Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
R&B singer Ari Lennox stunned the online community when she announced she would permanently delete all social media accounts. “I’m planning on quitting social media forever,” she wrote in the surprise post. I don’t believe I will grow up and be happy as long as I have it.”
Signed to Dreamville as the label’s first female artist in 2015, the GRAMMY-nominated singer’s next single “Smoke” is scheduled for release on October 18. Although she He seems eager to usher in this next era of music, but it’s clear that things behind the scenes may not be so healthy.
On her Instagram post, she affirmed that she would delete “FB, IG and TikTok forever. The fear of losing brand contracts and music sales will no longer keep me here.”
Claiming that this drastic measure is to protect peace, the singer continued: “To all my beautiful fans, I am neither happy nor growing here. I have a relationship. Very toxic relationship and dependent on these apps. My happiness is worth much more.” For me, in addition to using these platforms for advertising, I was tired of being addicted to the Internet, gossip, attention and validation, and the desire to control and overshare. I just want to be free and whole.”
This isn’t the first time the Dreamville artist has taken drastic measures for his mental health. In November 2019, Lennox announced she would no longer be making music. She tweeted this announcement after being eliminated at the Soul Train Awards. She said she was tired of being ignored and it was a heavy loss for her.
Luckily, she was able to overcome her sadness and return to her art, although her social media exit may not suffer the same fate.
The change will not be immediate. Lennox added that her last day active on social media will be December 18, the second anniversary of her sobriety. She has spoken out about her sobriety journey, claiming that it has given her life back. While fans will certainly feel her absence, deleting social media could be the next step in Lennox’s healing process.
Tags Ari Lennox, Social media, Mental health