‘Chilombo’ Is A Vibe

Last week, Jhene Aiko put out her new album Chilombo.

The 20-track album is very ruminating—thoughts of love, pain, loss, hope and freedom from negative energy. Chilombo is at times somber, then melancholic, then sexual — with features from artists like Nas, Future, John Legend, Ty Dolla $ign, Ab-Soul and Jhene’s speculated beaux, Big Sean.

“Lotus,” “Triggered,” and “None of Your Concern” speak of hurt and betrayal. In songs like “B.S.” featuring H.E.R., Jhene reclaims her life and exercises her freedom and autonomy. The R&B bop “P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)” is pretty self-exclamatory. “Happiness Over Everything” is a remake of a track featured on her first notable mixtape Sailing Soul(s). Where she really shines is in melancholy.

For anyone sad or wrestling with life’s demons, you intuitively know that melancholy is not necessarily a bad experience. Melancholy has a self-reflective and empathetic quality that can be just as cathartic as joy; knowing that if you are low, the only way to go is up, like in “Born Tired” where she refrains “tired but I’m fired up.” When we are sad, sad music is what cheers us up. Her music is often blue — which some associate with sadness, but it is also a color of peace, tranquility and cool calm.