Jhené Aiko is making her return to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (July 31), two weeks after ending the first leg of her tour in Atlanta and more than four years since the COVID-prompted cancellation of her breakout arena tour in support of her critically acclaimed album Chilombo.
Released on March 6, 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grammy-nominated platinum album is finally being performed for Aiko’s growing female fanbase on her Magic Hour Tour, which kicked off last month at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The “Sativa” singer, 36, is joined on the tour by supporting acts Coi Leray, Tink, Umi and Kiana Ledé.
Magic Hour’s live production showcases the music of Chilombo, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart when it was released in 2020, and tells the story of Aiko’s musical journey and spiritual growth, explains agent Caroline Yim at WME, told through an astral array of visual elements and video production, styled to match Aiko’s own signature psychedelia.
“Jhene’s process has never been ‘drop an album, do a tour,’” explained Yim, who noted that Aiko maintained a close connection with her fanbase during the pandemic, adding, “People are yearning for the music, and the beauty of not rushing a tour was that the music she did put out got to live and breathe over several years.”
Yim added, “Magic Hour is Jhene’s life story. It’s the things that she has gone through, the things that she has felt and a message to others to feel good about yourself and love yourself. That’s why it’s so pure and authentic; it’s not just dealing with heartbreak and those type of relationships, but also family dynamics and friendships and loss and grief. And that resonates with her fans in a very intimate and emotional way.”
Aiko’s life certainly has changed since the release of Chilombo — in November, Aiko gave birth to her son Noah Hasani with rapper Big Sean. A longtime advocate for restorative healing, Aiko launched her own wellness company The ARK in 2022, following up on her success experimenting with crystal bowls as both a musical source and an energy center. Every track on Chilombo includes the use of quartz crystal sound bowls, which she has performed with for nearly two decades.
Aiko’s ARK and ALLEL brands have grown to now include jewelry, her Jhenetics makeup line and audio companions for meditation and sleep. Aiko’s entrepreneurial efforts have pushed her team to prioritize high-impact performances since the pandemic ended, booking high-profile performances at Coachella for both 2022 and 2024, as well as Las Vegas’ Lovers and Friends festival in 2023 and Day N Vegas in 2022.
“The timing really worked with doing a few shows at the end of last year to set up for everything that was going to go on in 2024,” explained Yim, adding, “It’s become this community of women and girls coming out to grow together and sing their hearts out.”