"The Pressure," which recently received a striking video, is a song about the complexities of dating, child-rearing and life in the spotlight. Fittingly, Aiko adjusts to the "pressure" of network TV by replacing the word "weed" with the more neutral "major," and blanking out some profanity.

Otherwise she preserves the song's graceful core, crooning in a white dress over the soulful notes of a single soulfully strummed acoustic guitar. At times she closes her eyes and belts, fully embodying the R&B diva goddess vibes she's striving for. It's a tour de force moment for a singer on the brink of chart domination.