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Ari Lennox Performs At La Bellevilloise In Paris

Source: David Wolff – Patrick / Getty

Celebrity privacy has always been a tricky thing, so much so that the phrase itself seems like an oxymoron. With some stars the more you know about them, the more you love them. With others, less is more. Ari Lennox feels like the latter applies to her.

The singer released her debut studio album Shea Butter Baby last May and quickly became a fan favorite, but it also didn’t take long for her to retreat from the attention she started receiving. In September she announced that she would only be performing on Facebook and Instagram in order to protect her spirit. And since then, the 29-year-old has threatened to leave both music and social media altogether a number of times as a result of losing out on awards, dealing with Internet trolls, and a host of other reasons. Yesterday, Ari seemed to be toying with that idea again as she lamented her struggle of being in the spotlight and how sharing herself with the world has damaged her career.

“Man I wish I could start over,” Ari wrote on a photo of herself as a young girl. “Wish I never did an ig live. Wish I wasn’t so naive,” she added. “Honestly wish this was a world where you could be free and not judged. Where you could speak your mind and people understand context without tearing down people. Me opening up myself to the world has only damaged my career.”

After saying she thought her personality would shield her from public criticism, she added, “I literally can’t be a carefree woman. I have to live a lie because people are so judgmental and self-righteous.”

Though Ari goes on to say she really just wants things to be about the music, responses shared on social media suggest its the Dreamville artist who is shining a greater light on the public ridicule she receives than her artistry. As a result, she’s drawn comparisons to rapper Wale, who, though a greatly respected and successful artist, consistently clamors the public for approval and greater applause.

Not being a public figure, I can’t say what the angst over what Ari is experiencing isn’t warranted. However, we’re all subjected to judgments as we live our lives and its up to her how much control she allows them to have over hers. What do you think about her latest post?

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