Ari Lennox and Chlöe Pay Homage to Diana Ross and Other Divas with Their New Singles

Legendary divas are the inspiration behind “Pressure” and “Have Mercy,” two of the biggest singles that dropped today.
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Ari Lennox and Chlöe Pay Homage to Diana Ross and Other Divas with Their New Singles

Legendary divas are the inspiration behind “Pressure” and “Have Mercy,” two of the biggest singles that dropped today.

Words: Margaret Farrell

September 10, 2021

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12

The Los Angeles Issue

With 232 pages and an expanded 12″ by 12″ format, our biggest print issue yet celebrates the people, places, music, and art of our hometown, including cover features on David Lynch, Nipsey Hussle, Syd, and Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, plus Brian Wilson, Cuco, Ty Segall, Lord Huron, Remi Wolf, The Doors, the art of RISK, Taz, Estevan Oriol, Kii Arens, and Edward Colver, and so much more. 

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Today is a big day for divas spanning all generations. Not only did we see the solo debut of Chlöe, half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, but also the return of soulful singer-songwriter Ari Lennox. And both delivered captivating visuals that contained nods to their diva forebears.

Aside from a collab with Queen Naija for “Set Him Up,” Lennox’s “Pressure” is the first we’ve heard from her this year. On the Jermaine Dupri–produced “Pressure,” she commands (and controls) all the energy in the room. It’s a track that contains all the charisma we’ve come to love Ari Lennox for. “Texting me you know I won’t reply / Why you ain’t fuck with me when I wasn’t this fly / Now I’m on top, and now I’m riding sky high,” goes one line. With coolness and confidence, Lennox knows she deserves the best—if you weren’t paying attention the first time, you fucked up. Not only does this track contain classic diva energy, but its retro-inspired video has Lennox dressing up as Supremes-era Diana Ross, disco legend Donna Summer, and TLC.

While Ari Lennox flashes back to the time periods where those ladies ruled the charts, Chlöe brings her nod to divadom into the present. The seductive and confident single “Have Mercy” is overflowing with nods to her mentor Mrs. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. It’s another track beaming with sexual autonomy and next-level bravado: “Boy, you lookin’ at me like I ain’t give you no choice / If I count to three, bet you be on your knees / You wrapped ’round my hand like Cartier,” Bailey sings on the first verse. The song’s visual depicts a sorority where Chlöe demands men to focus so much of their attention on them that they turn to stone, with Bailey giving paying homage to Diana Ross with one of her looks. As one Twitter user pointed out, Bailey dons the golden jacket that Ross wore in 1981 for a Vogue spread.

Both singles and their accompanying visuals are a the perfect examples of greatness inspiring greatness. Watch them both below.

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