Jhené Aiko has collected her eighth award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) this year.
Her 2013 breakup anthem, “Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle),” is now certified platinum, achieving one million equivalent sales units. It marks Aiko’s 16th platinum-selling single of her career.
Aiko’s most recent platinum (or higher) certifications include “While We’re Young” (3x platinum) and the Big Sean-assisted “None of Your Concern” (2x platinum), which were awarded in March.
“Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle)” is lifted from Aiko’s 2013 debut EP, Sail Out. The No I.D-produced gem has over 43 million streams on Spotify, while the official video has amassed 59 million views on YouTube.
“It was something that I just wanted to do for a long time,” Aiko told HipHollywood in a 2013 interview. “Tired of these guys that just think they could get away with stuff. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna say their name.’ I didn’t even say all the names that I could’ve said, but it was just something that I wanted to get off my chest.”
Aiko continued, “When I recorded that, I was like, ‘You know, let’s just put this out since people are waiting for something.’ I just felt like I needed to say something at the point in my life that I’m in right now. It was just something that I wanted to put out.”
Sail Out debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums and No. 8 on the Billboard 200 charts. In 2022, Aiko received RIAA awards for the following songs from Sail Out: “Stay Ready” featuring Kendrick Lamar (platinum) and “The Worst” (4x platinum).
The latter track, produced by Fisticuffs, spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. It peaked at No. 4 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.
“The Worst” landed Aiko a nomination for Best R&B Song at the 57th Grammy Awards. Sail Out was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the same ceremony.
Earlier this year, Aiko dropped two tracks: “Calm & Patient” in March and “Alive & Well (Gratitude Mantra)” in May.
Revisit Jhené Aiko’s “Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle)” below.
