Jhené Aiko Announces *Westside Whimsy*, Her First Album in Six Years, for Friday

Jhené AikoR&B · Los AngelesArtist profile →

Jhené Aiko has been teasing Westside Whimsy since January. On Tuesday (Sept. 8), she gave it a date: this Friday. The album, her first full studio project since Chilombo in March 2020, arrives Sept. 11 via Def Jam Recordings.

She made the announcement on Instagram with the cover art, a close-up of Aiko against a teal background with crystal teardrops running down her cheeks.

Her peers showed up in the comments. Billboard lists Kehlani, Ella Mai, H.E.R., Aminé, Blxst and Chloe Bailey among the well-wishers, and Lauren Jauregui wrote, “Welcome back, reina!! Can’t wait.”

What it sounds like, in her words

There is no tracklist yet, but Aiko has said where the record lives. At a California wellness event in April, she described its influences, as quoted by Complex:

All the music of the ’90s has really influenced me, but especially West Coast car culture, surfing culture, beach, laid-back.

Jhené Aiko, Billboard

She has been seeding the title for months. In January she named an Erewhon smoothie collaboration “Westside Whimsy,” and the title also flashed across her Instagram Stories alongside the artwork.

Why it matters

Chilombo debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, topped Top R&B Albums and earned three Grammy nominations, including album of the year, per Complex and Billboard. Six years is a long gap for one of R&B’s most consistent voices, and a one-week lead time is a deliberate surprise. The scene she helped shape is also stacked right now, with Victoria Monét and others in the same lane.

What’s next

Listeners won’t wait long: Westside Whimsy is out Friday (Sept. 11). Details on guests and producers should arrive with the tracklist.

Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.