Uncomplicated, cool, sexy. Lenny Kravitz has turned 60, yet he doesn’t need to compete with his younger colleagues. Quite the opposite, really. His impact on the new generation of artists is undeniable – whether we are talking about music or fashion – and just when you think he has given it all up to retire in the Bahamas (that was five years without music), he comes back at 60, with the energy and confidence that characterize him, with a brand new album – which we liked a lot – and the sexiest music video of the year. Yes, I’m talking about TK421.
If the 12th album of his career, Blue Electric Light, proved anything, it’s that Lenny Kravitz still has it. A formidable guitarist, explosive performer, he looks ahead, pushes boundaries as he has always done, remains true to his sound, and has nothing to prove.
That’s why he delivers lessons in coolness in an album that may not be his best, but is certainly enjoyable, with several standout tracks. It’s Another Fine Day in This Universe of Love, with its intoxicating guitars and energetic yet chill rhythm, transports you to his beloved Bahamas – where he recorded the album. Let it Ride is just sensual enough, TK421 is super funky and feel-good, and Human is a classic Kravitz anthem about the meaning of human existence.
With 35 years of career behind him, Lenny is undeniably a global superstar – even if he had to struggle more than others to get there. Taking his first steps in the ’80s, his record labels said his music wasn’t “white” enough, nor “black” enough. So, with the help of his great love and actress, Lisa Bonet, Lenny Kravitz decided to release his first album solo, under the name Romeo Blue. Back then, he wore blue contact lenses and told interviewers that… he would form the black Duran Duran.
Fortunately, that phase didn’t last long, and in 1989 he released his debut, Let Love Rule – the music video for its title track was even directed by Bonet, then a TV star. The album didn’t achieve much success in the USA, but in Europe, it swept the charts, and Kravitz found himself opening for Bob Dylan and David Bowie.
With 35 years of career, he can boast that he has left his mark on three decades – and is now preparing for the fourth
Global recognition came a few years later. His next albums, Mama Said from 1991, Are You Gonna Go My Way from 1993, whose title has left a mark on pop culture, and Circus from 1995 swept the charts and gifted us some of his early major hits, from “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over” that he wrote about his breakup with Bonet, to “Can’t Get You Off My Mind” and “Is There Any Love in Your Heart” and “Sugar”.
His top work came in the late ’90s with “5”, which became double platinum in the USA and Europe and earned him two Grammy Awards. This was the album that gave us iconic tracks like Fly Away, American Woman, I Belong to You, tracks that established him as one of the biggest rock stars worldwide. Lenny had written all the tracks on the album, in which he was also a producer, while experimenting (with great success, as it turned out) with funk rock and trip hop, proving that he is not afraid to explore his sound, to push the boundaries of how others viewed him.
Lenny Kravitz is returning to the stages with a major tour – and those who have seen him live say the same. That he performs as if he were 20 years old
Lenny recalls reading news articles that suggested if he were white, he would be considered “the next savior of rock n roll.” He had gifted the world some of the biggest hits of the decade, yet critics didn’t take him seriously. They didn’t want to admit that a black man could become such a great rock star, influencing the genre so much. And if you find this “complaint” exaggerated, consider that just last year, Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner “omitted” to include black rock stars (and women) in his edition of “Masters of Rock,” saying that black people and women “did not have the same eloquence” as their white counterparts. Naturally, it caused an uproar, and Lenny spoke out plainly. “His statements were repugnant and shameful,” he commented in an interview with Esquire.
Now, his place in the pantheon of rock legends is undisputed, and he doesn’t wait for anyone’s critical validation. He has released 12 albums and can proudly say he has left his mark in all three decades – and judging by Blue Electric Light, he is preparing to conquer a fourth decade – while at 60, he is back on the road for a major world tour. In the meantime, everyone who has seen him live says the same thing. That he performs as if he were 20 years old – a striking example being his appearance at this year’s Champions League final at Wembley a month ago.
The aforementioned appearance is just a small preview of the spectacular show he promises to deliver at OAKA as the headliner of this year’s Athens Rocks, on Friday, August 2, in his return to our country 16 whole years after his last appearance here. If you ask me, we couldn’t ask for a better finale for this year’s musical summer. Lenny Kravitz, we belong to you…
READ MORELenny Kravitz: Returns to Greece as headliner of AthensRocks12.09.2018
INFORMATION
Lenny Kravitz will perform at the Athens Olympic Complex, as part of this year’s AthensRocks.
Pre-sale continues at €85. On the day of the festival, general admission tickets will be available at the price of €90. VIP tickets are sold out.
Pre-sale here.
Schedule:
The doors open at 16:00
Ilias Bogdanos & Inco: 17:30-18:00
The Last Internationale: 18:30-19:30
Sleaford Mods: 20:00-21:00
Lenny Kravitz: 21:30