her and her ex -husband. “When people say,” How did he steal money? “It is because he controlled finances. ”
Ferrell explained that as a southern girl (from Maryland, but she became a resident in Georgia in 2003), the wives were considered to be an equivalent in a relationship.
“When you have a business partner, some partners are based on certain things,” he says. “What I did in the industry was running a company. I was the face of the company. I did cooking programs. I was the one who appeared in the media. I was the one who would be in the rooms, and let him run in the background and say:” Hey, be certain that you meet an accountant, I made sure that you just manage your funds. ” And he coped with this stuff.
The bitter divorce has develop into much more controversial attributable to the division of assets, the details of that are playing in public. In fact, just before my interview with Ferrell, a report He broke about the Ferrell settlement.
According to Intouch Weekly, the court in Georgia ordered the parties to share the joint legal care of their three children from Kella granted primary care. Introuch also informed that Ferrell’s ex -husband was ordered to pay almost USD 12,000 per 30 days for maintenance and health maintenance; Ferrell also received USD 175,000 from the company.
Unlike many ladies, Ferrella’s settlement was based to her, something she says for her grateful.
Now, approaching the end of her divorce proceedings, Ferrell is not very proud to confess that she made fiscal mistakes and can not allow them to repeat. The biggest lesson? Never let anyone have full control over your funds, irrespective of how you like yourself.
“I need to make use of this platform, which I actually have to share with one other woman or one other man, that although love is amazing, things can go left and things develop into nasty. So you will have to be smart. I was not smart. Thank God that the judge was in a position to see the truth. But what if it wasn’t? Marriage and love.
Celebrity Coverage
New music this week: Summer Walker, Coco Jones, Burna Boy and more – ESENCE

Happy Friday, people. With the looks of Maja, a brand new musical composition this week falls into the energy of renewal and re -control. From introspective ballads to anthem ready for the stadium, these editions reflect love, life and all the things in between.
One of essentially the most convincing offers this week is cooperation between 3 Chainz and the legendary Brothers Isley Brothers, a mixture of tenches of hip-hop and soul. “Sweet Love” Burna Boy and the windy “vacay” aminé also remind us that global rhythms and mixing of species at the moment are the norm, not an exception, and whether it’s a stuffy “spend” Summer Walker or Coco Jones combines strength Lady London In “It Mine” artists enter the season with confidence. Today’s list also includes the music of Jorji Smith, Tiany Major9, Weside Gunn and others.
Look at the most effective recent editions this week.
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