Jhené Aiko Performs "Born Tired," Talks Grammy Nominations on 'Late Late Show'

Aiko is up for three nominations at the Grammys, including Album of the Year. The moment she learned of the nominations, however, was a bittersweet one.

January 29, 2021

Jhené Aiko brought the Chilombo cut "Born Tired" to the Late Late Show on Thursday night.

This rendition, available up top via YouTube, sees Aiko backed by a band while performing atop a bed set amid a calm-inducing assortment of clouds.

Also during Thursday night's show, Aiko spoke with host James Corden about recently bagging a trio of Grammy nominations for her third album.

"I knew that it felt really good while I was making it," said when asked if it felt like she was making an eventual Album of the Year nominee during sessions for Chilombo. "I didn't have any expectations as far as, like, awards, you know. 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. I'm glad that it’s being recognized."

On the morning of the nominations announcement, Aiko said she was in Carmel, California after taking "a little road trip." At the time, she had actually forgotten the nominations were set to arrive that day.

"When I looked at my phone, I saw all these congratulations and then my manager called me and I had just woken up," she said. "And she's, like, super excited and she said 'You have two nominations and they're 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, OK. That one is a serious one! I mean, they're all serious, don't get me wrong. But Album of the Year was crazy."

The moment, however, was bittersweet, as Aiko had also just learned of her her uncle's death due to COVID-19.

"It was kind of just, like, an unreal moment, just a very reflective moment," said Aiko, "because I was in a room that was overlooking the ocean and I was getting this really great news and this really sad news. And it was just kind of, like, just an outer body, just a surreal bittersweet moment. It was kind of reflective of life, the ups and downs that come simultaneously at times."

Catch the "Born Tired" performance and the full interview above.