''Souled Out'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and rapper. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by the ...

. It was released on September 9, 2014, by ArtClub International,

ARTium Recordings Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), known professionally as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American record producer, DJ and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common, as well a ...

, and

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

. After leaving

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

in 2003, Aiko took a hiatus from her music career and returned in 2011, with the release of her debut mixtape ''

Sailing Soul(s) ''Sailing Soul(s)'' is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko; it was released on March 16, 2011, her 23rd birthday, and re-released for streaming platforms on March 12, 2021. Aiko began working on the mixtape after she gave ...

''. After raising her profile with the mixtape, Aiko met with record producer

No I.D. Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), known professionally as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American record producer, DJ and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common, as well a ...

, and subsequently secured a recording contract with his newly found record label imprint, ARTium. Following her record deal, Aiko immediately began working on the album; during the recording process, Aiko released her debut EP ''

Sail Out ''Sail Out'' is the debut extended play (EP) by American recording artist Jhené Aiko, released on November 12, 2013 through Def Jam Recordings. It was Aiko's first release under the label after leaving her contract with Sony Music in 2003. Afte ...

'' (2013), to bridge the gap between her mixtape and the album. ''Souled Out'' is an

alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, and originally known as PBR&B, hipster R&B, emo R&B, or R-Neg-B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and ...

album with a diverse musical style that incorporates

psychedelic music Psychedelic music (sometimes called psychedelia) is a wide range of popular music styles and genres influenced by 1960s psychedelia, a subculture of people who used psychedelic drugs such as Dmt, DMT, Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, mescaline, ...

, R&B,

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, and elements of

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

. Its songs are loosely structured and feature electronic guitar sounds,

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

, drums and atmospheric noises. A

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, ''Souled Out'' features the evolution of a woman's heartbreak before becoming enlightened, the album features lyrics that revolve around relationships, life lessons, philosophies and truths. Aiko served as the album's executive producer and wrote the album's lyrics; she contracted four key producers to contribute with production and help create a cohesive sound. An anticipated release, ''Souled Out'' was released to be a commercial and critical success. The album debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 70,000 copies, doubling the first week sales of her debut EP; the album also debuted at number one on the US

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who commended its production, lyrics and themes and was ranked as one of the best albums of 2014 by several publications. The album spawned three singles—"

To Love & Die "To Love & Die" is a song by American recording artist Jhené Aiko from her debut studio album, ''Souled Out'' (2014). The song was released as the lead single from the album on June 24, 2014. In 2012, Aiko revealed that she would be working with ...

", " The Pressure", and "

Spotless Mind "Spotless Mind" is a song by American recording artist Jhene Aiko, taken from her first studio album, ''Souled Out'' (2014). The song premiered on August 18, 2014, and was released for digital download on August 19, 2014, as the first promotiona ...

Background

In 2003, Aiko released a video for her debut single "NO L.O.V.E", when she was 15 years old. Aiko was set to release her debut album, then-titled ''My Name Is Jhené'', however the album was never released due to tension at the record label

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, which ultimately led to Aiko asking to be released from the label. She then began to focus on school and continue her education. Following the birth of her daughter, Aiko began to make her return to music in 2008 and began meeting with labels. In 2011, she released her debut mixtape ''

'', which was received well by critics and was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by mixtape-sharing website

DatPiff DatPiff was an online audio distribution platform that was launched in 2005. It is headquartered in Pennsylvania. It specializes in hip-hop, rap, and urban music. The site was founded in the spring of 2005 by Marcus Frasier. It is owned by Me ...

, for downloads of 100,000. In 2012, Aiko met with

, record producer and vice president of A&R at

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

, who ended up signing Aiko to his ARTium Recordings imprint through Def Jam, Aiko revealed that she has signed to Def Jam via her official Twitter account. Following Aiko's signing to the label she released her debut extended play ''

'' (2013). The EP was met with positive reviews from critics and debuted at number eight on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 34,000 copies in the United States.

Writing and recording

Aiko stated that she was working on the album every day either recording or writing, but is taking her time as she doesn't want "to put out some nonsense". During the album's recording Aiko set up workshops in which she and the producers would talk about the songs in order to create a cohesive sound and the belief that the music is "from one artist and this culmination of minds that share the same vision". In April 2014, Aiko began recording her interviews in order to put something together to show her fan base the process of the album and "the work that went into it, and little random things". During the recording process of the album Aiko would write under the influence of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

in order to use the feeling as inspiration, and then record the song when she was sober, unlike her debut mixtape which she wrote and recorded under the influence. During the recording of the album Aiko opted to

freestyle Freestyle may refer to: Brands * Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe * Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile * Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine * Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott Laboritories Media * '' FreeStyle'', ...

when writing the album, she would have a beat or would sit with producers and she would sing a melody until she had words, she described the process as not having a lot wrote down and any writing that was done, was done to make sure the songs made sense. On average Aiko was writing and recording four songs a month and in February she stated she was going to write and record at least ten more songs; she also said she had enough material for an album but would continue to record. Aiko did a large proportion of studio sessions with her daughter in which Aiko would record and sing directly at her daughter, as well as writing verses about her late brother. Aiko described "

" as being the easiest song to write; the song was written while Aiko was touring with

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...

and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

in 45 minutes using

GarageBand GarageBand is a software application by Apple Inc., Apple for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or Podcast, podcasts. It is a lighter, amateur-oriented offshoot of Logic Pro. GarageBand was originally released for ...

. Aiko also revealed that "Eternal Sunshine" and "Spotless Mind" titles were inspired by the 2004 film ''

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' is a 2004 American surrealist science fiction romantic drama film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman from a story by Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth. Starring Jim Carrey a ...

''. During the recording of the album Aiko released her debut extended play using some of the material she has intended for her debut. In June 2014, Aiko revealed that only

Cocaine 80s Cocaine 80's was an American hip hop collective founded in 2011, by record producer No I.D. With James Fauntleroy serving as lead singer on each song, the group has collectively released four full-length projects: ''The Pursuit EP'' (2011), ''G ...

and her daughter Namiko would feature on the album. During an interview with ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine, Aiko revealed the recording process for "Promise" and having her daughter as a guest feature: "I practice my songs in the car, and she's usually in the back seat, so she knows them", continuing to say, "I brought her in the studio and said, 'Remember that song we've been singing?' and recorded the song from there". Aiko revealed that she had been sent many songs for her debut, saying, "I've been getting so many tracks lately and I'm not used to that. I'm used to just having a handful to work with but now that the label (Def Jam) is involved, they're sending me so much great stuff and I've just been writing and writing and writing!" In 2014, Aiko revealed she worked with No I.D., Key Wane, Fisticuffs and Dot da Genius and stated she would only be working with them so the sound was cohesive; she also revealed that her and the producers were working together in order to "make sure each song goes well with the other". During the album's production Aiko embarked on creating a more "intricate" sound with the use of live instruments. In November 2013, during an interview with ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'', Aiko stated that the album's production was done and all that was needed was finished touches and mixing; she also revealed that she would still continue to record new material.

Music

album, ''Souled Out'' explores a variety of genres including

, classic R&B and

. Described by Erin Lowers from '' XXL'', ''Souled Out'' is an alternative R&B album, described as being created with the use of heavily used synthesizers and "wooly drum loops". Lowers said the album's genre is caught in a "revolutionized limbo". The album's songs blend the

, hip hop and

genres into downbeat, loosely structured soundscapes according to Julia Leconte of ''

Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Na ...

''. Siyabonga Dube of News24 described ''Souled Out'' as being a combination of "diverse" sounds and genres, noting the incorporation of hip hop, R&B, alternative, and elements of electronic, describing the album's genre as being a "new age of music". Bradley Stern of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' compared the album's musical style to the work of

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine; namesake of the word ''sadism'' * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * ...

, calling the album's genre " future R&B"; Stern also compared ''Souled Out'' to the work of

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...

and

FKA Twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musica ...

. The album's production has been characterized as being expansive, endearing, and enigmatic. Troy L. Smith of ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...

'' called the album's production one of the "strongest points", noting the album's electronic guitar sounds, synths, drums and atmospheric noises. Lowers described the album's production as being "silky psychedelic", channeling spaced out melodies and hypnotic synths. Stern noted the album's production as having stretches of instrumentation that contain slow-burning and "honey-soaked" melodies, flowing from start to finish, comparative to a "modern meditative chant". According to Rick Florino of

Artistdirect Artistdirect (stylized as ARTISTdirect) is an American online digital media entertainment company. Overview Founded in 1996, it owns several websites, including artistdirect.com and artistdirectinterviews.com. These websites are a group of affi ...

, Aiko sings with a soulful delivery and raw emotionality throughout the album. Aiko's vocals were described as fusing "perfectly" with the album's production, in which they float over the album's beats creating a "luminous aura". Other critics compared Aiko's vocals to that of

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

's noting a similar falsetto and Aiko's ability to "convey a sultry innocence" with her voice. Dana Moran of ''

RedEye ''RedEye'' was a publication put out by the ''Chicago Tribune'' geared toward 18 to 34-year-olds. It was published every weekday since its inception in 2002 until February 3, 2017. Publication was reduced to weekly starting February 9, 2017. ...

'' described Aiko's voice as "velvety", continuing to call her vocals "husky and sleek, guarded and seductive". Andy Kellman of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

described Aiko's vocals as being seductive, noting Aiko's wistful tones on songs like "Eternal Sunshine" and "

", as well as her injections of sharp and contrasting "melodrama" on "

" with only minor variations in her tone.

Lyrics

''Souled Out'' is a

that goes through an evolution, something Aiko described as a "path". The album tells the story of a woman going through heartbreak, confusion, and being in a dark place before becoming enlightened and growing. Aiko stated the album's lyrical content revolves around relationships, life lessons, philosophies and truths. The album also touches upon vulnerable insights of Aiko's personal life such as her fears as a single parent and the death of her brother Miyagi. In an in-depth review of the album's lyrics Ken Capobianco of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' wrote; Brad Wete of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' called the album's lyrical style sharp and noted its wordplay; Wete also described the album as "insular" with lyrics containing "cuts" that "run deep, searing with spite and indifference", continuing to note the album's themes as revolving around love interests, inward thinking and "chronicling her wearisome romantic history". Erin Lowers from '' XXL'' noted relationships, dreams, and aspirations as the three main concepts layered throughout the album. Bradley Stern from ''

'', called the album's lyrical content "occasionally snappy", which he described as keeping the otherwise "gentle pulsations" of the album feeling "fresh" and "employing expressions".

Songs

The album opens with "Limbo Limbo Limbo", built over "twinkling keys and tumbling drums"; the song's lyrics revolve around a man who "has got too big for his britches." "W.A.Y.S." is an

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

for Aiko's late brother's Miyagi's favorite saying, "Why Aren't You Smiling?". "W.A.Y.S." is built over crashing sounds over a hip hop production and contains underlying string instruments and echoed drumbeats, with lyrics that speak about Aiko having a "bright future" and for her to shake "off negative thoughts." "To Love & Die" is a

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...

song with an "atmospheric" and "sparse" production and R&B "textures." Built over a "dark and melodic" production that contains "tripping drum loops and hypnotic, spacey

synthesisers A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

," the song also interpolates American rapper

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

's 2003 cult classic song "Many Men (Wish Death)". Lyrically the song revolves around love and affection. "Spotless Mind" is a "smooth" track built over a " chill beat" and contains an " island vibe". The song is predominately an R&B track that is backed by a "funky bass, gentle rhythm and acoustic guitars" inspired by soft rock. Lyrically Aiko wanders into a reverie, in which she discusses different love and mental rest stops that she's visited. "It's Cool" is a breezy R&B track that contains bluesy riff and instrumentals and lyrically describes Aiko developing love for a man who was initially just a physical interest. "Lyin King" contains a fluid production, built over synths, the track is a bass-heavy song with lyrics directed to an ex-lover. "Lying King" uses the metaphor of a lion to emphasise Aiko's "pain she feels, saying he steals hearts and feeds them to his pride." "Wading" is a mid tempo song, with a "dreamy" production, lyrically Aiko speaks on the idea of a man watching the girl he wants drift away because he's afraid to step up and be great. During the song Aiko samples a

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

verse and turns it into a metaphor for "losing her love", during the end of the song "Wading" becomes ambient and Aiko's voice echoes and fades out. "The Pressure" is an

song built over a hip-hop production, containing guitars and synths, and backed by "metallic slaps and a shaky beat." Lyrically the song was inspired by the Aiko's stress of finishing her debut album. Common-08-mika

"Brave" is a hip hop song backed by a surf guitar. The song is built around inflections of a horn, which was compared to the work of

. The song's lyrics are "dark", in which Aiko describes the danger of loving who she is. "Eternal Sunshine" is backed by a "hypnotic piano riff". "Promises" is produced by mentor

and features Aiko's daughter Namiko performing part of the hook. Lyrically, it is a message to Aiko's daughter and late brother. "Promises" contains an electric guitar infused backdrop provided by Norwegian electronic duo

Röyksopp Röyksopp () a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different Electronic Mu ...

; the song also features vocals from her late brother. The album closes with "Pretty Bird" which features American rapper

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

, making it the second time the pair have worked together after Aiko previously featured on "Black Majik" from his 2014 album '' Nobody's Smiling''. Described as a pop rap song, Erin Lowers of '' XXL'' called the song "dynamic" and compared it to Nina Simone's "Blackbird"; lyrically "Pretty Bird" sees Aiko singing about the troubles she's faced to get here. The standard deluxe edition contains two bonus tracks, "Remember" and "Blue Dream". "Blue Dream" was initially released in March 2014, as "My Afternoon Dream" with production by

Key Wane Dwane Marshall Weir II (born July 12, 1990) is an American hip hop/R&B producer and songwriter, professionally known as Key Wane. Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, ...

. The song's lyrical content was described as revolving around Aiko losing herself in blissful thoughts of a man. However, Aiko revealed that the song's lyrics were written about "Blue Dream", a strain of

Cannabis sativa ''Cannabis sativa'' is an annual Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plant. The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The specific epithet ''Sativum, sativa'' means 'cultivated'. Indigenous to East Asia, Eastern Asia, the pla ...

. The song was later renamed and featured new production courtesy of No I.D. The album's Target exclusive edition also contains two extra songs; the first being "Beautiful Ruin" which features live guitar from Steve Wyreman, with production built around the guitar by No I.D. The second song is an acoustic version of "You vs. Them", a song originally recorded by Aiko for her debut mixtape ''

''. The song features just Aiko's vocals and a guitar.

Release and promotion

In May 2012, Aiko revealed that her debut would be released that summer, but the album never emerged. On November 12, 2013, Aiko released her debut extended play ''

'' as a bridge between her debut mixtape ''

'' and her debut studio album. In a January 2014, interview with ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'', Aiko announced her debut studio album ''Souled Out'' would be released in May 2014. However, the album was again delayed. Aiko titled the album as a follow-up to her mixtape ''Sailing Soul(s)'' (2011) and extended play ''Sail Out'' (2013), the former was titled ''Sailing Soul(s)'' due to having dealt with record labels who intended to change Aiko's image she described the title as "sailing one's soul, or rising above the negativity, instead of selling it." The album follows on the theme with Aiko stating that "Souled Out" is what happens once you "sail your soul," continuing to say, "You're Souled Out and completely free. And your Soul is on an infinite free ride." Aiko announced that the album will feature twelve to thirteen tracks as well as bonus songs. Aiko revealed during an interview with ''Vibe'' that the track listing would be ordered in a journey, with the later tracks featuring themes of the meaning of life. On March 16, 2014, Aiko premiered a song entitled "My Afternoon Dream" along with an accompanying music video directed by Aiko and Krissy. During Aiko's performance in April at the 2014

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...

, she premiered a live rendition of "

" including her band and a string quartet. Aiko performed "The Worst" with

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

at the BET 14th annual ceremony at the Nokia Theatre L.A. On June 26, Aiko and frequent collaborator

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

were announced as a supporting act for Canadian singer-songwriter

's King of the Fall Tour, consisting of four shows. On July 8, it was speculated that ''Souled Out'' would be released on August 25, 2014. Aiko stated in an interview with ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' that she would not "rush" the album and also revealed that the album was set for an August 2014 release. On August 13, Aiko released the album's cover art and track listing and announced the album's release date as September 9, 2014, coinciding with The Weeknd's King of the Fall Tour. The album's artwork was released on August 5, 2014, and features Aiko in between water and the sky as her soul rises upwards. Melissa Tropnas of ''Global Grind'' described the cover as "ethereal" and a reviewer form ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' described it as "celestial." Bradley Stern of

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

called the cover art an "accurate representation" of Aiko's music. On August 18, Aiko released the song "Spotless Mind" onto iTunes as a pre-order leading up to the album's release. On September 2, the album was made available for streaming through iTunes. On October 23, Aiko announced that she would be headlining the Enter the Void tour with support by

SZA Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA ( ), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics and genre explorations, she has been credited as a prominent figure in influencing contemporary R& ...

and

The Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a network of networks that consists of private, publ ...

. The month-long tour started December 2, in Washington, D.C., with stops in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, and two dates at L.A.'s Club Nokia. The 13 dates ended on December 21 in Minneapolis. On February 13, 2015, Aiko was announced as a special guest on the European leg of rapper

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born in a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his d ...

's Forest Hills Drive Tour.

Singles

Four singles were released from the album. "

" was released on June 24, 2014, as the lead single from the album. The album's second single, " The Pressure", was released on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

on July 18, 2014. "Wading" was released as the album's first and only promotional single on December 12, 2014, along with an accompanying video. "

" was released on January 21, 2015, as the album's third single.

Critical reception

''Souled Out'' was met with generally positive reviews. At

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which assigns a

normalized Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...

rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

score of 76, based on 10 reviews. Kyle Anderson, writer for ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'', found the album to be more pop friendly that her debut extended play ''

'', continuing to call the album a "parallel dimension where the future of R&B arrived a long time ago." ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

''s Craig Jenkins concluded "''Souled Out'' capably buffs Jhené Aiko's strengths and shellacks her faults, but the moments where she steps out into the depth of her story transcend the synergy of a group of musicians with good chemistry." Marcus K. Dowling of ''

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...

'' felt Aiko's writing was "intentionally simple and evocative", continuing to say "you're as much sucked into wondering just what she's going to say next as much as you just want to hear a high-quality song." Tshepo Mokoena of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' said, "She may purr like a revamped Ashanti, but she sounds tough as nails when it matters." Ken Capobianco from ''

'' concluded that "Aiko's producers, including No I.D. and Dot da Genius, create expansive, inventive tracks that mirror the allure of her lithe vocals and intimate phrasing." Brad Wete of ''

'' called the album as "party of one", continuing to state the album is "music to overthink with and lines to quote when angry at a significant other—the soundtrack for hard times." Ryan B. Patrick from ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' stated that "''Souled Out'' is an intriguing record from an intriguing artist who has tapped into the zeitgeist and delivered something that is both reflective and forward-looking." Erin Lowers from '' XXL'' called Aiko and the album a "breath of fresh air in a musical sea that's often changing tides and taking artists with it." Rick Florino of

named Aiko as one of musics most "important voices", continuing to note ''Souled Out'' as being one of 2014's best albums. In a more mixed review Julia Leconte of ''

'' said "It's nice to see Aiko atypically solo (Common provides the only rap feature), but more variety would be welcome." Although he praised the album's introspective themes, Andy Kellman of

felt that Aiko could be "maddeningly platitudinal and singsongy", however Kellman believed that Aiko's "one dimension is a specific balmy backdrop provided by no one else".

Accolades

Prior to the album's releases, ''Souled Out'' was placed at number 18 on ''

'' magazine's "Most Anticipated Albums of 2014." The album also made

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's list of "Most Anticipated R&B albums of 2014." The album was placed at number 19 on ''

''s list of the best albums of 2014. ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' listed ''Souled Out'' as one of the most overlooked albums of 2014, stating the album "serves to hint at her future potential." Gail Mitchell of ''

'' noted Aiko and her debut has one of the albums to breakthrough and "make some noise" in the R&B genre.

Commercial performance

''Souled Out'' debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 70,000 copies in its first week, becoming that week's second highest debut. ''Souled Out'' doubled the first week sales of Aiko's debut extended play ''

''. This also became Aiko's second US top-ten debut. The album also debuted at number one on the US

. In its second week, the album dropped to number 15 on the chart, selling an additional 20,000 copies, bringing its two-week total to 90,000 copies. As of October 29, 2015, the album had sold 125,000 copies in the US. On November 30, 2020, the album was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) for combined sales and

album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, often shortened to just unit, is a sales metric in the music industry that defines the number of streaming media, songs streamed and music download, songs downloaded equal to one Record sales, tradi ...

s of over 500,000 units in the United States.

Track listing

Notes * signifies an additional producer * signifies an co-producer Sample credits * "To Love & Die" contains an

interpolation In the mathematics, mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points. In engineering and science, one ...

of "Many Men (Wish Death)", written by Darrell "Digga" Branch, Curtis Jackson, Luis Resto, Frederick Perren and Keni St. Lewis, performed by

. * "You vs. Them" is an acoustic version of a song originally performed by Aiko from her debut mixtape ''

''. * "Blue Dream" contains the same lyrics from "My Afternoon Dream" and contains a different beat.

Personnel

Credits adapted from

. * Jhené Aiko – primary artist, art direction, art producer, design, executive producer * Ron Avant – keyboards * Jim Caruana – engineer * Maddox Chimm – mixing assistant * Clams Casino – producer * Cocaine 80s – featured artist * Common – featured artist * Claire Courchene – cello * Casey Cuayo – assistant engineer, mixing assistant * Brinton "Woodro Skillson" Ewart – additional production * James Fauntleroy – vocals (background) * Fisticuffs – engineer, producer * Dot da Genius – producer * Maximillian Jaeger – assistant engineer * Jaycen Joshua – mixing * Ryan Kaul – assistant engineer, mixing assistant * Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – mixing * Ketrina 'Taz' Askew – executive producer * Rob Kinelski – engineer, mixing * Dave Kutch – mastering * Paul Lane – package production * Chris Le – art direction, art producer, design, package production * Sam Lewis – assistant engineer, mixing assistant * Tai Linzie – package production * Nate Mercereau – French horn * Miyagi – featured artist * Namiko – featured artist * Ross Netko – assistant engineer * No I.D. – executive producer, producer * Tom Peyton – percussion * Christian Plata – engineer * James Poyser – keyboards, piano * Kevin Randolph – piano * Gregg Rominiecki – engineer, vocals (background) * Donnie Scantz – engineer * Ben Schwier – organ, piano * Josh Story – engineer * Derek Taylor – percussion, timpani * Thomas Lea – viola, violin * Michael Law Thomas – engineer * Thundercat – bass, producer * Crystal Torres – trumpet * Anna Ugarte – assistant engineer, mixing assistant * Juan F. "Jef" Villaluna – guitar * Key Wane – producer * Brian Warfield – engineer * Steve Wyreman – bass, bells, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer * Courtney "Millimoto" Yamamoto – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Souled Out (Jhene Aiko album) 2014 debut albums Jhené Aiko albums Albums produced by No I.D. Def Jam Recordings albums Albums produced by Key Wane Albums produced by Dot da Genius Albums produced by Thundercat (musician) Albums produced by Clams Casino (musician)