Honestly, our ulterior motive travelling to D.C was to see Jhene Aiko live. Luckily, our plan came together last minute - and so did the tickets. In true travel-hack fashion, we snagged our $315USD seats TWO HOURS BEFORE the doors were set to open. As we arrived at the Capital One Arena, our excitement arose and so did the heat! Our tickets said doors opened at 7PM but reality had other plans so we didn’t step inside until an hour after waiting directly in the sun. Little did we know, there were further plans to test our patience as we would be waiting another 40 minutes for the show to start.

Regardless, our spirits remained high because the lineup was stacked. We were anticipating to see Tink, Coi Leray and Kiana Lede so you already know the vibes were going to be immaculate. Tink’s set was a diary of love lessons, filled with songs about learning from heartbreak while Coi Leray’s set gave hype-woman, equal parts confidence and energetic. I was really looking forward to seeing Kiana Lede take the stage however, she did not perform. To this day, no one seems to know what happened (and yet, we are still waiting for answers).

Once Jhene Aiko appeared, there was a complete shift in the energy of the arena. Her performance was less like a concert and more like a therapeutic R&B sound bowl meditation. She was soft and soulful, intentionally speaking in frequencies that vibrated through and grounded the crowd. Despite the heat, the wait and the unexpected changes in the lineup, there’s nothing more girl-coded then screaming lyrics at the top of your lungs with your bestie.

Overall Rating: 4/5
A night that began in chaos but ends in calm is a true testament to the power of the magic hour

Jhene Aiko: The Magic Hour Tour

Asake: Mr. Money with the VIBES