OAKLAND — It’s been months—last summer–since soul vocalist Jhené Aiko last performed on stage. Back then, she canceled several shows to focus on her health and her family, including her second child, with rapper Big Sean. Before that, she’d had touring plans scrapped in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. So her one-off date at Oakland Arena on Saturday was a bit of a unicorn.

Aiko appeared rested and refreshed over the course of a roughly hourlong set, with her vocals and smile on display from beginning to end. Performing on a sparse stage with no one save for four black-clad dancers, who appeared from time to time, and a harpist who filled the room with sound during the encore, Aiko breezed through more than a dozen angelic-sounding soul and groove songs without the need to chat it up with the crowd.

Production for the concert was light on theatrics (which focused attention directly to Jhené Aiko). There was no catwalk or over-the-top lighting. A lone lift at the back brought Aiko, wearing a cloud-like white and sheer dress onto the stage. She couldn’t have moved more than five feet during opener “Stay Ready (What a Life),” off 2013 EP Sail Out, focusing on that sweet soprano.

Aiko made it to the front of the stage with a bouquet of white roses that she tossed to attendees in the front row during “While We’re Young,” while other fans tossed their own red roses onto the stage. At the end of the dreamlike song, from 2017 album Trip, she kneeled down and reached her arms out to her fans.

Aiko’s most recent album is 2020’s Chilombo, which was represented by at least a couple of songs in “Summer 2020” and, later in the performance, “B.S.” “Take it easy, take it easy,” she sang as a mantra, slowly walking from one end of the stage to another, taking her time.

During the warm guitar tones of “Bed Peace,” she led the crowd to sing along with arms raised high. At the end, she made her way to the center of the stage, where four sheer curtains had dropped from the rafters, forming a box that she entered for several songs. First came “Sativa,” from Trip, during which the box, as well as a video screen behind the stage, lit up in the green hues of the northern lights. During “Surrender,” dancers in silky black outfits performed a routine.

She stayed in the box for slow and sensual single “Pu$$y fairy” before finally making her way out for synth-laden “Mirrors,” from 2011 mixtape Sailing Soul(s). The performance was calm and soothing up until the dramatic “Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle).” As Jhené Aiko was bathed in red light, her voice simmered over the echoing, tense number.

That rolled right into “None of Your Concern,” with Aiko’s flowing, syrupy vocals matched, and sometimes overmatched, by fans screaming the words right back at her.

Aiko walked to the back of the stage, where a table with a strange glass device had appeared, and proceeded to lead the room in a meditation (possibly standalone tune “Trigger Protection Mantra”), during which she appeared to coax sound out of the device. There was so much relaxing sound variation that it looked to be for show (if it was live, impressive!).

The tail end of the performance breezed right on by. Highlights included “From Time,” her collab with Drake, “Never Call Me” and “B.S.,” during which she name-dropped Oakland into the lyrics. Aiko left the stage, and the dancers returned and performed to bits of her songs.

Aiko reappeared with the harpist for “W.A.Y.S.,” from her 2014 debut album, Souled Out, before concluding with the jazzy “Eternal Sunshine,” from the same album, and “Sing to Me,” off Trip. She gave some life tips during these songs.

“Imagine every person is a version of you. And when you love them, you love you, too,” she said during the former, before getting practical during the latter and descending back off the stage: “Please drink some water tonight and get at least eight hours of sleep.”

The first of the evening’s three opening acts, Neo-soul singer UMI, also came ready to help attendees be the best versions of themselves. She began her set with a meditation, asking attendees to close their eyes and breathe deeply with her. Despite being delayed by sound issues and then having her opening number, “Sorry,” cut short by more problems, she took it in stride. Without being able to talk to the crowd, she instead communicated with her arms and her hips. UMI’s airy, measured delivery stood out on 2019 hit “Love Affair,” a cover of Daniel Caesar’s “Best Part,” “Butterfly” and “Remember Me.”

Chicago rapper and singer Tink (Trinity Laure’Ale Home) preceded Jhené Aiko with a much more aggressive set, often surrounded by four dancers who thrusted about the stage. Her songs varied from the velvety vocals of “Regret” to rapping on “CAP” and “Don’t Tell Nobody.” On “I’m The Catch,” she and her dancers sensually danced around stools that had been set up on stage. Groove-driven jam “Treat Me Like Somebody” quickly turned into a loud singalong.

Singer and actress Coco Jones performed a roughly 30-minute set between UMI and Tink, making her return to NorCal for the first time since her appearance at Sacramento’s Sol Blume festival in August. Between acts, DJ STARRZA spun soul and R&B tunes by the likes of Jill Scott and the Fugees.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter. Follow photographer Matt Pang at Twitter.com/mattpangs.