Jhene Aiko has recently been the focus of undesirable headlines, as it was reported that she filed for divorce from Dot Da Genius, prompting gossip sites and social media detectives to suggest that she had cheated on Dot with her TWENTY88 collaborator, Big Sean. After denying those rumors and taking some shots at her soon-to-be ex, Aiko has decided to refocus on the music. Here’s her first new release since April’s TWENTY88 — a “rough” version of new song entitled “New Balance.”
https://soundcloud.com/jhene-aiko-1/jhene-aiko-new-balance-rough
The production is unmixed, though the bare-bones combination of piano, drums, and lingering static end up setting an intimate scene. Anyway, Aiko’s vocals are what’s special about “New Balance.” She begins by offering relatively somber insights on how “most of us” move through life. “Most of us are empty,” she sings, “Most of us are simply more alive in the scenes of our dreams. Then there’s you…”
She proceeds to embark on a moving portrait of a lover who gives her hope for the world. There will surely be those who jump to conclude that Sean Don is the inspiration for the song. Whoever it is, he’s one lucky guy.
