Never before had Aaliyah sounded so vulnerable, so mature. While the album was steeped in the R&B and hip-hop aesthetics and attitude, Aaliyah was still able to stretch out her emotive palette on Diane Warren’s “The One I Gave My Heart To.” The slick, funky bridge and elastic beat would end up being an appetizer for all that he would do soon after. The low-key dance track “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is one the earliest song placements for songwriter/producer Rodney Jerkins. As an encore of her cover of The Isley Brothers’ “(At Your Best) You Are Love,” she turned up the sexy with their 1983 hit “Choosey Lover.” She showcased her fun-loving side with a hip-hop reboot of Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up,” featuring some old-school rap flavor from Slick Rick. Sandwiched between Timbaland and Missy’s cutting-edge material were songs that fit Aaliyah like a glove. It was that same darkness that was inexplicably used to successfully affect the carnal heat of “Hot Like Fire,” and the yearnful of “4 Page Letter.” Only this time, the murky melodies and backward guitar licks played up to Aaliyah’s plea to a man her loved ones cautioned her about, with the high octave background harmonies increasing the sense of innocent mischief, curiosity and desire. She unleashed a lilting falsetto as part of her arsenal which further added to the darkness of the song. Musically, the gurgling, dynamic bass line fused with the ominous organs and stalking rhythm guitar provided a brooding canvas for Aaliyah to deliver Elliott’s tale of an unfaithful man. Later she would droop her hair over one eye, relying on mystique and mystery to draw fans nearer. She was now donning leather crop tops and wearing more makeup while keeping her signature sunglasses.

Transitioning out of the baggy, sagging jeans and bandanas of her debut album, Aaliyah was forging a new image - a more clever blending of hip-hop edge and femininity. The way Timbaland uses phone tones and static as instrumental elements over his scattershot drums signaled a new dawn in R&B and pop production.įans got their first glimpse of the new Aaliyah with the lead single, “If Your Girl Only Knew,” a Missy/Timbaland production that went #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts, ultimately selling over 600,000 singles. The influence of Timbaland’s drum programming and quirky, futuristic arrangements can hardly be traced back to another era or genre.įrom the intro, “Beats 4 Da Streets,” where Missy calls out Aaliyah’s name telling her to wake up, you realize it’s the sign that she’s ready to break away from the confines of trending R&B to a new paradigm. It is safe to say that the two are among the last true originals is Black music. A post shared by Aaliyah Haughton approach to producing and songwriting was unlike anything before it.

Aaliyah 1 in a million