It’s often said that love has the potential to drive us crazy, but in the video for Ari Lennox‘s new single “Smoke,” the Dreamville singer makes that message literal. Set in an old-timey mental institution, the video opens with Ari getting electroshock therapy and sees her terrorizing the orderlies, performing in a facility talent show (clad in a dress made from her hospital gown), and staging a getaway with her backup singers. It’s the R&B equivalent of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, all set to her doo-wop-accented new single.
Mental health has been on the DMV area native’s mind a lot lately; she recently shared an update with fans that she would be permanently departing from social media, despite how much she’s used it in the past. “I’m working on a plan to transition off of social media for good,” she wrote. “I don’t believe I’ll ever mature and be happy as long as I have it. So my last day of socials will be December 18th, my 2-year sobriety anniversary. I will be deleting my FB, IG and TikTok permanently.”
She noted she would have made this decision sooner, after so many hairy experiences online, but fear of losing business opportunities kept her online. However, she called herself “exhausted with my addiction to the internet and gossip and attention and validation and yearning to be in control and over sharing,” telling fans she’d keep in touch through her newsletter instead. Whether “Smoke” will precede a full-length album from the singer remains to be seen; she has until December to make the announcement.
You can watch the “Smoke” video above.