The Run That Back series is a deep dive into some of music’s most popular or underrated projects. Whether it's been 5 years or 50, there’s never a wrong time to "run that back."
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Ten years ago to-date, Jhené Aiko shot the cover to her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s), just in time to officially introduce her voice to the world on her 23rd birthday. In honor of the 10th anniversary of her debut, which had previously been unavailable on streaming platforms, Aiko announced that the mixtape would be rereleased with a few bonus tracks.
The Slauson native reflected on this “pivotal moment” via Instagram. “...when I was 12 I was signed to a label, singing songs I had no real connection to. Besides that, I had no real stories of my own to tell at 12 lol,” she expressed. During her teenage years, she recalls meeting with one executive who said she needed to “do a better job at ‘selling’ [herself]. Explaining that, “dressing like myself, singing like myself, talking like myself... wasn't enough. I thought, 'why do i have to sell myself? Why do I have to try to convince you of my worth? of who i am???'“ It was in that moment that she firmly decided to never “sell” herself because “whoever felt a connection would SEE [her] and [her] worth.” And she was right.
Aiko previously lent her voice to background vocals, but with Sailing Soul(s), it was the beginning of her using her pen for personal use— “breaking free from that narrative of having to 'sell' [herself].” The critically acclaimed cover art was a literal symbol of her breaking free from being anchored, sparking her thematic symbolism of “going with the wind like a sail boat... freeing [her] soul...'sailing' instead of ‘selling.’” Not only did she break away from the confines of record executives’ opinions, she set herself apart within R&B by breathing life into what we call "progressive" R&B. Tapping into something "real now," Aiko made R&B personal again.
Aesthetically, one would assume she’s restricted to being beautiful and soft-spoken, but some of the best things come out of small-but-mighty packages. Whether she’s evoking a fluid meaning to being addicted to love through “Higher,” being transparent with a new lover about real-life woes on “Space Jam,” breaking down toxicity on “Do Better Blues,” or defending her aggression to someone who may quickly dismiss her as a “hoe,” Sailing Soul(s) was pure, familiar and honest in all the best ways. She wasn’t trying to be a cookie-cutter R&B singer. Essentially, this mixtape was her telling the industry that she wasn’t going to align with what they wanted her to be because she was meant to set her own standard.
What sets it apart is its foundation; it's the heart of rhythm and blues. Life, love and everything in between isn't perfect and artists shouldn't be expected to be. Regardless of what you were seeking to find when you press play, you walk away feeling satisfied and renewed. Without Sailing Soul(s), we wouldn’t have received the commercial successes of her EP, Sail Out and ultimately, her debut album, Souled Out, which brought the trilogy full circle. This awakened a new era of Jhené with Trip and her soul-stirring album, Chilombo that is up for the highly coveted Album of the Year at this year’s GRAMMYs.
With Sailing Soul(s) Deluxe, the sensual songbird also included some of her most popular loosies. Fans get to dive into the elusive duality of “Mirrors,” the classic not-with-the-BS of “2 Seconds,” the fearlessness of “Snapped,” and the smooth & sexy “Living Room Flow.” Not only was it the perfect time to make the mixtape widely available, it also allows newer fans to see where it all started and serves an evergreen reminder that setting your soul free from everything is all we have.
For her, it garnered her longevity. We’re twenty years in and we still never fully know what to expect from Jhené Aiko. What we do know and thank Jhené for is her gifting us with Sailing Soul(s)— not just an album, but a lifestyle— and whether it’s her alter ego, J. Henny, her most natural self, Penny or the no filter lyrical content we know and love, we’re always ready for whatever’s flowing next.
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