On December 16, 2011, Aiko signed a recording contract with American record producer No I.D.'s record label Artium, distributed through Def Jam Recordings. She has been described as having gentle and pop-tinged vocals. [Tyler Antonius]
Jhené Aiko was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Christina Yamamoto and Dr. Karamo Chilombo (birth name Greg Barnes), a pediatrician. She is of mixed race background—her mother is of Japanese, Spanish, and Dominican descent, while her father is of African American, Yaqui, Choctaw, Cherokee, Navajo, and German Jewish descent. She often states her ethnicity as "Japanese, African American, Native American, etc." based on percentages but identifies with all parts of her heritage. Aiko has also stated that she has French ancestry and has stated regarding her ancestry, "I’m a quarter Japanese. That’s the only percentage I know for sure because it’s my grandfather's. And then everyone else is pretty much like mixed." Her older sisters Miyoko and Jamila were in the R&B group Gyrl and toured with Immature, who were signed to MCA/Silas Records. This led to Jhené’s first meeting with producer Chris Stokes when she was five years old, and eventually he heard her sing. When B2K signed with Epic Records, Jhené was signed as well. She served as the opening act for B2K on their Scream Tour 3.
Aiko began her musical career contributing vocals to several B2K releases in 2002. She featured on tracks five through eight of the R&B group's remix album B2K: The Remixes - Volume 1. "Santa Baby", a cover she recorded, was also featured on their album Santa Hooked Me Up and she appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "Tease" from Pandemonium!. Her song "Dog" appeared as a bonus track.
Aiko also appeared in numerous music videos including O'Ryan's debut video, "Take It Slow", B2K's debut video "Uh Huh" and "Why I Love You", P.Y.T.'s "Same Ol' Same Ol' (Remix)" featuring Sarai, Play's "M.A.S.T.E.R. (Part 2)" featuring Lil' Fizz video and Morgan Smith's 2004 video "Blow Ya Whistle". Jhené also has songs featured on the soundtracks of Barbershop, The Master of Disguise, You Got Served, The Proud Family, and Byou. She released a video for her single "NO L.O.V.E" (re-recorded from Tha' Rayne version in 2002) which debuted on BET's 106 & Park when she was 15 years old.
Aiko was set to release her debut album, then-titled My Name Is Jhené, however the album was never released due to tension at the record label Epic, which ultimately led to Aiko asking to be released from the label. She then began to focus on school and continue her education.
In 2007, she made a return to music, in an interview she spoke on the choice saying “Shortly before I conceived my daughter, I stepped back into the field and took a meeting with a label head. In this meeting, I was innocently told, to ‘sell’ myself when walking into these meetings. “That’s when I decided I would ‘sail’ myself rather than sell myself.” Aiko released a mixtape on March 16, 2011 entitled Sailing Soul(s) via her official website, JheneAiko.com. All the songs on the mixtape were written by her, except “July” which was written by Micah Powell and most of the songs were produced by Fisticuffs, except “July” and “You vs Them” which were produced by Bei Maejor, “Real Now” which was produced by Roosevelt, “Do Better” which was produced by J. Lbs and “Growing Apart” which was produced by Tae Beast. The album's artwork was shot by photographer Jay 3. The mixtape also features collaborations from Miguel, Drake, and Kanye West, as well as others.
To promote the mixtape Aiko was joined by Grammy-nominated R&B singer Miguel on a one-off free secret tour on Sunday, July 15. The free tickets were given away at the Key Club box office on July 6 from 11AM-5PM on a first-come, first-served basis. The concert started at 7:00pm and finished as 9:30pm, lasting a duration of two and a half hours. On October 21, 2012 Aiko released a music video for the song "My Mine". Aiko also released a video for the mixtapes second track "Stranger". Datpiff certified the mixtape gold with downloads of 100,000. In 2011, she also began working closely with artists from Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment such as Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.
In 2012, Aiko met with No I.D., record producer and vice president of A&R at Def Jam, who ended up signing Aiko to his Artium Records imprint through Def Jam. Aiko released the track "3:16AM" which was made available for digital download on iTunes September 4, 2012. The song was released as the first single from Sail Out. In 2012, Aiko was also the opening act on the highly anticipated “Life Is Good/Black Rage” concert tour headlined by fellow American artists, rapper Nas and singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill. In June 2013, Aiko was featured on the Big Sean song "Beware", which ended up reaching the Top 40 in the United States. This was her first song to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. In October 2013, it was revealed Jhené Aiko would open for Canadian rapper Drake on his Would You like a Tour? concert tour. She had previously collaborated with Drake on his third album Nothing Was the Same (2013), lending her vocals on the tracks "Wu-Tang Forever" and "From Time".
Aiko then released her debut EP Sail Out, on November 12, 2013. "Bed Peace" featuring Childish Gambino was released as the album's second single on September 17, 2013. The single's artwork was inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-Ins for Peace protest against the Vietnam War. The EP features guest appearances from American rappers Vince Staples, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and Ab-Soul. The EP debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. On January 14, 2014, "The Worst" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States as the album's third single. On May 2, 2014 "The Worst" rose from three to one on the airplay Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop, in doing so she became the first female artist to top the chart as a lead with a debut single since Jazmine Sullivan reached the same feat with "Need U Bad" in 2008. "The Worst" also rose forty seven to forty three on the Hot 100. The song peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at forty-three, becoming Aiko's first solo release to chart in the region, the song also peaked at number eleven on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
On January 18, 2014, Aiko appeared on Saturday Night Live performing the song "From Time", with the episode's guest host, Drake. In a January 2014 interview with Vibe, Aiko announced her debut studio album Souled Out would be released in May 2014. However the album would be delayed. On March 16, 2014, Aiko premiered a song titled "My Afternoon Dream," along with an accompanying music video directed by Aiko and Krissy. It has yet to be revealed if the song, produced by Key Wane, will feature on the album.
On June 23, 2014, Aiko posted the cover art and a snippet of Souled Out's first single, titled "To Love & Die", on her official Instagram page. The single's artwork was described as "space-y" by Adelle Platon of Vibe magazine. The song was released for digital download on iTunes, the following day. On June 26, 2014, Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd, announced he would be headlining the "King of the Fall Tour", essentially a mini-tour across America in September / October 2014, the tour will consist of four shows and start on 19 September 2014 in New York, at the Barclays Center and end on October 10 in San Francisco, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Aiko and frequent collaborator Schoolboy Q, were confirmed as the tour's supporting acts.
Aiko is a Christian, having been baptized when she was 16 at the evangelical Pentecostal Foursquare Church. At the age of 20, Aiko became pregnant by American R&B singer O'Ryan and gave birth to her daughter Namiko on November 19, 2008. Before losing her brother Miyagi to cancer on July 19, 2012, Aiko recorded "For My Brother" on her laptop, which was initially intended only for her brother's ears. He died soon after hearing the record. On August 27, 2013, Aiko was involved in a car accident in Los Angeles along with her daughter Namiko, older sister Miyoko, and her daughter's father O'Ryan. Aiko suffered a broken wrist, chipped tooth and had stitches in her chin. Her daughter, however, was unharmed in the accident.
Born Tired
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ahh, ahh
Three deep breaths
Ten steps backwards
Going backwards
Now I'm switchin' lanes
Tire marks
It don't beat the same, no
Rest your weary heart
Dry your teary eyes
I know you are scarred
And torn apart inside, ah
Darlin', so am I, okay
'Cause, baby, I was born tired
Getting more tired
As time passes me by, yeah
I'ma need more fire
Way, way more fire
So pass that thing my way, ay
La-da-da-ahh
Ha-ha-haa
Ha-ha-haa, yeah
It's been a long night
Long life, long time fighting
Let out a long sigh
Alright, why am I trying?
'Cause look at how far you have come
And look at all that you have going
Look at who have become
Baby, you gotta keep going
Ooh-oh, rest your weary heart
Dry your teary eyes
I know you are scarred
And torn apart inside
Inside, inside, inside
Darlin', so am I, so am I
Baby, I was born tired
Getting more tired
As time passes me by
I'ma need more fire
Way, way more fire
So pass that thing my way
Ay, I'm tired, but I'm fired up
Tired, but I'm fired up
Tired, but I'm fired up
Tired, but I'm fired up
La-da-da-ah (da-da-da)
Ha-ha-ha (ha-ha-haa)
Ha-ha-ha (ha-ha-ha-ha, ahh)
The song “Born Tired” by Jhené Aiko is a powerful and melancholic track that speaks about tiredness and exhaustion in life. Right from the beginning, Jhené sings that she is sleepy with a sigh, followed by taking three deep breaths and ten steps backwards, implying that she is feeling weary and just wants to go back in time. She feels like she is going backwards and changing lanes, leaving tire marks on her heart which don't beat the same. The metaphorical references to driving and tire marks suggest Jhené feels lost and trapped, unable to find her way out of her current situation.
Throughout the song, Jhené Aiko reminds the listener that everyone is scarred and torn apart on the inside, including herself. She tells them to rest their weary hearts and dry their teary eyes, whilst acknowledging that she needs it too. As time passes by, Jhené communicates that she needs more fire to keep going and that she was born tired, becoming even more tired as time passes. Despite this, she still finds the energy to keep going and stay motivated, telling herself that she needs to keep pushing forward.
In conclusion, “Born Tired” by Jhené Aiko is a unique piece of music that perfectly captures the emotions of exhaustion and the struggle of perseverance. With the metaphors, beautiful lyrics, and powerful delivery, listeners can relate to the feelings of being tired and looking for a way to continue moving forward and finding motivation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sleepy
The singer is expressing that she is tired and in need of rest
Three deep breaths
The singer is taking three deep breaths to help calm her mind and body
Ten steps backwards
The singer is reflecting on her past and taking steps back to evaluate her life
Going backwards
The artist is moving backwards in time and revisiting her past mistakes and experiences
Now I'm switchin' lanes
The artist is changing course in her life and trying new things
Tire marks
The singer's heart has been hurt and has scars from past experiences
On my heart
The singer's heart is still affected by past experiences and has trouble functioning normally
It don't beat the same, no
The artist's heart is damaged and has trouble functioning normally
Rest your weary heart
The artist is encouraging someone to rest and take care of themselves after going through difficult times
Dry your teary eyes
The artist is encouraging someone to stop crying and take care of themselves
I know you are scarred
The singer understands that the person has gone through difficult experiences and has emotional scars
And torn apart inside, ah
The person is emotionally damaged on the inside as a result of past experiences
Darlin', so am I, okay
The singer is acknowledging that she also has emotional scars and has gone through difficult experiences
'Cause, baby, I was born tired
The singer feels exhausted and worn out all the time, as if she's been tired since birth
Getting more tired
The singer is becoming more and more exhausted as time goes on
As time passes me by, yeah
The artist feels like time is moving too quickly and she is struggling to keep up
I'ma need more fire
The artist needs more passion and energy to keep going in life
Way, way more fire
The singer needs a lot more passion and energy to get through life's challenges
So pass that thing my way, ay
The singer is asking for help or support to find the energy and passion she needs to keep going
It's been a long night
The artist has been dealing with difficult experiences for a long time
Long life, long time fighting
The artist has been fighting through difficult experiences for a long time in her life
Let out a long sigh
The artist is expressing a deep feeling of exhaustion and frustration
Alright, why am I trying?
The singer is questioning why she continues to try and push through difficult times
'Cause look at how far you have come
The artist is reflecting on how much progress has been made, despite the difficult times
And look at all that you have going
The singer is recognizing all the good things that the person has in their life
Look at who have become
The singer is acknowledging how much the person has grown and changed as a result of their experiences
Baby, you gotta keep going
The singer is encouraging the person to keep pushing through and not give up
Ooh-oh, rest your weary heart
The artist is once again encouraging the person to rest and take care of themselves
Inside, inside, inside
The pain and emotional scars are deep inside and hard to heal
Ay, I'm tired, but I'm fired up
The singer is acknowledging that she is exhausted, but still has a lot of passion and energy left
Tired, but I'm fired up
The singer is expressing that she is both exhausted and passionate at the same time
La-da-da-ah (da-da-da)
A musical interlude with no significant meaning
Ha-ha-ha (ha-ha-haa)
A musical interlude with no significant meaning
Ha-ha-ha (ha-ha-ha-ha, ahh)
A musical interlude with no significant meaning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Keith Warfield, Cameron Jibril Thomaz, Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Maclean Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Blue-ds2bo
Yall ..... that "I'm sleepy" was the CUTEST THING EVER
@jukaiii
Blue !!! 🥺
@mzwandilemalambe9999
Bruuuuuh😩😩
@celiwempungose6820
Soothing my soul
@megami7373
Blue deadass !!
@serenity4786
Blue ik🥺🥺💛
@Braelyn619
This is why I love Jhené bc she writes music that lets me know I’m not alone, that we relate. And she still encourages me to not give up. 😭
@LGnLA
Yassssss, perfect analysis!!!!! She is so REFRESHING & NECESSARY, like a cool drink of water on a scorching day!!!💯💯💯💯
@ashleylashay4209
AND WE BE NEEDING HER MUSIC FR 🙌😩
@janineescobia27
braelyn619 YES OMG IM CRYING RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭