Aaliyah Try Again Video She Lovin It Video

May 15, 2022 Post a Comment

It seems most impossible to imagine today, 20 years afterwards that fatal plane crash in the Bahama islands, that Aaliyah Dana Haughton was just 22 years old when she died. The championship of her Age Own't Nothing But a Number debut album may be tainted today past what nosotros would learn about R. Kelly, the homo who wrote and produced information technology, simply it still feels uncannily appropriate for Aaliyah's career. Already a star at age 15, her creative maturation came rapidly; past 17 she was forecasting R&B's futurity aslope kindred spirits Missy Elliott and Timbaland, by 21 she was topping the Billboard Hot 100 and threatening a Hollywood takeover. By 22, with her brilliant cocky-titled album, she had fully come into her ain as an adult artist — and she was still simply getting started.

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With Aaliyah's classic 1996 sophomore LP1 in a Million now bachelor on streaming and at digital retailers — and the residuum of her long-absent catalog shortly to follow — younger generations will finally able to experience the greatness of Aaliyah's too-brief itemize for themselves. Just while her music has long been absent, her impact has never been less than unavoidable: At no point in the terminal xx years could you foray deep into the worlds of hip-hop, R&B, pop or even electronic without running across an Aaliyah comprehend, an Aaliyah sample, an Aaliyah reference — or just an Aaliyah acolyte spouting the gospel through their words and/or their music. Her presence remains mighty and ineffable, and her music seemingly more than influential and more highly regarded with each passing year.

Even with merely three official albums across her seven-year recording career, Aaliyah's catalog is tough to skin down to essentials. But nosotros tried our best, with ourBillboard staff list of the 20 best songs from the artist forever known as Babe Girl, counted downwards below. Listen to a few of 'em today, and marvel at an artist talented and fully realized enough to change the form of an entire genre earlier she was old enough to buy cigarettes.

xx. "Come up Back in Ane Slice" (feat. DMX) (Romeo Must Die OST, 2000)

Aaliyah's obvious on- and off-screen chemistry withRomeo Must Die co-star DMX unfortunately led to just 1 collaboration during her lifetime, with this knocker from that movie'southward soundtrack. Over a squelching Irv Gotti and Lil Rob beat, Aaliyah generously but firmly grants her homo permission to do what he's gotta do — provided he manages to keep his person intact — while Ten growls nigh a dog'southward needs. Honestly, it'due south sort of unfathomable that neither of them are with us anymore. —ANDREW UNTERBERGER

19. "Back & Forth" (Age Ain't Nothing Only a Number, 1994)

Aaliyah might non have been able to drive when her debut single "Back & Along" was released in 1994, but that didn't stop the then-fifteen-year-quondam from creating the perfect weekend cruising vocal, and her first tiptop 10 Hot 100 hit. Of form, her outset-anthology era is now looked at through the lens of decades of sexual-abuse allegations against R. Kelly — whom she illegally married that aforementioned year and who wrote and produced the entirety ofAge Ain't Zero But a Number — simplyAaliyah'south impossibly cool vocal delivery is what makes this song endure 27 years after. — KATIE ATKINSON

eighteen. "Got to Requite It Up" (feat. Slick Rick) (I in a Million, 1996)

A embrace of Marvin Gaye'southward disco-era ass-shaker with a bouncy guest verse from underrated hip-hop game-changer Slick Rick didn't seem like anAaliyah homerun when One in a 1000000 dropped. But the belatedly icon demonstrated her power to serve equally a dancefloor siren on this one, which puts "Blurred Lines" to shame (not that you didn't already know that). —JOE LYNCH

17. "Miss Y'all" (I Intendance four U, 2002)

This turn-of-the-century leftover, penned by Ginuwine, Johntá Austin and Teddy Bishop, became an adventitious (and somewhat surreal) tribute from Aaliyah to herself upon its posthumous 2002 release. The verses paint information technology as a clear breakup song, near being left by her college-jump high-schoolhouse lover — simply with a more ambiguous chorus total of heart-tugging lyrics ("Information technology'southward been too long and I'm lost without you lot/ What am I gonna practise?") and a bird-twittering background claw that sounds like the singer'south soul flying gratis, it's a tearjerker anyway. That's doubly true for the video, filled with friends lip syncing Aaliyah's vocals, and led by a spoken-word DMX message that'southward direct-upward impossible to picket without breaking down. —A.U.

16. "I Intendance 4 U" (Aaliyah, 2001)

ThisAaliyah single wasn't exactly what the progressive vocalist was known for — and in fact it was initially a leftover from her previous album, Ane in a 1000000. ButAaliyah demonstrates the ease with which she can slip into a neo-soul ballad – with but enough product eccentricities to plant that Timb is indeed backside the boards. —J.L.

fifteen. "Last Warning" (Ginuwine feat. Aaliyah) (100% Ginuwine, 1999)

Missy and Timbaland were Aaliyah'southward most famous star collaborators and musical soulmates, only turn-of-the-century R&B hitmaker Ginuwine was too a longtime creative partner of Baby Girl's — co-starring in the "Ane in a Million" video, co-writing her "Miss You lot," and featuring her on his100% Ginuwinehighlight "Final Warning." Over a mischievous Timbo beat, Aaliyah and Ginuwine tango over who's been calling the latter at unreasonable hours, both slyly quoting their old hits in the process ("Tell me, are you that somebody?" "I'm always gonna be the Same Ol' G.") Destiny's Child were undoubtedly taking notes. —A.U.

xiv. "Nosotros Need a Resolution" (Aaliyah, 2001)

"We Demand a Resolution" probably wasn't the greatest option of atomic number 82 unmarried fromAaliyah, with a chorus and title ("Am I supposed to modify, are you supposed to change? / Who should exist hurt, who should be blamed?") a little too challenging for the era of Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez duets. The vocal stiffed on the charts, but remains one of the ready's most rewarding numbers, with Aaliyah's pained-but-steadfast vocals guiding Timbaland'due south slithering beat — and the producer himself bookending the vocal, closing with "I think I'm gon' get me a drink/ I'll telephone call you tomorrow" and simply letting the groove seethe for its final half-infinitesimal. —A.U.

thirteen. "Hot Like Burn down" (Timbaland's Groove Mix)

"Hot Like Burn" may accept been overlooked off Ane in a Million, had it not been for Timb'south society-set up remix, which jacks up the bounce of the original rails, layers on a dose of funk and substantially sets the whole thing ablaze. The remix also puts a spotlight on Missy Elliott, one of Aaliyah's closest collaborators who co-wrote many of her songs (including this one). Simply what actually pulls the song together is its music video, where the whole crew — Missy, Aaliyah and Timb — pull upwardly in a firetruck, inciting a bumping block party full of both literal and metaphorical flames. —TATIANA CIRISANO

12. "Best Friends" (Missy Elliott feat. Aaliyah) (Supa Dupa Wing, 1997)

Before "Best Friend" by Doja True cat and Saweetie, there was "Best Friends" past Missy and Aaliyah. The pair harmonized declarations of sisterhood ("I'll nonetheless be there for you/ In your time of need/ Yous tin can lean on me") over a funky Timbaland beat. The arrangement was minimal, leaving plenty of open up space for rapper J. Cole to pen his own rendition, "All-time Friend," for his highly regarded mixtape, Fri Night Lights. The Cole rails, which used the unabridged original song, came 13 years after its release on Missy's Supa Dupa Fly, speaking to the real-life all-time friends' longevity, and continued relevance across generations of hip-hop and R&B. —NEENA ROUHANI

xi. "I Decline" (Aaliyah, 2001)

Similar Clint Eastwood, Aaliyah didn't raise her voice very often, considering she didn't have to — histrionics weren't her thing, and her vocals didn't have to rise above a whisper to exist show-stopping. But that's not to say she wasn't capable of going big, as best exemplified by her self-titled prepare's emotional climax "I Refuse." The line-drawing breakup ballad sees Aaliyah stating plain, over melodramatic piano: "I refuse to have one more than sleepless dark." No i would've confused her for Tamia or Deborah Cox, but her injure was just as palpable and burdensome all the same. —A.U.

10. "Come up Over" (I Care iv U, 2002)

Was information technology really a booty-call? Itwastwo in the morning, only she never quite spells it out. The subtlety of "Come Over" is unsurprising, considering and then much of Aaliyah's allure lies in her mystery. The innuendos and insinuations that never brand her pregnant too obvious, instead demand the utilize of our imagination. In truthful Aaliyah fashion, contrast is at the core of the rail, every bit gentle guitar intertwines with rapid, Timbaland-inspired percussion, Baby Girl's voice fluttering playfully throughout. Boasting songwriting and production credits from hit-makers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jazzy Pha and Johntá Austin, "Come up Over" will remain an after-hours anthem for years to come. —N.R.

9. "More Than a Adult female" (Aaliyah, 2001)

The tertiary and final unmarried from Aaliyah's self-titled 2001 album serves every bit a bittersweet memento of what could and should have become of her career. As the title says, she'due south "more than a woman" and she'due south also more than just a pop star, making it look deceptively simple the way her understated vocals cutting through a glitchy, complex Timbaland beat to accept center stage. While "Woman" peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100, it was her lone No. 1 in the U.Chiliad., where she became the beginning adult female to posthumously top the singles nautical chart. —M.A.

8. "4-Page Letter" (I in a 1000000, 1996)

A slowly grinding R&B come-on with a sense of relentless inevitability, "4-PageLetter" touches on the '60s soul trope ofletter of the alphabet-sending romance, with a distinctly modern sensibility. Adding in Aaliyah's effortlessly layered harmonies and Timb's mysterious, beguiling crush, the outcome is an arresting rail that is equal parts cautious and confident. —J. Lynch

seven. "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (Age Ain't Null But a Number, 1994)

Aaliyah's cover of the The Isley Brothers' 1976 striking "At Your All-time (You Are Love)" sees the and then-15-yr-onetime maintaining the song's original depth with a sense of maturity and grace that divers her emerging class of young R&B stars, similar Brandy and Monica, at the fourth dimension. For Aaliyah, her 1994 rendition of the song charms listeners and underscores her tomboy/Babe Daughter duality. With the latter on full brandish in her tender vocal, there is no wonder why the song has been sampled countless times by rappers and singers alike. —CYDNEY LEE

6. "If Your Girl Only Knew" (Ane in a Million, 1996)

Aaliyah scolds a guy for hitting on her and betraying his girlfriend in this slinky, slow burn of a single, which puts her delivery and song range on brandish. Singing in a guttural register and sounding more self-bodacious than e'er, Aaliyah's verses should make the grown man at the other terminate cower, but a flirtatious streak runs through her teasing when she sings lines similar "If your girl only knew/ That I would want to kick it with you." The wicked combination helped the track reach No. 11 on the Hot 100, becoming one of Aaliyah's highest-charting singles. —T.C.

5. "Loose Rap" (Aaliyah, 2001)

Few if any singers have ever been as constructive with casual dismissals as Aaliyah, and her self-titled'due south "Loose Rap" is perhaps her best finest. Armed with lyrics from longtime collaborator Static Major, and a jazzy, almost bossa nova-breezy beat from Eric Seals and Rupture, Aaliyah chucklingly chastises those who endeavour to pace to her with ill intent and poor conviction: "I know you can come better than that/ I'm ill and tired of the loose rap." The content was trademark, but the vibe was totally new — 1 more sign of just how much footing Aaliyah nevertheless had left to explore. —A.U.

4. "Try Over again" (Romeo Must DieOST, 2000)

"If at first you don't succeed, try,effort again" is a cliche dating back to the 1800s, but in that location'southward nothing trite about this ahead-of-its-time 2000 smash. Aaliyah reteamed with Timbaland for the Grammy-nominatedRomeo Must Die soundtrack single, and while he dipped dorsum into the song-sampling tricks of 1998's "Are You That Somebody?," this time effectually, the production skews more toward the fuzzy electronic sounds of the futurity than the thumping hip-hop beats of the past. Aaliyah's vox is as nimble as ever, slinkily sliding over the synth line and icing the techno-inspired beat with her R&B finesse. "Try Again" was the get-go vocal to always acme the Hot 100 from airplay points alone (following a 1998 nautical chart rule change), and its hall-of-mirrors-prepare VMA-winning music video — featuring scenes of Aaliyah contrary Jet Li in her debut moving-picture show role — was an MTV and BET staple and farther cemented her status as a mode trend-setter (the bedazzled bra with low-cutting leather pants) and a choreography queen. —K.A.

3. "Stone the Boat" (Aaliyah, 2001)

Where to begin — with the fact that "Rock the Boat" was nominated for a Grammy award and spent 25 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 14? Or with the unfathomable fact that it nearly wasn't released, since producer Eric Seats most deleted its early version out of disinterest (and later, label executives resisted making information technology a unmarried)? Or with the worst — that Aaliyah was returning from filming the song'south nautical music video when she boarded her terminal, fatal flight? For all these reasons and more, "Stone the Boat" will ever carry near-mythical significance. But even devoid of context, the vocal crystallizes the things nosotros loved, and keep to love, nearly Aaliyah: Her angelic vocals, her seductive delivery, her aureola of forcefulness and sexual liberation and (thanks to the video) her innate talent as a dancer, all layered over a sleek, infectious beat that seems to loop forever. —T.C.

two. "Are You That Somebody?" (Dr. Dolittle OST, 1998)

The goofy AF 1998 Eddie White potato remake of the 1967 box office flopDr. Dolittledid non deserve ane of the absolute greatest R&B jams of the '90s, and withal when an weariedAaliyah and Timbaland got into the studio after a concert, they delivered a listen-angle, trend-setting (Kanye the Budding Producer was obviously taking notes) classic with "Are Y'all ThatSomebody?" Her no-nonsense delivery, the popping syncopation, the playfully funky bassline and that brilliantly bizarre baby chirp pull together to create a vocal that not only defined the tardily '90s, but continues to chart a course for the future. —J.L.

1. "I in a Million" (Ane in a Million, 1996)

Upon its release, "Ane in a Million" was an unlikely striking. Lyrically, information technology'south a love song, the R&B princess declaring her innermost feelings and lifelong promises to a partner. Melodically, its cadences are similar to those of a rapper, formulated by then-newcomer, Missy Elliott. Production-wise, a burgeoning Timbaland sprinkled in sounds of crickets, aircrafts and birds. Radio stations had no inkling where to identify it. Atlantic Records pushed for a radio mix to make the track more than palatable. Merely Aaliyah and her team didn't budge. According to Missy, Babe Girl knew "1 in a Million" was a hit before anyone else.

Xx-v years later, her hunch remains truthful. Like the singer herself, "Ane in a Million" bridged often-juxtaposed worlds: The rails is a gentle ballad over a tough beat out, melding together rugged and smooth with ease. Across the song'southward 4:xxx runtime, the trio joined forces to pioneer an unprecedented R&B lane, defined by its versatility. Despite her understated approach, Aaliyah never felt the need to compete. Besides, even Timbaland'due south striking instrumental is no match for the vocaliser, who effortlessly dominates the beat through her inexplicably captivating swagger and tone. During the six weeks "One in a One thousand thousand" spent at No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, the rails'south audio remained untouched, setting it apart from the less imaginative ballads and rap songs surrounding it. But no shade to those other artists, Aaliyah was only alee of her time — and equally always, trulyone in a one thousand thousand. —N.R.

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Source: https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/best-aaliyah-songs-9619318/