Jhené Aiko’s New Album ‘Westside Whimsy’ Is Here
Kendrick Lamar, Larry June, Ab-Soul, Tyga and OHMA appear on the Los Angeles-focused project.
Jhené Aiko has released her new album Westside Whimsy via ALLEL/Artclub/Def Jam Recordings. Six years in the making, the 20-track project is rooted in Aiko’s Los Angeles upbringing and features a guest lineup drawn from the city and wider West Coast.
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The album’s Los Angeles theme extends to its collaborations. Ab-Soul appears on “Love Bomb,” while Tyga joins Aiko on “Like, Whatever” and Larry June guests on “Neighbors.” Kendrick Lamar appears on “So Good,” reuniting with Aiko after earlier collaborations including “Growing Apart (To Get Closer)” and “Stay Ready (What a Life).” OHMA features on the album’s final track, “Golden Coast,” giving the record a California-focused finale. The five collaborations are spread across the 20-song sequence, leaving much of Westside Whimsy centered solely on Aiko.
Aiko offered more detail about the inspiration behind the project earlier this year, pointing to both ’90s music and California culture. “All the music of the ‘90s has really influenced me but especially West Coast car culture, surfing culture, beach, laidback,” she told Complex in April. “When I think of California, it’s just such a magical place and I love a good road trip and I’ve been doing them for many years.” Those references run alongside the album’s recurring focus on relationships and introspection, reflected in titles including “He Belongs,” “You,” “Don’t Be That Guy,” “Mine” and “I Don’t Mind.”
Westside Whimsy also arrives after an unusually brief formal rollout. Aiko announced the album on September 8, just days before its September 11 release, although she had been hinting at the title and concept for months. (She first teased the Westside Whimsy name in January through a collaboration with Erewhon.) The finished record is her first full-length studio album since 2020’s Chilombo.
