“Spotless Mind” sounds like a summer breeze on wax while Jhené calmly breaks down the faults in her relationship: “shame on me for changing, shame on you for staying the same.” There’s plenty of blame to go around and on a track this inviting, it’s hard to hold grudges. “The Pressure” might possess the most interesting construction, with the random strings that accent the beat – it’s easy to get caught up in the instrumentation. Keys tinkle while 808s sporadically pound on “Limbo Limbo Limbo” while “Wading” gently coasts by like, um, waves. Jhené’s airy vocals tend to float around like feathers caught in a breeze, which means it’s up to her lyrics and production to drive home the stories of her songs.

Her emotion seethes intensely but quietly, which was evident on her breakout single “The Worst.” Souled Out is the continuation of that journey. But unlike her R&B contemporaries, who unleash their feeling with ear-shattering high notes or harsh, angry lyrics, Jhené’s feelings are much more understated. She had a stint with B2K as Lil’ Fizz’s play cousin, label drama that caused her debut album to be shelved, the birth of a daughter, the passing of a brother and renewed success with the release of a successful mixtape and EP.Įvery bit of that emotional journey has been compressed into her long-awaited debut, Souled Out. Jhené Aiko’s road to music superstardom has been long, winding and flooded with emotion.

Souled out jhene aiko