Album Review | Jhene Aiko : Souled Out

Jhene Aiko has been buzzing for well over a year now thanks to her many collaborations with Drake and amazing EP's. Now she finally has a full studio album and as a debut piece of work, it is really impressive.

If you are familiar with Jhene's work then you know what to expect from this album - minimalism, honesty and angelic vocals. But there is so much more to her album than you could have anticipated. There is a real journey and real emotions presented in each song which, you can tell, has been hand-picked and carefully executed by Jhene to create a solid and fluid debut album.

The album opens with Limbo, Limbo, Limbo confirming that this album will fulfil all expectations and deliver everything that makes Jhene so special in an era of often shallow and repetitive music.
There are many songs that remind me of Jhene's EP's and earlier music such as the soulful Spotless Mind and Lyin' King but there are also moments of growth like the laid-back Wading. Not to mention the lyrical content that Jhene drops on songs such as To Love and Die which has already made the rounds on blogs for the past couple of weeks. It is definitely one of my favourites on the album with its heavy bass and poetic lyrics, it really captures the essence of Jhene at her best.

As for the second half of the album, it only seems to get better and continue to deliver a feeling of relaxation, calm and heartfelt emotion. The Pressure, which now has a music video to accompany it, is a really soothing and soulful moment leading perfectly into Brave - another highlight for me.
Jhene opts to close out the record with a freestyle called Pretty Bird which has some interesting musical elements that make it noticeably different from the rest of the album and also includes a notable appearance from Common.

But the undoubted stand-out track for me is Promises which is a truly moving song that features Jhene's five year old daughter. Jhene spoke on the song recently and explained that it is a song for both her daughter and her brother who passed away two years ago. The song is so honest and filled with depth and emotion that it is hard to listen to without feeling some kind of way but the melody and production make it more uplifting and inspirational rather than depressing.

Jhene has courageously opted for only two collaborations and very little promotion in preparation for this album but the music speaks for itself. I am so happy for Jhene after being a fan for so long and waiting almost two years for this album, and luckily she hasn't let me down.
Rating - 4.5/5