Jhené Aiko

Her light yet emotionally rich soprano, skilled at expressing shifts from anguish to elation, has placed Jhené Aiko among the foremost figures in present-day R&B. Entering the industry in the 2000s through ties to B2K, the vocalist and composer achieved independent momentum in 2013. That year she appeared on platinum-certified tracks by Big Sean with "Beware" and by Drake with "From Time," while issuing her Top Ten debut EP Sail Out. Subsequent Top Ten albums Souled Out (2014), Trip (2017), and the Grammy Album of the Year-nominated Chilombo (2020) followed, each arriving amid steady collaborative releases that encompass the duo project TWENTY88 with Big Sean as well as guest spots on further gold and platinum singles including Chris Brown's "Drunk Texting," Omarion's "Post to Be," and 2 Chainz's "It's a Vibe." The Magic Hour Collection (2024) compiled her solo recordings and spotlighted the additional Grammy-nominated track "Guidance."

Raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Ladera Heights after being born in the city itself, Jhené Aiko—born Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo—grew up in a musical household. Her sisters Miyoko and Jamila, the latter known as Mila J, gained notice in the '90s as members of Gyrl, and Aiko herself received extensive musical preparation before beginning her career. In the early 2000s she secured a major-label deal with Epic via Chris Stokes' TUG Entertainment. During 2001 and 2002 she debuted solo with a rendition of "Santa Baby" on the Epic Records compilation A Season of Soul and Sounds, contributed to multiple B2K recordings such as "Tease," and supplied songs to the soundtracks of Master of Disguise ("Cherry Pie") and Barbershop ("Sneaky"). Her first single, the KayGee-produced "No L.O.V.E.," appeared in 2003; its intended album My Name Is Jhené was ultimately shelved. Still a teenager, Aiko stepped away from music to pursue her schooling.

She resurfaced in 2011 via the mixtape Sailing Soul(s). Entirely self-written, the project displayed her atmospheric, minimalist approach to R&B and included contributions from Kanye West, Miguel, Drake, Gucci Mane, and Kendrick Lamar. Signed afterward to Def Jam through No I.D.'s ARTium label, she issued the single "3:16AM" in 2012. The next year marked a breakthrough: featured on Big Sean's Top 40 hit "Beware" and on Drake's "From Time," both of which achieved platinum status, she also secured her first two platinum singles as lead artist with "Bed Peace" featuring Childish Gambino and "The Worst." These tracks appeared on the November release Sail Out, an EP that debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and earned gold certification.

Building on that foundation, Aiko delivered the full-length Souled Out in September 2014, which peaked at number three and spawned the charting singles "To Love & Die," "The Pressure," and "Spotless Mind." By year's end she ranked among the most sought-after guests, adding Common's "Blak Majik," Chris Brown's "Drunk Texting," Omarion's "Post to Be," and numerous other tracks to her catalog. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015 she received three nominations—for Best Urban Contemporary Album (Sail Out), Best R&B Song ("The Worst"), and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Blak Majik")—while also earning her initial American Music Awards and Soul Train Awards nods.

Though more than two years elapsed before her next solo album, Aiko maintained activity through standalone singles, the number-five-charting TWENTY88 project with Big Sean, and featured roles on tracks such as the multi-platinum "It's a Vibe" alongside 2 Chainz, Ty Dolla $ign, and Trey Songz. Released without prior announcement in September 2017, Trip—whose title evoked the psychedelic, geographic, and emotional travels behind its creation—entered the Billboard 200 at number five, attained gold status, and produced the gold or platinum singles "While We're Young," "Sativa," and "Never Call Me."

She advanced more rapidly toward her third album, releasing the early singles "Triggered (Freestyle)" and the Big Sean collaboration "None of Your Concern" in 2019, followed in early 2020 by the charting tracks "P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)" and "Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)." All four appeared on Chilombo, issued that March; the set extended her run of Top Ten entries, landing one position shy of the summit. In October she unveiled "Vote" to promote awareness ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election and joined Saweetie on "Back to the Streets." Her Grammy nominations subsequently increased: Chilombo contended for Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B Album, while the John Legend duet "Lightning & Thunder," one of the album's 11 charting songs, earned a nod for Best R&B Performance.

In the ensuing years Aiko put out non-album singles such as the charting "Wrap Me Up" and introduced a volume of the soothing Sleep Soul series intended for infants. "Sun/Son" and "Guidance" arrived in 2024 ahead of The Magic Hour Collection, a 25-track anthology spanning her career, for which she garnered her seventh Grammy nomination with "Guidance" in the Best R&B Performance category.