One thing is for sure; there isn’t a girl in the rap and R&B industry that sounds like Jhene Aiko. Her gentle sound is not much of a rapper’s voice. Aiko sings more than raps, yet has a hip-hop quality in the words that she sings and how she sings them. She seems to disconnect the words, focusing on each syllable individually.

Aiko’s first full album is exactly what you would expect from her previous songs, but should sell despite the similarities. The 12-track album titled “Souled Out,” released on Sept.9, includes Aiko’s most famous single “The Worst.” 

“Souled Out” opens with a song titled “Limbo Limbo Limbo” which sounds a little too identical to “The Pressure,” track number eight. Although the tempos are different, they seem almost interchangeable.

“Spotless Mind,” the fourth track on the album, gives listeners a look into what Aiko is capable of. It branches off from her typical, dark sounding songs. The message, still similar to others she has written, is about being a heartbreaker. Aiko’s songs could easily be compared to Drake because of her sensitive music or even a hip-hop Taylor Swift.

If you have listened to Aiko’s previous music, you will probably feel like you are listening to the same thing as before. Her sound is distinct yet repetitive.

Similarities aside, Aiko is bound to sell records because of her appeal. Her sound is something that isn’t heard in the rap world. She brings a sense of female power to the table and so far has done that with self-respect. She sells her music, not her body, unlike artists that she may be compared to.

Aiko may be put up against artists like Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj, but she has more of a raw sound than the whimsy of her competition. While Minaj creates a colorful sound with summery songs like “Starships,” Aiko portrays something darker with moody songs. Minaj creates alter egos while Aiko sings about failed relationships and real-life issues.

Aiko brings something to the hip-hip scene that hasn’t been heard from anyone but herself. Although the songs on her album are sound the same, her songs will generate fans who will keep coming back to hear her next track.