How Jhené Aiko Landed the First No. 1 Album of Her Career With ‘Westside Whimsy’

It happened almost out of the blue: on Sept. 8, Jhené Aiko announced that her sixth album, titled Westside Whimsy, would be released in just days; on Sept. 11, it was released to the world; and by the following week, the California-born R&B singer had landed her first ever No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as the project debuted with 74,000 equivalent album units in the United States for the week ending Sept. 17.

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It’s a big moment for Aiko, and a return to the peak of her abilities after six years out of the spotlight. The album is the first R&B project by a woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2026, and the first in over a year, since SZA’s S.O.S. finished its 13-week run last May. It’s also her sixth top 10 overall, dating back to her 2013 debut Sail Out, and her first album release since Chilombo in 2020, which was ultimately nominated for album of the year at the 2021 Grammys, one of three nominations she received that year. (Aiko has seven nominations overall.)

And it’s a big moment for her longtime manager Ketrina “Taz” Askew, founder/CEO of ArtClub International, who has worked with Aiko across the latter’s career. Askew, who also manages Blxst through her ArtClub company, takes a supportive approach when helping to push Aiko’s music and allow her creativity to take center stage — and that resulting success helps earn her the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Taz speaks about the quick rollout of Westside Whimsy, Aiko’s six-year break between releases and how they plan to keep pushing the album forward in the future. As for any Grammy hopes, after Chilombo’s album of the year nomination the last time around? “Hoping for the best,” Askew says. “Really don’t have any expectations.”

This week, Jhene Aiko’s Westside Whimsy debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her first-ever No. 1 on that chart. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?

Jhené is a visionary and has such a strong connection with her audience. Our job is to enhance and amplify what she’s naturally doing — not try to reinvent it. We make sure the music, the story and the overall artistry are positioned properly, and then we work to get it in front of as many people as possible.

This is Jhene’s first album in over six years. Why the break, and how did you want to help her reintroduce herself to her fans, in a way?

Jhené just likes to take her time and move at her own pace, and during that time she was also focused on being a mom. Sometimes life just takes priority, and she wanted to give herself the space to do that.

The album’s release date was announced three days before it came out. Why the surprise announce, and how did it help the rollout?

Really, it just happened that way. There was no rhyme or reason behind it. That’s just how the cards fell, and we decided to roll with it. Sometimes you can overthink a rollout. We just went with the flow and decided to let the music speak for itself.

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Westside Whimsy is the first R&B album by a woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2026, and the first in over a year. What do you think about the state of R&B, and why do you think this album resonated?

I think the album resonated because it’s relatable. There’s an honesty in her music that allows people to see themselves in it. As far as the state of R&B, I feel like we’re making our way back to authenticity.

Given the surprise announce and quick release of Westside Whimsy, how do you plan to build on the album campaign from here? 

We’re just going to keep grinding. We’ll keep pushing the songs, the visuals and the story across as many platforms and spaces as will have us. And then, at some point, we’ll be touring and giving people the opportunity to experience it live.