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.
Pretty Bird
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is all I have left in me
Said, she had just, self expressed
Herself to death, now nothing's left
Nothingness
She finessed it
She the best
Pretty bird, and I said
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Sounds so pretty when you cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
You're so pretty, but why I never see you fly?
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, I know you're hurtin'
Well so am I, so am I
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't cry, you can fly
And there's a blinding light inside of you
There's a blinding light inside of you
And they can not deny you, they can not deny you
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird
Sounds so pretty, when you cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird I know you're hurting, well so am I
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird
We need your life, we need your life
The city heard, the sounds of a pretty bird
Yelling from Slauson to 53rd
What happens if you holla and can't be heard?
For the birds and the drama, I paint these words
They say through the pain is how we learn
You landed on the window of pain, simple and plain
It's hard for you to fly in the rain
The way love goes is not the way that it came
Come fly, un-die, be born again
I've seen the strongest of them be torn from men
Ripped apart and get put back together
Them the ones with the most beautiful feathers
Let's, flock together, rock together, Nirvana
A birds persona to be free and honor
The sky, that's when you really most high
Unafraid of the unknown and now we know why
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Let me hear that back
In the song "Pretty Bird" by Jhené Aiko, the lyrics express compassion and empathy towards a person, referred to as a "pretty bird," who is in a state of turmoil and despair. The persona of the song acknowledges that the "pretty bird" had self-expressed to the point of exhaustion and now feels empty. The singer recognizes the pain and suffering of the "pretty bird" and tries to offer hope and encouragement, stating that there is a blinding light and potential inside of her that cannot be denied. The singer emphasizes that the world needs the "pretty bird's" life and reminds her that she can fly and not die.
The song draws an analogy between the "pretty bird" and real birds, who are free and honor the sky, unafraid of the unknown. Jhené Aiko encourages the "pretty bird" to take flight and be reborn, to not be afraid of pain and turmoil since it is through those experiences that we learn and grow. The song emphasizes the importance of community and support, urging everyone to flock together and be united.
Overall, "Pretty Bird" is a somber yet encouraging song that speaks to the struggles and difficulties that people go through while still emphasizing the potential for growth and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, this is all I have left in me
The singer has given everything they had and is now depleted.
Said, she had just, self expressed
She had verbalized her thoughts and emotions.
Herself to death, now nothing's left
She exhausted her inner self trying to express her emotions.
Nothingness
She is now empty and feeling nothing.
She finessed it
She managed to express herself despite the obstacles.
She the best
She expressed herself brilliantly.
And I said, and I said
Repeated affirmation that the singer is present and listening.
Pretty bird, and I said
Addressing the bird as a symbol of grace and beauty.
Sounds so pretty when you cry
The bird's voice, even in sadness, is beautiful.
You're so pretty, but why I never see you fly?
The artist is curious about why the bird doesn't utilize its freedom.
Please don't die, please don't die
The singer is asking for the bird to stay alive and persevere.
Pretty bird, pretty bird, I know you're hurtin'
The artist acknowledges the bird's pain.
Well so am I, so am I
The singer relates to the bird's suffering.
Please don't cry, you can fly
Encouraging the bird to live fully and not give up.
And there's a blinding light inside of you
Everyone has an inner strength and beauty.
And they can not deny you, they can not deny you
Others cannot take away or dismiss the beauty within us.
Please don't die, please don't die
The artist repeats their plea for the bird to not give up.
We need your life, we need your life
The bird's presence and survival is valued and needed.
The city heard, the sounds of a pretty bird
The city recognizes and takes notice of something beautiful and graceful.
Yelling from Slauson to 53rd
The bird's sounds travel across a significant distance.
What happens if you holla and can't be heard?
What happens when one expresses themselves and nobody listens or takes notice?
For the birds and the drama, I paint these words
The song is a reflection on the bird's symbolism and its connection to human emotion.
They say through the pain is how we learn
The human experience and growth is often gained through struggle and emotional pain.
You landed on the window of pain, simple and plain
The artist is comparing the bird's experience to their own experience of emotional pain.
It's hard for you to fly in the rain
The bird is not immune to struggle and hardship.
The way love goes is not the way that it came
Love does not always follow a simple or logical path.
Come fly, un-die, be born again
A call to the bird to embrace its freedom and start anew.
I've seen the strongest of them be torn from men
Even the strongest among us can suffer and be broken down.
Ripped apart and get put back together
Recovery and healing is possible.
Them the ones with the most beautiful feathers
Those who have suffered the most often have a unique beauty and strength.
Lets, flock together, rock together, Nirvana
Invite others who have suffered to come together and support each other.
A birds persona to be free and honor
The bird symbolizes freedom and should be respected.
The sky, that's when you really most high
When one embraces their freedom and potential, they are at their greatest.
Unafraid of the unknown and now we know why
When one has the courage to explore the unknown, they can discover their true potential.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James Jason Poyser, Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Ernest Dion Wilson, Steve Wyreman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theo080897
“Pretty Bird”:
In this song is referring to an individual with given talents, beauty, or personality that is at a very emotional state and is losing site of their goals or self.
“Crying”:
1. Could be the self expression or in Jhene’s case her singing, since she’s known to pour her soul out on the microphone.
2. Could also refer to the literal pain she’s experiencing after a break up or disappointment.
“You’re so pretty but why you never fly” could be referring to her career, or the ability to live free, without worry. Self freedom.
“There’s a blinding light inside you”:
Refers to the beauty of her soul.
@tiffanycx512
Yes, this is all I have left in me
Said, she had just, self expressed
Herself to death, now nothing's left
Nothingness
She finessed it
She the best
And I said, and I said
Pretty bird, and I said
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Sounds so pretty when you cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
You're so pretty, but why I never see you fly?
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, I know your hurtin'
Well so am I, so am I
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't cry, you can fly
And there's a blinding light inside of you
There's a blinding light inside of you
And they can not deny you, they can not deny you
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't die
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird
Sounds so pretty, when you cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird I know your hurting, well so am I
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Please don't die, please don't cry
Pretty bird, pretty bird
We need your life, we need your life
[Common:]
The city heard, the sounds of a pretty bird
Yelling from Slauson to 53rd
What happens if you holla and can't be heard?
For the birds and the drama, I paint these words
They say through the pain is how we learn
You landed on the window of pain, simple and plain
It's hard for you to fly in the rain
The way love goes is not the way that it came
Come fly, un-die, be born again
I've seen the strongest of them be torn from men
Ripped apart and get put back together
Them the ones with the most beautiful feathers
Lets, flock together, rock together, Nirvana
A birds persona to be free and honor
The sky, that's when you really most high
Unafraid of the unknown and now we know why
Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
Let me
@marquisbee83
When I was strung out on drugs, I would listen to this song and cry all the time. As of yesterday, I AM 2 YEARS CLEAN BABY!!! I love you Jhene!
@Gigi502.
Marquis Berry congratulations love💕 you took your life back!
@madamoiselle03
Much Love Congratulations 🎈
@beautifullyhuman2513
God Bless..thats beautiful
@mirrbaby9854
congratulations . ❤️ .
@dorseyharris3385
it's 3 now god bless!!!!
@Leeohlin89
I Just made it out alive from brain surgery and this song has such a deep spiritual meaning to me. My condition was very delicate.!thank god for jhene creative such a beautiful song
@denanewton1518
God bless you. Hope you are doing well.
@aidayahlove4733
Sending love hope all is well🙏
@niahj.7249
God Bless ! congratulations , may God protect over you & your family & you all Alumna Sky Amen 🙏🏾💗