The most interesting and exciting part about any musical work as a whole, from the perspective of a listener with open-minded appreciation, is the fact that each and every part of a completed project is manifested through the unique mind and frame of reference of the artist who does the creating.

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’s most recent album, “Trip,” is her most vibrant and creative piece of work that highlights her intuitive nature and her creative susceptibility. The linearity of the entire album is an interesting concept in and of itself, but not only does the vague, psychedelic storyline work within the context of the album, the transitions between conversation to track are brilliant.

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Lying between the lines of psychedelic R&B and funky, zenned-out soul, the true nature of the “trip” takes one on a journey through the incredible creative process of the album that Aiko sprung on fans on September 22 of this year.

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Looking at the album for the first time, I was immediately attracted to the trippy cover art paired with the fact that it’s been a long awaited sophomore album from the beautiful Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo. Analyzing the tracklist, it’s not easy to see how each individual track could flow so well from one into the next, but when listening without an agenda, the story and intention reveals itself.

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It’s interesting exploring the intentions of the messages woven throughout, and it will always leave me wanting more answers to the questions that Aiko’s creative process brings forth. I feel that the purpose of art is to appreciate for what is, not necessarily analyzing what could be, but analysis offers space for understanding and For example, in the first track of the album, “LSD,” she touches on how she had been struggling with herself and she had been missing the brother that she’d lost. While she was taking a trip to Big Sur, she listened to classic, inspiring music that solicited a space for free-flowing thoughts. She also took some “magical mushrooms” with her; she revealed this in an interview with NPR.

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The track, “Nobody”, touches on the struggles with addiction the Aiko has faced within her short 29 years. In the NPR interview, she explained how she has dealt with addiction since she started taking sleeping pills as a young teenager. She began drinking after that which eventually led to her experimentation with drugs and prescriptions as an adult. When her brother passed away, her addictions worsened and she would turn to substances in these situations. Aiko explained how she lived a period of time where, even when she was performing, she was always on something.

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To Aiko, “Nobody” is the most personal and introspective songs that she has released: “Whenever I was just feeling really alone, I would write more and more. It was hard for me on some parts, but I wanted to have a really lyrical song where I didn't care whether people said I wasn't hitting this [or that] note just right. I'm a writer, first, and I wanted to share something that was lyrical and super personal.”.

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From the visuals to the lyrical elements of this entire work, nothing less is to be expected from this strong woman in the world of R&B. Whether it be a collab with Big Sean, to this psychedelic, 22-track, “Trip,” nothing but excellence and magic pour out of Jhené.