Jhené Aiko has returned with a new single, “Guidance,” which is accompanied by a stirring piano rendition of the song.
On the moving track, Aiko croons over a shuffling drum groove, plucked acoustic guitar, and warm synthesizer chords.
She sings: “Light inside of me, guiding me/ Finally, I can see you/ Light inside of me, guiding me/ Finally, I can leave you.”
During the pre-chorus, Aiko gets contemplative, adding: “You always bring out the best in me/ I can’t thank you enough
I bet that’s why God’s blessing me/ ’Cause I still show you patience and grace when you have given up.”
Check out both versions of the song below.
The new song follows other one-off tracks from Jhené, including 2023’s lush and powerful “calm & patient,” which served as her first new solo song since 2021’s “Wrap Me Up.”
Over beds of synthesizers and minimal percussion, Aiko waxes poetically on the joys of life. She sings, “I’m satisfied with life/ I do not just get by, I thrive/ What a miracle to be up and alive/ Sending love to those who are stuck in the fight.” Listen to the uplifting new anthem below.
Before that, Aiko last emerged in 2021 for “Wrap Me Up” and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s) by releasing the project on streaming services for the first time ever.
“This mixtape was a pivotal moment for me,” Aiko wrote on Twitter. She explained the story of Sailing Soul(s), saying: “When Was 12 I was signed to a label, singing songs I have no real connection to. Besides that, I had no real stories of my own to tell at 12. Then I took a break to focus on school. In my teens, I was signing demo records and taking meetings.
I met with one record exec who told me I needed to do a better job at ‘selling’ myself when I came into meetings. Dressing like myself, singing like myself, talking like myself… wasn’t enough. I thought, why do I have to sell myself? Why do I have to try to convince you of my worth? Of who I am?”
Listen to “guidance” and “guidance (piano).”