Aaliyah

Aaliyah

Essential Albums

  • Aaliyah
    Aaliyah
    Aaliyah

    Released in 2001, Aaliyah’s self-titled third album marked her true arrival. Five years following the singer’s 1996 hit One in a Million, the Detroit-raised singer—warmly christened the “Princess of R&B”—locked in with songwriter Static Major and mega-producer Timbaland to flip the genre on its head, and cement her legacy. Work on the album had begun as far back as 1998, but thanks to her budding acting career—which included roles in the films Queen of the Damned and Romeo Must Die—the singer recorded in fits and stops. But Aaliyah arrived at the perfect time: The album was her most ambitious yet—a record that helped push forward R&B’s mainstream takeover through experimental instrumentation and pop infusions. It was also, sadly, the last album to be released during her lifetime, as the 22-year-old died in a plane crash just two months after Aaliyah’s debut. Aaliyah was soft-spoken, elusive, and sweet—much like one of her musical idols, the British singer Sade. But Aaliyah revealed another side of the young performer, one that was edgier, more self-assured. She’d started in the industry as a teen, but she was a woman now, and Aaliyah reflected her newfound growth. Static Major worked closely with her on every track, bringing the singer’s stories alive, and helping to refine her own writing skills, with the singles “Rock The Boat” and the futuristic “More Than a Woman” climbing the pop charts. The world lost Aaliyah far too soon, but her style, attitude, and visuals continue to influence mainstream pop, carried on by the likes of Ciara, Rihanna, Solange, and Frank Ocean, among others. Aaliyah may have left us—but she’s never disappeared.

  • One In A Million
    One In A Million
    One In A Million

    “Aaliyah, Aaliyah—wake up,” says a familiar voice in the opening seconds of the R&B singer’s 1996 sophomore studio album, One in a Million. It’s Missy Elliott, declaring that the 17-year-old singer has now arrived at the “next level.” Elliott and Timbaland had begun their relationship with Aaliyah following her transition to Atlantic Records. Diddy and Jermaine Dupri had both tried to work with the singer, but in the end, Aaliyah was most drawn to the unique sound of Elliott and Timbaland’s work, after the pair—still largely unknown at the time—came to Detroit and played a few songs for her. The three worked together to explore Aaliyah’s many evolving musical facets, a contrast from the tomboyish R&B sensibilities of her debut album, 1994’s Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, written with R. Kelly. With One in a Million, the trio of Aaliyah, Elliott, and Timbaland redefined contemporary R&B. The singer had outlined how she wanted the album to sound: “You guys know I have a street image, but there is a sexiness to it,” she told Elliott and Timberland, “and I want my songs to complement that.” The resulting album included such decade-defining tracks like “A Girl Like You,” as well as the futuristic-sounding "One in a Million” and "4 Page Letter.” Released at a time when the pop charts were powered by R&B divas like Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey, One in a Million allowed Aaliyah’s balance of strength and soft-spokenness to cut through, and endure as a blueprint for generations to come. “Everything they brought me was the bomb,” the singer once said of Elliott and Timberland’s groundbreaking tracks. Decades later, listeners still agree.

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About Aaliyah

By combining angelic vocals with a quiet confidence and hip-hop flavor, Aaliyah brought a new edge to R&B in the ‘90s. Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn in 1979, raised in Detroit, the artist was surrounded by music at an early age: Her mother, who was also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in voice lessons as a preschooler. Aaliyah competed on the TV talent show Star Search at age 10; though she lost, Aaliyah performed in Las Vegas a year later with the esteemed Gladys Knight, her aunt through marriage. By the time she reached her mid-teens, Aaliyah gained significant footing in the R&B world with her 1994 debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, which was highlighted by the energetic party-starter “Back & Forth” and “At Your Best (You Are Love),” an elegant Isley Brothers cover. Her 1996 follow-up, One in a Million, pushed R&B into the future via production duo Timbaland and Missy Elliott’s skittering beats and forward-thinking songwriting, earning Aaliyah the nickname of the Queen of Urban Pop. Aaliyah released her self-titled album in 2001, a mature, sensuous take on the contemporary sound she became well-known for; it was also the final project before she died that August in a plane crash. After her death, Aaliyah became a beloved and highly referenced figure in music, even decades later. In 2012, rap star Drake released a collaborative track, “Enough Said,” which prominently featured her signature ethereal harmonies. Two years later, trap&B singer Chris Brown used Aaliyah’s vocals on the mystical, modernized “Don’t Think They Know.” But even in the absence of any direct samples, you can still hear Aaliyah's voice and vision in the cinematic R&B of Beyoncé and avant-garde soul of FKA twigs.

HOMETOWN
Brooklyn, NY, United States
BORN
January 16, 1979
GENRE
R&B/Soul

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