Lenny Kravitz first caught our attention way back in 1989, with his bad-boy locks, skin-tight pants and the insistently optimistic rock anthem “Let Love Rule.” He’s been hammering home the message ever since. From the plaintive “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” to the haunting “I Belong to You,” Kravitz’s genius has always lain in his unexpected union of rock star swagger and die-hard romanticism. This month he’s back with his eighth album, It Is Time for a Love Revolution (Capitol Records). ESSENCE dialed up the 43-year-old single dad of 19-year-old Zoe to talk about love, marriage and getting in touch with his feminine side.
ESSENCE: You sing so much about love, and yet you don’t seem like the settling-down type.
Lenny Kravitz: That’s the image I have, but actually I can’t wait to settle down. In fact, I’m pretty obsessed with the idea. I just got back from spending four months on a farm in Brazil. It was probably the happiest I’ve ever been. The one thing missing was a partner. That’s what I’m waiting for. The player days are over.
ESSENCE: Good to know. You’ve been linked with a lot of high-profile women (for those who don’t know: ex-wife Lisa Bonet, Nicole Kidman and supermodel Adriana Lima). Do you ever date regular women?
L.K.: Definitely, but those relationships never make the papers. I actually prefer regular girls. Although I don’t like describing them as “regular.”
ESSENCE: What’s the inspiration behind “I’ll Be Waiting,” the first single from Love Revolution?
L.K.: It’s about a person who knows someone is for them but isn’t ready and saying, “I know you are the one for me. I’m going to have the patience and discipline to wait until you wake up.”
ESSENCE: The idea that “I know we are supposed to be together even if you don’t” strikes me as a very feminine sentiment. Why are you so in tune with what women think?
L.K.: [Laughs] Well, I guess I’m just that kind of guy.
Photo Credit: David Hindley
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