How I Experienced Chilombo

 “Chilombo” Jhene Aiko

When listening to Chilombo, the third solo album from Aiko, the first word that comes to mind is feelings,  an array of feelings. If you’ve ever dealt with or understand what heartbreak is, I mean real heartbreak; you will definitely feel everything Jhene is trying to convey in each careful and thoughtful lyric. Chilombo is an invitation to experience the complexity of love, pain, and intimacy through Jhené’s lens.   The bold, yet calm sound created in this album represents raw human emotions in all its realness, . If you’re willing to rest in your feelings for a moment, catch a vibe and let the music take you away, you’ll agree, even a stoic’s emotions will be made known. Classic vibe, classic Jhene.

With dope features from H.E.R., Miguel, Future, Ab-Soul, Dr. Chill, Nas, John Legend and Ty Dolla $ign, a well-rounded sound is created that echoes the complexity of the album as a whole. Jehene’s soft, soulful and melodic voice blends so effortlessly in these collaborations that you’ll find yourself pleasantly lost in a meditative trance that aches to come out of.  Like emotions, the tracklist was thoughtfully sequential; but not linear. Up and down, and sometimes when we feel we are over what we are feeling, something happens and brings us back to the start.    

From the beginning intro, “Lotus,” I knew I was about to go on an excursion into the mind of a woman navigating heartbreak in search for peace and solitude; the natural pathway back to self.  With the release of the first single, “Triggered” back in May of last year, I was not quite sure of what kind of album we would be getting.  I wondered would we get a sad album of angry break-up songs, possibly reflecting what she was going through in her real life… If of course, you believe the blogs.  But that is what artist do, right? Use their albums as a personal journal to express their feelings, certainly what we expect from a Jhene Aiko album. Glad I was only partly right.   With “Triggered” being the first song on the album the narrative unfolded and it was anything but “angry songs” to quote myself. The album told a beautiful story of allowing yourself to feel every emotion and giving yourself permission to respond to those emotions the best way you know-how.  With songs like “None of Your Concern” and “Born Tired” there was a sense of emotional conflict; acceptance and disappointment whether in self or another. But even in the disappointment with lyrics like “Rest your weary eyes, dry your teary eyes, I know you are scared” Jhene lets us know thatdisappointment is ok and is a part of the process and life will of coursego on.  That leads me to songs like “B.S.”, a duet with the talented H.E.R. and admittedly my personal favorite.  The two women harmoniously describe a life in which they get their shit together and move beyond the BS that comes with living in this big ole’ crazy puzzle called life A song I’m sure we all have our own versions of.  Jhene also reminds us that even in the processes of finding your happy again, which she expresses in songs like “Love” and “Pray for You”, it’s ok to remember what love is, what it feels like, and how beautiful it can be on songs like “Lightning and Thunder” (another personal favorite featuring John Legend) and “Magic Hour.”