OUR NEXT GUEST IS A GRAMMY-NOMINATED R&B POWERHOUSE.
HER LATEST ALBUM "CHILOMBO" IS NOMINATED FOR MULTIPLE GRAMMYS,
INCLUDING ALBUM OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE HER WITH US TONIGHT.
THE DIVINE, THE SENSATIONAL, JHENE AIKO!
HEY, HOW ARE YOU?
IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING THROUGH?
HAVE YOU BEEN ENJOYING THIS MOMENT OF DOWN TIME THAT WE'VE
ALL HAD AT HOME?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I HAVE.
I HAVE THREE CATS AN A 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.
AND SO I HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN ENJOYING THE TIME AT HOME,
SPENDING THE TIME WITH THEM.
>> OF COURSE, NOW YOU HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE RIGHT NOW IN YOUR
LIFE.
THE ALBUM IS SO GOOD.
CONGRATULATIONS-- CONGRATULATION S ON IT, IT WENT PLATINUM,
NOMINATED FOR THREE GRAMMYS, ALBUM OF THE YEAR, DID YOU THINK
THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING, WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THIS DID YOU
THINK I'M MAKING AN ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEE HERE?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I KNEW THAT IT FELT REALLY GOOD WHILE I WAS
MAKING IT.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPECTATIONS AS FARES ALIKE AWARDS.
I NEVER REALLY THINK OF STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT I WAS HOPING THAT IT WAS MY BEST YET.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE MORE MUSIC THAT I PUT OUT, I JUST
WANT TO KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.
>> James: AND WHAT IS RUNNING THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU HEAR
THIS INCREDIBLE NEWS THAT YOU ARE NOMINATED FOR ALBUM OF THE
YEAR?
>> OH MAN, SO I WAS ON A LITTLE ROAD TRIP.
I WAS IN CARMEL, WHICH IS LIKE THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA.
BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
I WOKE UP.
AND I HAD A BUNCH OF MISSED CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES.
SO I WAS LIKE WHOA, WHAT HAPPENED.
I DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT THE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS WERE
HAPPENING THAT DAY.
AND WHEN I LOOKED AT MY PHONE I SAW THE CONGRATULATIONS, AND
THEN MY MANAGER CALLED ME AND HI JUST WOKEN UP AND SHE IS LIKE
SUPER EXCITED.
AND IT IS STILL, SHE SAID YOU HAVE TWO NOMINATIONS AND IT IS
STILL ANNOUNCING SO YOU NEVER KNOW, THERE MAY BE MORE.
AND THEN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THAT, SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINATION AND I WAS LIKE WHOA, OKAY.
THAT ONE IS A SERIOUS ONE.
I MEAN THEY'RE ALL SERIOUS, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
BUT ALBUM OF THE YEAR WAS CRAZY.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME I WAS GETTING MESSAGES FROM MY FAMILY
BECAUSE I FOUND OUT MY UNCLE HAD PASSED FROM COVID THAT SAME
MOMENT, YOU KNOW.
SO IT WAS KIND OF JUST LIKE AN UNREAL MOMENT, JUST LIKE A VERY
REFLECTIVE MOMENT BECAUSE I WAS IN A ROOM THAT WAS OVERLOOKING
THE OCEAN AND I WAS GETTING THIS REALLY GREAT NEWS AND THIS
REALLY BAD NEWS.
AND IT WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE AN OUTER BODY, YOU KNOW, LIKE A
SURREAL, BITTERSWEET MOMENT.
LIKE YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST KIND OF REFLECTIVE OF LIFE, YOU KNOW,
THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT COME SIMULTANEOUSLY SOMETIMES.
SO YES.
>> James: THEY ABSOLUTELY DO, WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU ARE ON HERE
ON THE SHOW, AND SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, FOR YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY.
WE'RE SO THRILLED THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PERFORM HERE RIGHT
AFTER THIS BREAK.
STICK AROUND, JHENE WILL PERFORM WHEN WE COME BACK.