Trip (Jhené Aiko album)
Trip is the second studio album by American singer Jhené Aiko. It was released on September 22, 2017, by ARTium and Def Jam Recordings. It succeeds Aiko's debut album Souled Out, which was released three years prior, and the collaborative album Twenty88, while releasing numerous non-album singles in between.
The album contains production from frequent collaborators Dot da Genius, Fisticuffs, No I.D. and Key Wane, along with several other record producers such as Amaire Johnson, Frank Dukes, Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Mike Zombie. It includes guest appearances from Big Sean, Rae Sremmurd, Kurupt, Brandy, Mali Music, Aiko's father, with the moniker, Dr. Chill, Aiko's daughter, Namiko Love, and Chris Brown.
The album was released without prior announcement, supported by the lead single "While We're Young". Other singles include "Hello Ego" featuring Chris Brown, "Sativa" featuring Rae Sremmurd, and "Never Call Me" featuring Kurupt.
Background
In September 2014, Aiko released her debut album, Souled Out, which was met with critical success. In 2016, Aiko collaborated with American rapper Big Sean for the 8-track album Twenty88 as a duo under the same name. Trip was originally announced in under the name TRIP 17, creating anticipation with non-album singles such as "Maniac", "First Fuck" with 6lack, and "Hello Ego" with Chris Brown between 2016 throughout early and mid-2017.Describing the album's conception, Aiko stated that she wanted to create an album to showcase all of her personalities and express these. The album was inspired by different kinds of trips Aiko has experienced including mental, physical, and psychedelic.
Composition
Music and lyrics
According to Pitchfork, Trip is a concept album that "aims to translate the hallucinogenic highs of weed, LSD, and shrooms into sound", with "Aiko’s voice well into the spare, psychedelia-inspired productions".Promotion
A 23-minute autobiographical film titled after the album was released a day before Trip on September 21, 2017, co-directed by Aiko.On October 11, 2017, Aiko announced a headlining North American concert tour in support of the album titled "Trip " with Willow Smith, Kitty Cash and Kodie Shane that will take place in November and December 2017, and a European leg was later announced. Aside from her own tour, Aiko toured with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey during January 2018 on the LA to the Moon Tour.
Singles
"While We're Young", premiered on June 8, 2017, along with its music video directed by Jay Ahn. It was released for digital download as the album's lead single on June 9.The second single, a remix of "Sativa" featuring Rae Sremmurd, was released on January 22, 2018. It Peaked At Number 74 At The Billboard Hot 100.
Critical reception
Trey Alston of HipHopDX believed the album to be "a moody yet breezy continuation of established aesthetic that ultimately lacks growth of her musical capabilities". In a positive review of the album, Pitchfork explains "Trip works because it isn't just about self-medicating or journeying through a grief-ridden mind."Commercial performance
Trip debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, moving 32,000 album-equivalent units with pure album sales of 10,000 copies in its first week. This became her fourth consecutive top ten debut on the chart. The album also debuted at number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On November 29, 2018, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.In 2018, Trip was ranked as the 126th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.
Track listing
Credits adapted from Jhené Aiko's official website.Notes
- signifies a co-producer
- signifies an additional producer
Personnel
Performance
- Jhené Aiko – primary artist
- Big Sean – featured artist
- Twenty88 – featured artist
- Swae Lee – featured artist
- Kurupt – featured artist
- Dr. Chill – featured artist
- Namiko Love – featured artist
- Brandy – featured artist
- Mali Music – featured artist
- 6LACK – vocals
- Chris Brown – featured artist
- Doc Allison – cello
- Chris Johnson – trombone
- Sojung Lee – guitar
- Jamelle Adisa – trumpet
- Keith McKelley – tenor saxophone
- Peter Lee Johnson – talk box
- Felix Oquendo – saxophone
- John Mayer – bass, guitar, electric guitar
- David Meyers, Jr. – drums
- Gracie Spout – harp
- Amaire Johnson – ocarina
- Bubby – bass
- Martin Fredriksson – bass, percussion
- Maxwell Karmazyn – strings
- Nicholas Kennerly – strings
- Jhené Aiko – executive production, production, additional production
- Taz – executive production
- Fisticuffs – co-executive production, production, co-production
- Amaire Johnson – co-executive production, production, additional production
- Dot da Genius – production, co-production
- Noel Cadastre – production
- Julian-Quan Viet Le – production
- John Mayer – production
- Benny Blanco – production
- Cashmere Cat – production
- Frank Dukes – production
- Mike Zombie – production
- Trakgirl – production
- No I.D. – production
- Julian-Quan Viet Le – production
- KeY Wane – production
- Mali Music – production
- Mike Moore – additional production
- Woodro Skillson – additional production
- John Ralph Orlow – drum programming
- Amaire Johnson – keyboards, additional keyboards
- Julian-Quan Viet Le – additional keyboards
- Brian Warfield – additional keyboards, recording engineering
- Gregg Rominiecki – mixing
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing
- Dave Nakaji – mixing assistance
- Iván Jiménez – mixing assistance
- Fisticuffs – recording engineering, engineering
- Jim Caruana – recording engineering
- Christian Plata – recording engineering, additional mixing
- Maximilian Jaeger – recording engineering
- Casey Cuayo – recording engineering assistance
- Jhené Aiko – recording arrangement
- Big Sean – recording arrangement
- Swae Lee – recording arrangement
- Mali Music – recording arrangement
- 6lack – recording arrangement
- Chris Brown – recording arrangement
- Dave Kutch – mastering
- Jhené Aiko – A&R, styling
- TOCK – art direction, photography
- Veronica Ettman – package design
- Joe Spix – package design
- Chris Le – additional design
- Paul Lane – package production
- Olapido Omishore – author
- Brian Warfield – author
- Jhené Aiko – author
- Maclean Robinson – author
- Amaire Johnson – author
- Big Sean – author
- Swae Lee – author
- Earnest Wilson – author
- Frank Dukes – author
- Julian-Quan Viet Le – author
- KeY Wane – author
- Mali Music – author
- Chris Brown – author
- "Clear My Mind" and "Hello Ego" from the Target exclusive version are listed as tracks 23 and 24, respectively
Charts