Key Takeaways

• Jhené Aiko released her 20-song fourth studio album, Westside Whimsy, on Friday (Sept. 11).
• The album includes “So Good,” her latest collaboration with Kendrick Lamar.
• Early fan reactions praise Aiko’s honesty, vulnerability, and approach to romance and heartbreak.

Ever since Jhené Aiko surprise-announced the release date for her fourth studio album — then followed it up by revealing a star-studded list of features — we’ve been on the edge of our seats. At last, the wait is over. On Friday (Sept. 11) at midnight, the Los Angeles singer’s Westside Whimsy made its way to streaming services.

Preceded by last year’s “Break,” the 20-song effort finds her reuniting with Kendrick Lamar, Tyga, and more for her first album in roughly six years. It opens with the short but sweet “Wild Cat(s),” which hears Aiko reflecting on being raised by her Aquarius mother and Sagittarius father. From there comes “Ghost,” in which she croons about flying down the interstate, then “Love Bomb” with Ab-Soul, who, perhaps a little disappointingly, doesn’t contribute much beyond ad-libs.

Inside Jhené Aiko’s ‘Westside Whimsy,’ from Big Sean speculation to her Kendrick Lamar reunion

Inevitably, much of the internet seemed intent on picking apart every song to see which ones — if any — were about Big Sean, whom Aiko was dating until last year. “Ceiling (Freestyle),” for instance, finds her mentioning Lisa, Brittney, and Ashley, all of whom were coincidentally name-dropped on the Detroit rapper’s “Living Single.” Then there’s “He Belongs,” where Aiko sings, “Can’t turn a fling into a real thing / Can’t turn a promise to a wedding ring / Can’t turn a h** into a husband.” However, over on Threads, she confirmed the latter "song is not about him."

While Aiko does spend a healthy amount of the album dragging the men who spectacularly fumbled her, there are obviously more uplifting moments too. On the Larry June-assisted “Neighbors,” she sings about being in a “beautiful place,” with the Bay Area native playing the neighbor who notices her walking her dog and decides to leave his number.

The biggest track from the LP, understandably so, is without a doubt “So Good.” It marks Aiko’s latest collaboration with Lamar and, much like last year’s Grammy-winning “luther,” sees him trading some of that lyrical dexterity for a reminder of just how romantic he can be. Production-wise, Westside Whimsy doesn’t bend over backward to reinvent the “Sativa” hitmaker’s sound, but it really doesn’t have to. After all, why fix what was never broken to begin with?

If nothing else, the album is a reminder that Aiko is every bit as captivating now — perhaps even more so — as she was when many of us first discovered her years ago. Listen to the LP below, then keep scrolling for some of our favorite reactions.

Fans praise Jhené Aiko’s honesty and vulnerability on ‘Westside Whimsy’

Not that it should come as much of a surprise, but Westside Whimsy was met with glowing reviews from Aiko’s fans. One X user hilariously said she “wrote this album with a heart full of hate,” while another compared it to “GTA 6 for women.”

“Her artistry is and always has been so beautiful to witness because she’s real, vulnerable, and honest,” someone else penned on the social media giant. “We need more of that in the music industry.” Take a look below for more reactions.