Aaliyah

An Rnb Masterpiece.

Review Score:

(10/10)
Aaliyah emerged in 1994 with a generic debut album but a funky, unique style. She had the ruff edge and baggy pants of contemporary artists like TLC, but was without their fearlessness. Aaliyah was a cloud of mystery, singing confidently and sexually at 14 on the single "back and forth" but hiding her beautiful face behind glasses and hair. Aaliyah refused to discuss the details of her personal life, which caused a sense of intrigue that left people begging for more throughout her career. Aaliyah's voice fit perfectly with her persona. It was light and airy. Aaliyah could never belt like Mariah or Whitney. However, Aaliyah knew how to control her voice in the most effective way possible and she could use her soft tone to ride and take over loud, mechanical beats or leave it soft and sexy. On her second CD Aaliyah separated herself from producer and temporary husband R Kelly and turned to Missy Elliot and Timberland to produce the bulk of her album. They made a great alliance. Timberland created crazy, over the top beats that Aaliyah could tame and make her own. One in a million was mostly full of the slow, midtempo songs that were still the main sound of r&b at that point. Aaliyah's soft, airy tone fit perfectly with the sound. The album established Aaliyah as an artist on the horizon of greatness. And on this album, Aaliyah, released just six months before her tragic death in a plane crash, Aaliyah reached that greatness, one again stretching the sound of r&b and setting the course for the future of the music. On this album, Aaliyah leaps from aspiring adult to woman and does so without sounding awkward or out of place once. The CD is mostly timbaland- style fast songs, although few of the songs are actually produced by timbaland. Every song on here has something worth listening too, but the best songs are the ones on which Aaliyah uses her voice to tell a story. The album opens with We need a resolution, which features timbaland. The beat is a slithering; driving masterpiece, with loud electronic beats backed by loud drums. Aaliyah expresses the lyrics perfectly, staying calm while she relays the dramas of a relationship. She sounds both in control and mad when she groans "what's your problem let's resolve". She oozes sex as she sings lightly "baby let me know, you'll let me know". Rock the boat is one of the sexiest r&b songs recorded in the last couple years. Aaliyah voice is soft here, but its rich in its quietness. Aaliyah never loses the sensuality she starts with on the song, and she her calmness allows to say things that other artists couldn't get away with. Aaliyah sounds neither crude nor shallow when she requests her partner to "work it in the middle". On never no more, over a midtempo, chiming beat Aaliyah chirps about an abusive relationship. She never belts or screams on the song, but she manipulates her voice to express hurt and anger without having to hit many different notes. She squeals sadly "I thought I lost you, when you twist back my arm". While she never did discuss her personal life and said her songs were not about herself, Aaliyah is not afraid or timid in the subjects she presents on this album. The best song in my opinion on this album is I care 4 u. The song is sexy, inspirational and melancholy all at the same time and its about a man with a cheating lady, something that's been more than overdone in the r&b world. However, with her airy, soft voice Aaliyah turns this song into an emotional roller coaster. Backed by snapping and blaring notes on a piano, she sings a simple phrase "can I talk to you, comfort you, let you know, I care for you" but with her voice makes the plea desperate and sensual. The second verse of this song alone cements Aaliyah as one of the best in r&b. She moans "hey sexy baby" with a truly unique sensuality and, although she still doesn't have the vocal strength of Whitney, she belts out strongly "she must be insane". By the time she goes into the soulful hook, "hold on, stay strong, press on" we realize this is the peak of Aaliyah's work so far, and it's only the sixth song. After this, there's extra smooth, where Aaliyah complains calmly about an overconfident male over a blaring, bumping beat. On read between the lines she groans about her no good man over an equally snappy, unique beat. On u got the nerve; the beat sounds like that of a Japanese video game but it doesn't matter. Aaliyah does the kiss off of u got the nerve well, ordering deeply "get your skeletons out of closets". I refuse is another about an abusive relationship. It starts of slow backed by soft piano and the sound of air, but by the end its become a full blow storm, with Aaliyah singing over a clattering, loud driving beat and the sound of thunder. Aaliyah's vocal performance and the background music are both top notch. The songs on the end are mostly slower, but Aaliyah's vocals still makes them more than worth while. And on what if, she goes full out rock, backed by blaring guitars and what sounds like a frog croaking, Aaliyah hardly gets lost. She makes the song. Her voice is low, strong and never gets lost in the elaborate and loud background music. She truly sounds like a rock star, and since this album what r&b/ pop star has been able to make a true hard rock song? Arvil? Pink? Hardly as hard as Aaliyah on what if. On her last album, on in a million, she proved she was an important force in the r&b world. On this album, she became an innovator. On Aaliyah, he evolved and perfected her unique vocal style and was able to use a variety of producers without ever sounding like anyone other than herself. She stretched the boundaries of not only r&b music, but also pop music on this LP.

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