Hailing from Chicago, Ravyn Lenae came up five years ago as a future R&B revelation of sorts, albeit an enigmatic one. As a core member of the Zero Fatigue crew, she created alongside artists like Smino and producer Monte Booker. Her 2016 Moon Shoes EP is sublime and 2018’s Crush EP featured the breakout song “Sticky,” plus a track with The Internet’s Steve Lacy. The latter is now back on deck with Lenae on her first single in years, “Skin Tight,” and it’s pure silk from the pair.
Lacy strings the beat on a smooth guitar, as drums lay the groundwork for Lenae’s luscious coo. She shares the hook with the prodigious Lacy, but it’s Lenae and her magnetic delivery that linger fondly. She’s been an exciting emerging force for years and “Skin Tight” is said to set the stage for the release of her debut album sometime later this year.
She shared a statement on the comeback track:
“I wanted to snap people into my world through the sonics, so they can feel how I’ve felt over the past couple of years… It has those hypnotic elements, but it’s very simple, familiar, and fresh. Thematically, it’s about not being in a relationship with somebody, but still having those physical and mental ties. It speaks to sharing kinetic energy with another person, even if time has passed and you aren’t together anymore.”
Listen to “Skin Tight” above, along with the surrealist video directed by Zongbo Jiang.
