What Does B.S. By H.E.R. And Jhené Aiko Mean?

The song "B.S." was released by Jhené Aiko and H.E.R. in 2020 and is still going strong on the charts. Quite a few people have wondered what the song is really about, but luckily the title gives us a pretty clear idea. Aiko is simply saying she's back on her B.S. — or in other words, she's back to doing exactly what she wants to do without caring what other people think about it. 

Aiko has been widely praised for doing exactly what the song talks about: living how she wants and making art of the experience. Lyrics like "It seem like I give so much and don't get nothin' back/I really thought it was love but you're so f***in' whack/Always get caught up in love, but I am done with that/I can't get caught up in lust, so now I'm-, yeah" (via Billboard) make it clear that with the release of "B.S.," Aiko is sending a strong message that she's on her own team now.

The song "B.S." by Jhené Aiko, featuring H.E.R. was immediately loved by fans, and is a big hit from Aiko's album "Chilombo," which was recently awarded Album of the Year at the Grammys. The singer explained to Refinery29 that while a song can be loved when it's released, by the time her fans get new music, she's already exited the life stage that inspired it. "By the time the audience hears new music, I've gone through those experiences already. So, I'm moved on from a lot of the songs that are on an album. It definitely represents a time in my life."

Recording is always a powerful time for Aiko, and as she explained to ESSENCE, that's largely because of the transformative experience she undertakes each time. "I make music for healing purposes, for myself. It's like journaling or when people paint. It's sort of an escape. It's turning pain or frustration into something; into art. Sharing it is also therapeutic because when people express to you that they are relating to it, you're like, 'Oh, I'm not alone in what I'm going through.'"