Aaliyah

AALIYAH

ALBUMS

Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number(1994)                  *** (3)

Highlights: At Your Best (You Are Love), Back & Forth, Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number, Old School, I’m Down

One in a Million (1996)                                            ***.5 (3.5 stars)

Highlights: If Your Girl Only Knew, A Girl Like You, Choosey Lover, One in a Million, 4 Page Letter

Aaliyah (2001)                                                          **** (4 stars)

H: We Need a Resolution, Rock The Boat, More Than a Woman, I Care For You, I Refuse

I Care 4 U (2002)                                                     *** (3 stars)

Ultimate Aaliyah (2005)                                         **** (4 stars)

Aaliyah arrived on the scene in 1994 scoring two top ten pop hits in “Back & Forth” and “At Your Best (You Are Love)” and the accompanying album Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone. Signed to a record deal at the age of 12 and recording her debut album at all of 14, Age predictably relies greatly on R. Kelly’s songwriting and production to carry much of the recording. Aaliyah’s vocals are never less than silky and smooth and the standout track “At Your Best” shows clearly her debt to Michael Jackson’s ballad stylings. A promising debut that barely hints at just how good she’ll be, Age is bogged down by a bit too much filler, though it’s never exactly dull. Never one to deny her influences, “Old School” showed her appreciation for those who paved the way.

For One In A Million, Aaliyah turned to producers Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri and Missy Elliott. Surprisingly, the album wasn’t quite as commercially successful as its predecessor (though it did sell over 2 million copies) but the best tracks are more than equal to her debut’s best songs. Lead single “If Your Girl Only Knew” was one of the first examples of Timbaland’s production technique of wedding hip hop beats to a classic R&B sound. “One in a Million” sounded even more unusual as Timbaland here took a nod from the drum-n-bass movement sweeping Europe. As is often the case, the US wasn’t quite ready for these sounds as both singles did respectably but failed to match the highs that Age singles scaled. The big pop hit was the power ballad “The One I Gave My Heart To” unlikely only in that Aaliyah should record a Diane Warren song. It’s the one direct comparison to Age (ballad against ballad “At Your Best”) where this album doesn’t top the debut. Meanwhile, “Choosey Lover” is a surprise; its smoky groove recalling haze filled lounges of a decadent Europe complete with guitar solo and a mid-song funk-out (hence the old school/new school subtitle). If there’s a knock against the album, at 73 minutes it feels a tad long with a bit too much filler near the end.

TRY AGAIN (the music video)

A full 5 years would pass before Aaliyah’s next full length album. In that interim, she’d star in a hit movie (Romeo Must Die) and contribute to the soundtrack including “Try Again.” Possibly her overall greatest song, this impossibly catchy ditty would climb all the way to the number 1 spot on the Hot 100 in 2000. Her self-titled 2001 release continued that maturity with her strongest set of songs to date. “We Need a Resolution” opens the album and Aaliyah has never sounded so confident. Things rarely slow down from here from the sensuality of “Rock The Boat” to the exuberance of “More Than a Woman” to the funked-up “Never No More”.  Aaliyah revels in contemporary sounds as even when she slows things down for “I Care For You”, the sound is undeniably modern. And unlike her first two albums, there’s no real filler here. Sadly, this incredible album had been out just over a month when Aaliyah died in a plane crash after filming the video for “Rock the Boat.”  Her early death seems especially tragic, considering she’d just released her greatest album. Where might she have gone next?

Naturally, when any artist dies, record labels see dollar signs in continuing to release posthumous recordings. Universal/Blackground have actually shown amazing restraint in this regard.  I Care 4 U came out in late 2002 and was a curious release. One can’t fault the music within, but it’s a bizarre hybrid – half greatest hits and half new recordings. Who among Aaliyah’s fans didn’t already have these hit songs? And the casual fans who wanted a hits collection probably wanted more hits and less new recordings?  Perhaps an actual hits collection and an EP of the new songs would’ve made more sense. Whatever. The new songs are actually songs that didn’t make the cut for previous releases, so it’s not as if we’re getting a sneak peak at a work in progress that was interrupted. Still, “Erica Kane” and “Miss You” are both worthy additions to the legacy.

ROCK THE BOAT (the music video)

There’s no doubt that Aaliyah has enough great songs for a 5 star single disc compilation but Universal chose to gift fans with a massive two disc set (in some territories, this came with a bonus DVD) called Ultimate Aaliyah. Rescuing a few stray tracks and containing highlights from all her albums, this set will either delight or frustrate long-time fans (who may bemoan having to spend so much $$ to get the few songs they don’t already own). Again, an artist this vital deserves a single disc career compilation so that casual fans can take the prize home, but this is a complaint lodged at Universal not the artist. Disc 1 does serve as a hits collection but why is it imprisoned in this set and not available on its own? Oh well, in today’s digital landscape, fans can get the hit songs they want online if they’d rather pick and choose.

Aaliyah's natural talent led to her knowing when and where to place her vocals. She never over-sang, as so many of her contemporaries did. Of course, her producers and songwriters deserve much credit, but her work undeniably bears her own personal stamp and it remains a cornerstone for the modern urban and RnB landscape.