When singer Jhene Aiko released her EP "Sail Out" last fall, it was packed with high-profile rap features like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino. She made it clear that her debut album "Souled Out" would be feature-free, and she delivered with a thoroughly satisfying project that highlights no one but herself. She often gets lumped into the Drake-Weeknd minor-chord dark R&B crowd, but she breaks out of the box on this album and she does it best on songs like “Spotless Mind” and “Lyin King.” While there aren’t many collaborations on the album, she chose the right ones with the excellent Cocaine 80s feature on “To Love & Die” and the No I.D.'s production throughout. In what has been a quiet year for R&B, Jhene has stolen the spotlight.
Grade: A-
Download: “Spotless Mind”
Sounds best when: Laid out on Highrise Field enjoying the last of the summer.
