Jhené Aiko is ushering in a new era with the lush, powerful new single “Calm & patient.” The track is her first new solo song since 2021’s “Wrap Me Up.”
Over beds of synthesizers and minimal percussion, Aiko waxes poetically on the joys of life. She sings, “I’m satisfied with life/ I do not just get by, I thrive/ What a miracle to be up and alive/ Sending love to those who are stuck in the fight.” Listen to the uplifting new anthem below.
Jhené Aiko trended heavily in 2022, after announcing her second pregnancy. She had this child with Big Sean, as she’s been dating him since 2016. As a result, Aiko and Sean announced that this is a son, and went on to be born in November. They also unveiled that his name is Noah.
Aiko has been quiet, last emerging to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s) by releasing the project on streaming services for the first time ever.
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“This mixtape was a pivotal moment for me,” Aiko wrote on Twitter. She explained the story of Sailing Soul(s), saying: “When Was 12 I was signed to a label, singing songs I have no real connection to. Besides that, I had no real stories of my own to tell at 12. Then I took a break to focus on school. In my teens, I was signing demo records and taking meetings.
I met with one record exec who told me I needed to do a better job at ‘selling’ myself when I came into meetings. Dressing like myself, singing like myself, talking like myself… wasn’t enough. I thought, why do I have to sell myself? Why do I have to try to convince you of my worth? Of who I am?”
The cover art for Sailing Soul(s) features Aiko standing in the ocean holding onto chains that are wrapped around her wrists and waist. “I wanted the cover to express me breaking free from that narrative of having to “sell” myself. I wanted the broken chains to symbolize that freedom of feeling unanchored… free to be me, going with the flow… going with the wind like a sail boat… freeing my soul… “sailing” my soul instead of “selling” my soul.”
