Jhené Aiko’s blockbuster album CHILOMBO re-asserts its claim to the title of R&B album of the year this week, as the deluxe edition powers the album to over 46,000 new units. CHILOMBO re-enters the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 at #6, and reclaims the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B albums chart.
CHILOMBO DELUXE adds nine previously unreleased bonus tracks and remixes to the original 20-track album – including the new single “Summer 2020” – with new guest features from Kehlani, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Mila J and Wiz Khalifa. Check out the in-depth cover-story profile of Jhené in the new issue of HITS magazine.
Chilombo (released in March) entered the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart at #1, and the Billboard 200 album chart at #2. Over 170 million first week streams ranked it as the biggest album debut in four years from a female R&B artist (since Beyoncé’s Lemonade in April 2016), and the biggest album debut of Jhené’s career.
Chilombo arrived on the strength of its five massive advance tracks, with cumulative streams over 700 million to date. They comprise: “B.S.” (featuring H.E.R.), “Triggered (Freestyle),” “None Of Your Concern” (featuring Big Sean), “Pu$$y Fairy (OTW),” and “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)” (feat. Future and Miguel). The visual for another album track premiered in May, “Magic Hour.” The momentum continues to build with the release of “Summer 2020.”
Chilombo proclaims the artist’s full name, Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, as it celebrates her coming into her own personal power. The initial jam sessions where she freestyled the lyrics to each song, took place on where Jhené’s great grandmother was born. Jhené was inspired by the beauty and power of the island’s volcanoes, having visited throughout the years. Chilombo means wild beast. The volcano is symbolic of the beautiful, yet powerful beast. Jhené Aiko is Chilombo. In contrast to her 2017 album, Trip, which intricately detailed the process of grieving, Chilombo finds Jhené embracing her strength and power, coming into her confidence as a woman, a creator and a healer. She has always embraced magic in her particular brand of soulful, trippy, ethereal R&B, but now on Chilombo she has taken it all to another level.
THE MAGIC HOUR, Jhené’s highly-anticipated 32-city North American tour with special guest Queen Naija, originally scheduled for May-June, will be rescheduled. Special merch and digital album bundles are available at Jhené’s official D2C store.
