Jhene Aiko Doesn't Provoke Enough Reaction, For Better or Worst

"The Worst", the opening track from the forthcoming "Souled Out" release, represents Jhene Aiko's tongue lashing to a guy who, to say he's done her wrong, is like saying Spandex is a bit tight around the buttocks region. Scanning the lyrics calling her effort the worst R & B scorned woman jam is harsh as well as far from accurate. You see, whenever I eat something, whether in an eatery or at home, what I'm eating usually gets a rise out of me one way or another. I'm the fish caught on their hook or I'm swimming away to bluer waters. "The Worst" at most manages a shoulder shrug. Try as the background urban conflicted vibe might, it falls short of portraying the steady erosion of a woman's heart and sense of independence. Is Jhene trying to convince public enemy #1 that she's done running from the likes of him, or is she trying to convince himself she's got the stones to seek out and lasso a better way of life? As is no doubt true for so many women in abusive relationships they turn away only to be drawn back to the man. Lack of confidence is one culprit, our society's insistence than after you've eclipsed a certain age you cease being desirable is another. Jhene Aiko, for those including myself who wouldn't be able to pick her out of a lineup most of the time, is a 25 year-old budding (possibly...we shall see) starlet from that breeding ground, like it or not, of most things entertainment culture, Los Angeles, California. The accompanying video displays LA nightlife in all its implied grit. I ask the following question from the perspective of somebody who confessedly does come across as naive in affairs of love. What exactly is meant by "If you cannot stay down"? There you have it, people. This blog space proves its not beneath its dignity to go after a possible one question Q & A format. To be down with something, to my memory means you're digging the scene, you're into whatever or whoever's being talked about. But might staying down mean down as sexual positions down, as in "I want to be on top." A little mystery isn't necessarily a bad thing. In Ms. Aiko's case it's advisable. Other more high wattage divas like Rihanna or Beyonce have put that fiery freak of nature I am woman act on display. Same vocal range placing them above the fray they're denouncing. Same ember burning just enough to let the played out playas know they haven't exactly blown away in the wind as yet. My point and yes, there is one, is Jhene isn't telling us a story any more profound than "Another rough night on the streets of Compton". Many states in the US have their rough ends of town that you venture into after dark at your own risk. Jhene's neighborhood suspiciously places us in the company of a crowd we swear we've talked to repeatedly yet, as Jhene sings about in "The Worst", we can't bring ourselves to pull away either. Blame the contemporary music climate for that one. Different packaging, same result. I'm not cold-hearted. Women aren't to be used as punching bags, derogatory images, or anything setting the human race back about 500 years give or a take a decade, but I flat out don't work my heart into a lather over a female lead character who's busy trying to convince herself to skedaddle before her heart is totally ripped to ribbons. He shows up where he's not wanted. She's supposedly non-plussed. She clings to this douche anyway. Another culture curiosity. "If you was really the realest?" Realest? Wouldn't most def have been linguistically correct hood wise? Lots of babble leading us to not much concrete watch my butt get smaller 'cause I'm so outta here action. I never asked for your life story. Why do I feel like you're giving it to me? Besides which it's not even the portion of your life story that compels me to stick around. Sure, watching someone's hours long home movies of a place you'd never dream of wanting to visit could be less appetizing, but not by much. "Worst" is a categorization that doesn't leave anything to the imagination. "The Worst" isn't the worst R & B single ever, but to its detriment it lands squarely in the forgotten crawl space known as vanilla bland.