Jhené Aiko has earned her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Westside Whimsy, marking the first chart-topping album of her career. The album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 26, 2026, after generating 74,000 equivalent album units in the United States during the tracking week ending Sept. 17, according to Luminate.

The achievement comes nearly 13 years after Aiko first entered the Billboard 200 with Sail Out, which debuted and peaked at No. 8 in November 2013. Westside Whimsy becomes her sixth top 10 album on the chart, while her previous studio album, 2020’s Chilombo, reached No. 2 and later received a Grammy nomination for album of the year.

Released Sept. 11 through ALLEL/Artclub/Def Jam Recordings, Westside Whimsy is Aiko’s first full-length studio album in six years. The 20-track project includes collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Larry June, Ab-Soul, Tyga and OHMA, with songs including “So Good,” “Neighbors,” “Love Bomb” and “Golden Coast.”

Streaming accounted for most of the album’s opening-week activity. Of the 74,000 equivalent album units, 70,000 came from streaming equivalent albums, representing 71.33 million official on-demand streams. Another 3,500 units came from album sales, while track equivalent albums contributed 500 units. The album was initially available digitally, with physical editions scheduled for January.

The No. 1 debut also places Westside Whimsy among the R&B albums leading the Billboard 200 in 2026. Billboard reported that it is the first album by a woman in the R&B category to top the chart this year and the first R&B album to reach No. 1 since SZA’s SOS completed its final week at the top in May 2025.

Before the official chart result, Aiko released the music video for “Nothing Nice to Say” during the album’s first week. The visual marked the first music video released from Westside Whimsy as the project moved toward its Billboard 200 debut.

Aiko’s new album is described by its label as a project connected to her Los Angeles roots, with collaborators including several artists from the city’s music community. The album explores themes of love, vulnerability, healing and personal reflection across its 20 tracks.

The full Billboard 200 chart for the Sept. 26 issue is scheduled to be published Sept. 23, with Westside Whimsy confirmed as the week’s No. 1 album based on the chart data released by Billboard and Luminate.