Live Review: Jhene Aiko, Ladi6

Sydneysiders braved the cold, rainy weather, making it out to the Hordern Pavillion for a night of Jhene Aiko’s sweet, alternative R&B and plenty of surprises.

In between DJ sets full of the best new hip hop and R&B, three members of group Paris Inc delivered a short set, giving off major '90s girl group vibes with their coordinated outfits and harmonies. The trio won over the growing crowd with a medley of new and old school favourites including TLC’s No Scrubs and Drake’s In My Feelings. 

“For those who don’t know me, don’t worry, you’re gonna like me," support act Ladi6 announced, full of confidence, before a performance of Jazmine DL. The New Zealand singer-songwriter kept the crowd going with her R&B tunes and a soulful voice with plenty of growl.

Excitement began to grow among fans as plants and flowers were brought on stage and placed in front of trippy, projected visuals resembling the artwork of Aiko’s latest album, Trip. When the stage completely reflected the album's aesthetic and the vibe was just right, a pre-recorded voice rang out over the crowd, welcoming everyone to the Trip tour and requesting they put their phones away - a request denied by almost everyone.

Screams erupted as Jhene Aiko made her way on stage to sing Jukai, the Los Angeles singer-songwriter giving off an ethereal presence, picking flowers from her set and giving them to fans. Her set-up was minimal, joined on stage by Julian-Quan Viet Le on keys and harpist Gracie Sprout. The beautiful plucked harp enhanced Aiko’s live rendition of album highlight While We’re Young and was a captivating element to have in the mix.

A few songs in, Aiko thanked the crowd for coming out, and let them know she writes all her own songs, stressing the importance of connectedness. “We’re all going through some crazy shit, ‘cause life is a trip,” Aiko announced, before throwing it back to impassioned fan-favourite Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle). 

The crowd sang along with the effortlessly cool Aiko to every line of hits like The Worst and Sativa, as well as some of her biggest collaborations including 2 Chainz' It’s A Vibe and Drake's From Time. They pulled back for Oblivion (Creation) though, letting Aiko’s absolutely flawless vocals shine.

She led a magical mid-show meditation, lighting a smudge stick and getting everyone to focus on their breathing, a nice introduction to Bed Peace, performed in front of footage of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked the audience, having each side of the crowd compete for loudest before reminding everyone and herself that the night was about unity and connectedness.

The tranquil haze of Aiko’s set was momentarily broken when she brought out US rapper A$AP Rocky, currently in the country for Listen Out - but no one seemed to mind. The surprise guest brought a new energy to the room, hyping everyone up with his hook from G-Eazy’s No Limit and his own A$AP Forever.

A few lucky fans were brought up for an onstage dance party during set closer OLLA (Only Lovers Left Alive),  before Aiko left the stage with, “Make sure you drink enough water tonight. And get six to eight hours of sleep. I love you.” An instantaneous ‘one more song’ chant was answered by a rendition of Sing To Me, with the crowd singing Aiko’s daughter's lines – a very sweet end to an amazing show.