“My personal ‘hero’s journey’ and although I am not there yet… I know I’m getting closer,” an extract from Jhené Aiko’s short film titled 'Trip' explores her impeccable journey to self-discovery, self-healing and self-transcendence. After losing her brother Miyagi to a battle with cancer in 2012, Jhené works through a five year long battle, documented through her songs and beautifully depicted by her angelic tones, she takes her audience on a tale of travels, dealing with her losses, death and her personal reawakening.
One thing we know about Jhené is that she is cosmic, introducing conceptual masterpieces through her music. She floats above pop-oriented R&B with an ethereal voice totally disembodied from anything else in the current musical climate. Nobody expected the album from Aiko, and I don’t believe anyone was ready for the autobiographical soundscape of her healing journey. Facing real losses and personal pain the album transcends clearly through Jhené’s impeccable vocals to bring us hypnotising melodies and tracks that encompass a feeling of ultimate self-discovery. Labelling the album as ‘personal’ Jhené explains that the plan was simply to “share it without it being something people are expecting.” Visible from her tweets, the very limited exposure that the album received prior to release is clearly due to Jhené’s excitement for her project.
Riding through geographical road trips and experimental drug induced trips, Jhené’s tracks arise as poetry entries penned into personal journals. They follow her experiences and her emotions branching back to her relationship with her closest brother. "My brother and I were very close. We were only 2 years apart. I never thought of him as a separate person, but an extension of myself. He was my reflection. In his presence I was confident and always so sure.” The futile quest chased by Jhené to fill the void left by her brother entails the pursuit of love and relationships that will compensate for the loss of Miyagi, Jhené’s youngest brother.
Jhené has been through multiple instances of heartache, if you can even label these losses as such, to do so seems insincere and incompetent. The album covers more than just chasing a new substantial high, or a temporary love. There is a confessional and deeply personal vibe within the tracks through which Jhené explains her troubles with “root of all suffering stemming from desire” finally awakening to her own power.
The album spans 90 minutes, with a total of 22 tracks including features with Brandy, Swae Lee and Big Sean, Jhené’s current boyfriend. Visible through her lyrics and melodies Jhené’s journey is still ongoing; however it is clear that the growth experienced by the singer is abundant. Comfortable within herself and her mindfulness Jhené addresses all issues previously faced, while simultaneously continuing on her self-paved road to ultimate self-happiness.
The album is Jhené’s most personal, yet she does not reveal everything to her listeners. “Even though it was even more vulnerable than I’ve ever been before, it’s still not like, everything, you know what I mean?” Aiko disclosed. “I have a large wealth of stories that I keep to myself just because some things you have to keep for yourself. You can’t give it all away or you will just be a shell of a person. I think I do a great job at balancing things or thinking creatively about things.”
Aiko is where I aim to be. Her journey of self-discovery and her strength portrayed throughout her album assures me that happiness and peace can be found for everybody. “In sharing this, I hope to inspire others to share their own mistakes, imperfections and fears… because I believe in doing so we can understand each other better and realize we are more alike than different. In sharing this, I hope to inspire others to share their grief and pain because I believe suffering can be alleviated when we understand we are not going through any of it alone.”
Not only do I enjoy the album immensely, her voice brings me peace and her journey brings me happiness for Jhené. She is a beacon, bringing light and hope to everyone who listens to her music. Not entirely satisfied in her locus in life, but very confident in her strength and ability to continue in such a way Jhené is inspiring to many and I wish her nothing but success and happiness in her life.