JHENÉ AIKO’s DEBUT ALBUM SOULED OUT IS #1 R&B ALBUM IN THE COUNTRY ON ARTCLUB/ARTIUM/DEF JAM RECORDINGS !!!
(Sept. 17, 2014 – New York, NY) Jhené Aiko’s much-anticipated debut album SOULED OUT (released September 9th on Artclub/ARTium/Def Jam Recordings) makes an extraordinary #1 R&B Albums chart debut (#3 Overall). SOULED OUT, executive produced by No I.D., features the lead single “The Pressure,” described by Billboard as “an otherworldly neck-snapper.”
“The first time I heard Jhené’s voice,” said No I.D., “I knew that we were looking at an exceptional artist. The immediate success of SOULED OUT confirms our belief in Jhené as the flagship artist of ARTium/Def Jam.”
Jhené will celebrate SOULED OUT’s success this Friday morning, September 19th, as special musical guest on The Today Show. That night, Jhené joins the Weeknd on tour: September 19th at Barclays in Brooklyn, NY; September 21st at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto; October 9th at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; and October 10th at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
SOULED OUT was described in Entertainment Weekly’s A- review as “the coolest party soundtrack for a parallel dimension where the future of R&B arrived a long time ago.” TIME magazine underscored that idea: “Aiko’s newfound style lies somewhere between the soothing sounds of Sade and what can be nebulously described as ‘future R&B,’ a broad spectrum of pioneering music-makers making tunes best served in the midnight hour.”
SOULED OUT takes flight on the strength of Jhené’s phenomenal debut EP, Sail Out, (released November 2013), the biggest-selling EP in Def Jam history, #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart with sales of over 300,000 copies. Sail Out contained Jhené’s sizzling #1 crossover hit “The Worst” (over 35.5 million YouTube views). Sail Out also featured collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples, as well as Jhené’s critically-acclaimed debut track of 2012, “3:16am”.
The opening notes of Billboard’s SOULED OUT review were unequivocal: “Jhené Aiko’s songs are intimate conversations, which have flourished since the release of her 2011 mixtape Sailing Soul(s). Her vocals are lithe enough to seduce, while her sharp lyricism and wordplay are tools to knife through a man’s crap.”
Jhené was signed to Def Jam by No I.D., Co-Head of A&R and Executive Vice President, known for his studio work with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nas, and Common. ARTium/Def Jam is the exclusive label venture between No I.D. and Def Jam Recordings.Jhené is represented by ArtClub International, whom she credits for sparking and guiding her career.
