Jhené Aiko and Big Sean‘s post-relationship collaborations have been… interesting to say the least. First, they linked up on Big Sean’s “Single Again” in July where, instead of celebrating having no significant other, Sean announced that he would focus on bettering himself.
Now, They’ve linked up on the somber and emotional new cut, “None of Your Concern,” that’s like an angry update to “Single Again,” once the novelty of having freedom wears thin and the reality sets in that the relationship is really over. Both artists are raw and wounded with sweetly sung verses that hint that the road to healing for them both lies at each other’s feet. That road is named acceptance.
The video starts off by setting the scene: a peaceful, tropical morning. But for Jhene Aiko, the silence and serenity are painful and when we see her, there’s a puffiness to her eyes that suggest she’s just finished crying. She opens her mouth and it’s like butterflies come out as she eases into the cutting lyricism about her ex’s current doings. “I’ve been hearin’ things and seeing things / And so it seems you moving on from me / Of course you on the scene with little miss thing / And trust me she really don’t want beef,” she sings softly but with malevolent air.
While she digs into the emotions that she’s feeling, she’s in a tub staring into the distance and then she’s also on a bed, eyes vacant as she surfs through memories. There are no transitions between these time jumps as if to show that this is how it feels for Jhené. Time doesn’t even flow right anymore. She steps then outside in a dress and heels on the porch as she feeds her kittens. At this point, the song swells and she finds power, telling her ex that who she’s dating now isn’t of their concern anymore.
The camera then shifts, as if the song’s ending, only for Big Sean to come into view looking, and sounding, similarly down in the dumps. “You know there’s not a day in these modern times / That you haven’t crossed my mind / We both crossed the lines,” he sings. While Jhené takes to her home to heal, he stands in a church, asking the skies what exactly should he do next. It ends with him sitting down, contemplating his next course of action, now that the woman of his past is none of his concern.
Check out Jhené and Sean’s heartbreaking new video for “None of Your Concern” up above.
