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Changing gears, the song is followed up by “Lyin King” with a self-explanatory title. The vocals fluctuate in tone and tempo appropriately over persistent shakers, whispering guitars and crashing cymbals making this track stand out in overall catchiness. The song evokes the excitement, fear and awkwardness that one feels when putting themselves out there. Showcasing a sharp tongue and smooth vocals, “It’s Cool” is a pleasant track about wanting to enter the territory of more than friends. Souled Out borrows lines from well-known tracks such as 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death)” in the powerful, trippy single “To Love & Die” as well as interpolating Tupac’s “Picture Me Rollin” into the gloomy “Wading”. A true music head, Aiko not only taps into numerous musical styles, she also references classic rap and hip hop songs. and other members of Cocaine 80s, a collective hip hop group that includes No I.D., Common and Aiko herself.
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The majority of the album is produced by No I.D. The only collaboration present is a freestyle song titled “Pretty Bird” that ends with a respectable feature from Common. Take a look at the tracklist and notice the lack of featured artists. In her single “The Pressure”, she describes the various pressures she is faced with as an artist pressure from her relationships, record label, and hardcore fans to be the girl they want her to be.Ĭontrary to the title, Jhene Aiko has done everything but sell out with her first LP. Aiko’s openness and honesty makes Souled Out admirable, with each song revealing something personal. After admitting to listeners that life never gets easier, she still begs “Why aren’t you smiling?” Addressing her issues head on, she sings “This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter / That’s why I keep goin’”. “W.A.Y.S.” is an acronym for “Why Aren’t You Smiling?”, a favorite phrase from her belated brother Miyagi and one of his last tweets before losing his battle with cancer. The following track has a more traditional R&B sound but that doesn’t mean it fails to stand out. The lyrics accurately compliment the tone of the song, describing a girl who is “born in limbo” and the battle she faces with the universe. Soft-rock sounding “Limbo” pioneers the EP with intense bells, aggressive drums and playfully chaotic guitar riffs.
#JHENÉ AIKO SOULED OUT ALBUM FULL#
Following her previous mixtapes Sailing Souls and Sail Out, Aiko blows hers fans out of the water with her first full length album Souled Out.Ĭhilimbo’s unconventional approach to R&B has landed her in the indie hip hop subgenre PBR&B (named after the hipster beer PBR) and the very first track is all the proof you need to justify said label. Heart wrenchingly inspiring, Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo uses her starry voice to prophesize about a girl and her turbulent journey through life.