Jhené Aiko Repackages the Gift of Song with ‘Wrap Me Up’ Rerelease

In the homestretch of the holiday season, Jhené Aiko is regifting her holiday single “Wrap Me Up” with an updated release. The song, which originally featured James Fauntleroy, was first shared on SoundCloud in 2012.

The 2021 edition of “Wrap Me Up” scraps the original Tae Beast production and arrangement for a shimmering approach from Lejkeys, Aiko, the Fisticuffs. A newly introduced collection of strings and horns encase the R&B singer’s smooth vocals. In the bridge retained from the original, Aiko extends the refrain “Silent night, hold me tight/In your arms, all is right” to really hone in on that holiday spirit.

“Wrap Me Up” in its current form more closely resembles the harmonious, dream-like approach Aiko has taken to her music in recent years — a stark contrast from the artist still figuring it out a decade ago.

Speaking with South Korean pop singer CL earlier this year as part of IndieLand’s Musicians on Musicians series, Aiko shared: “I got into sound bowls in my teens. I got a few just because I liked how they sounded and I liked how they felt, to actually play them. Little by little, I started studying, ‘What is this doing for me?’ Because I felt a difference. I felt like it was helping me in some type of way.”

“Then I found these bowls made of different crystals and decided to start incorporating them in my music as I studied how they resonate with the different parts of your body. I’m like, ‘This is why I’m making music,’” she added. “It’s to help people get to that state of harmony within themselves. That peaceful state, that calm state, so no matter what you’re going through, you can navigate more calmly, you can be more mindful of how you’re living your life. We all need that.”