Vibe Magazine is showing some love to a handful of the new crop of R&B artists with their 2014 summer issue. In addition to the ‘Soul Brothers‘ cover featuring August Alsina, Mack Wilds and Ed Sheeran, the alternative cover features L.A. songstress Jhené Aiko.
The buzzing singer/songwriter is coming off her breakout hit single “The Worst,” as she preps for the release of her much-anticipated debut album Souled Out, due this year via Def Jam. The cover story features a detailed look at her life and career including quotes from some of the people who have helped her along the way, including her mother and Omarion.
Yesterday, fans got their first listen to her brand new song “To Love and Die” featuring Cocaine 80s.
Check out some more photos, behind-the-scenes and excerpts from the article below:
Her Mother: “There was something special about her observations in her writing exercises,” says her mom, Christina Yamamoto. “She was in the fourth or fifth grade and she wrote a poem about a woman that nobody really notices.”
Omarion: “The labels were trying to make her into the next whoever. Naturally, they want to support something that they feel like they can sell,” he says. “Artists are put in positions where they have to follow suit and eventually that little voice inside can’t hide. Fans gravitate towards her energy, her vibe and her effortless tones. To see her now, it’s really who Jhené is.”
Jhene on Her Album: “This album, from top to bottom, sounds like you’re on a journey. Once you get to the last songs with my daughter, the songs where I’m talking about what life means,” she says, “it’s just enlightenment.”
