Souled Out

When it came to how Aiko would follow up such an impressive pre-debut run, her sound needed to be elevated. ‘Souled Out’ embraces the notion that she’s in the spotlight and has no choice but to deliver. Failure a second time around in the music industry was not an option. That leads into the opening of “Limbo Limbo Limbo” which creaks along in earnest honesty– even referencing “sailing through the cosmic seas”– with the acknowledgment of “Your whole life is on a ride.” The song doubles in meaning as it gives the foundation of the album’s love story concept.

From there, on the motivational “W.A.Y.S” – an acronym used by her late brother, Miyagi (who she previously revealed on “Space Jam” had a serious battle with cancer) meaning “why aren’t you smiling?”– she encourages herself to push forward: “I gotta keep goin', gotta keep goin'.” On “W.A.Y.S.” she references “at 44 minutes to four” which places her at her “3:16AM” moment from the previous era. With sharp lyricism, Aiko is not afraid to remain autobiographical on “W.A.Y.S.”: “This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter.”

Souled Out stays in line with pure R&B. “To Live & Die” accesses dark driven R&B as a salute to the West Coast– specifically the LA area she hails. While, “It’s Cool” goes into the depths of jazz and takes a page from neo soul akin to Erykah Badu. “The Pressure” feels as weighted as the title suggests with a crushing reverb of a drum machine pushing down on the laid-back feeling of her album.

There is a mastery in her wordplay from the title itself being an acknowledgement of the fight to stay original while being engulfed in the world of mainstream appeal to “Lyin King,” doubling as a lazy lion king and referencing a “never know good” or “no good” individual who could resemble Scar from the 1994 animated film. “Wading” falls in line with the aquatic themes of her work– as Aiko would become a singer viewed for her spiritual auras and allusions to the elements of nature. “Wading” itself signifies “waiting” for someone in the midst of being lost at sea.

It’s the fine details that brings Souled Out to its mastery. Just as Aiko is in her groove on “Lyin King” – which wobbles like a surfer rock beat, and trips over itself– a dramatic verse comes in where she interrupts the flow with a blunt “ok you just!” “Brave,” which is produced by No I.D., goes on about being a complicated woman who “might f*ck this up” because she’s afraid of commitment. It’s a cinematic ode to a man who can withstand that, and finishes out with a dramatic instrumental backed by a steady drum and the crescendoing of an orchestra that could be heard in a classic James Bond action flick. The “ah ah ah’s” adding to the additional flare that makes Aiko’s records standout from the pack.

Even within the concept, there is a nod to the film, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’ Aiko in essence is the musical version of Kate Winslet’s character Clementine. She’s eccentric and out spoking, seeming to miss the social cues of making her male partner comfortable. In the pairing tracks, “Spotless Mind” and “Eternal Sunshine,” she divulges “I’m a wanderer” in the former and how she wants to recall “only the good things” in the latter. “Spotless Mind” in particular is the highlight of the entire album, as the hook is catchy, but also the music outro features another intense moment where she calls out ‘I may just wonder why?” “Eternal Sunshine” is a nostalgic ballad where she’s grateful for her past life and relishes in the shared memories of being kids with her brother while he’s still alive.