Jhene Aiko's New Album is a Trip
By Ben Cannon
R&B artist Jhene Aiko surprise dropped her sophomore album Trip last friday, along with an accompanying short film of the same name. It’s a concept album, focusing on altered states of mind and acheiving enlightenment. However, it’s important to note that Trip is less of a fully fleshed-out concept like Janelle Monae’s ArchAndroid and more of a series of unrelated songs tied together by interludes to remind the listener that there’s supposed to be a central idea — think Halsey’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. At 85 minutes long, Trip is twenty-two songs tinted with R&B, hip-hop, and neo-psychedelic sound. Notable tracks are lead single “While We’re Young," the dream trap Swae-Lee collab “Sativa," and the obligatory interlude “Bad Trip," where she hysterically (and hilariously) screams at someone not to touch her.
Trip is Jhene Aiko’s second album, and was preceded by the cult classic Souled Out. Since then, she made an album with her boyfriend Big Sean under the moniker Twenty88, and released three non-singles, “Hello Ego” with Chris Brown, “First Fuck” with 6LACK, & Maniac. Aiko will be opening for Lana Del Rey’s LA to the Moon tour alongside Kali Uchis.
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