Jhené Aiko is making her long-awaited New Zealand debut in 2016, bringing her electrifying live show with a full band to Wellington on February 24.
Jhené Aiko is as vital and individual an artist as any working right now. A major voice in the alternative R&B scene, Aiko’s ascendancy has been swift and captivating.
Releasing her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s) in 2011, Aiko’s emergence brought with it a unique new approach to the R&B form. Despite featuring stellar guest appearances from Drake, Kanye West, Miguel and Kendrick Lamar, the mixtape stood – above all else – as an emphatic introduction to Aiko’s ethereal talent.
Surrounded by building hype and intrigue, Aiko signed to Atrium Records – an imprint of Def Jam directed by longtime Jay Z associate and producer No I.D. Working tirelessly on new material with her regular production collaborator Fisticuffs, the singer released her premiere major-label EP in November 2013. Sail Out debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 34,000 copies in its first week.
Quickly becoming one of the most highly-anticipated albums of 2014, Aiko’s Souled Out cemented her position as an indelible force in the pop landscape. A further refinement of her sublime sound, the record fuses elements of hip-hop, classic R&B and hints of psychedelic rock – perfectly exemplifying the singer’s ability to move between styles and moods with absolute fluency
Entering the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #1, Souled Out has immediately declared a triumph by critics and fans throughout the world.
