Sail Out – #trackbytrack

In #trackbytrack, Features, HOME, MUSIC by Sam Prance

#trackbytrack is a feature in which we get people to choose an album or EP and talk about it track by track. To divulge on what each song is like, what it reminds them of, and who and what they feel like when listening to it. That and to introduce people to some musical gems.

 Sail Out – Jhené Aiko

Sail_Out_Jhene_aikoFirst things first – Jhené is bae. I didn’t listen to all the songs at once when this E.P. first came out but rather just let each of them come to me on their own. I hope that makes this #trackbytrack a little more interesting – my head space was quite different each time I discovered a new track so should lead to some quite varied musings. Leggo.

1. The Vapors ft. Vince Staples – This is the first track of the album, and the last track I came across. I only listened to this a few weeks ago and it quickly became a favourite. Jhené expresses her thoughts about a boy she recently lost and compares the feelings he gave to her to that of smoking a joint. This song features Vince Staples who is dope as fuck. The featured artists in this album only get better as we go on. In his verse, he explains how Jhené was asking for more than he wanted to give. He saw this as an unnecessary cry for attention and finally the dysfunctional outweighed the functional in the relationship and they parted ways. That is all.

‘All you wanted was the truth and all I wanted was my way’

2. Bed Peace ft. Childish Gambino – I love love love this song. It is so sweet and chilled. It reminds me of one of my best friends. When I found this song, I immediately sent it to her saying “THIS IS YOU”. Also, Childish Gambino is the cutest thing ever. I just want to snuggle with him while snacking on Pringles or something.

‘It’s not love but it’s pretty close. Hot fudge and a little smoke’

3. Stay Ready (What A Life) ft. Kendrick Lamar – KENDRICK LAMAR AND MISS AIKO YES. Essentially, this song is about doing whatever the fuck you please. It is always the right time, you are always in the right place, and the circumstances are always in your favour even if you are having trouble accepting it. Stop complaining, stop searching for excuses, and stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. I enjoy the second part of this song a lot more than the first. Reminds me that I should be grateful always. Plus she sounds so G and it’s really empowering.

‘I been through some shit man, but I be on my shit man’

4. WTH ft. Ab-Soul – Here we see another song where smoking and being in a relationship are compared to one another. She got Way Too High and Way Too caught up in a relationship. Ab-Soul is just chillin’ and smoking – surprise surprise. I never really paid too much attention to the lyrics of this song. I mostly play it when I’m in a car, it’s 2 AM, and I’m with a friend and we are just cruising around the city. It’s a nice song to get lost to.

‘Ha ha ha ha ha, everything is spinning now. Ha ha ha ha ha, have you seen the ground?’

5. The Worst – This song really irritated me the first time I listened to it. I was so into the verses, talking about how this guy is the worst and about all the bad things he did and how awful he made her feel then the chorus comes in and boom! She wants him and loves him. Typical. Pointing out all the negative traits that a guy has then saying how you still want him despite it all. I honestly do not understand this mentality some girls have, including myself. We are very self-abusive. I would have preferred it if she wrote a more powerful chorus – however true it is. Nonetheless, I enjoy singing along to this song, I know the whole thing by heart.

‘Please don’t take this personal, but you ain’t shit, and you weren’t special til I made you so’

6. 3:16 AM – This is the only song on the album I don’t really like. It makes me really emo and sad. I would like to skip this one. But if emo and sad is your kind of thing – enjoy.

‘I do not feel the fear of falling, thought I could fly’

7. Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle) – And last but definitely not least, my absolute favourite. This is my #2 most played song on my iTunes. I would blast this song in my room everyday, in my friends’ cars, other people’s homes, literally everywhere. I played it so much my mother would sing along to it with me. (English is her third language, so this says a lot). Sometimes I would get into my friends cars and they would play it without me saying anything. I can’t directly relate to this song – never cheated on and dumped guy A with and for guy B – just to realise guy B doesn’t love me. But generally, if you take a sentence or a verse even and isolate it from Jhené’s story, you can find a way to relate to it. Most of us have had that one person that gave us less than we gave them. Fallen in love with the idea of someone rather than the person themselves.

‘And I should’ve never took you on a boat for your birthday, and I should’ve never fucked you on a boat on your birthday’

So that’s that.

For more Jhené watch out for her debut album Souled Out which is coming August 25th – I’M SO FREAKIN’ EXCITED. She’s already dropped a couple of tracks from it which are well worth a listen if you liked the music in this post. The Pressure is so smooooth and I laaaav it.

Hope you like Jhené as much as I do.

Christine Simonian

Christine Simonian currently studies Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. She likes to wear booty shorts and is a serial-selfier much to the dismay of her friends and family. She also has a thing for Cristiano Ronaldo – don’t hate, appreciate.

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