Monday, September 13, 2010

Essay: Aaliyah - One in a million


It's roughly nine years since R&B songstress Aaliyah died in a plane crash on the way back from a video for the track 'Rock the boat', and while I would like to express my own feelings on the event, I was also intrigued to see that the music industry seems to still hold her pretty close to it's heart.

Many artists hit up Twitter, Blogs and other social networks to all profess their undying love for Aaliyah's music and for the person that she was.  So why is she still held in such esteem?

Aaliyah peaked at about the same time that R&B took off as a musical force.  It sort of helped that production guru Timbaland was behind a lot of her classic hits, but it went both ways.  Not everybody can excel on a Timbaland track (check his last two compilations albums for proof), but Aaliyah's breathy delivery was seemingly tailor-made to ricochet off Timbo's staccato beats.

Her only number one single was 'try Again' which was part of the soundtrack to the film 'Romeo must die', a film in which Aaliyah also starred.  Both her film and music careers were in an upward swing and the void left by her death was always going to hard to fill.  A truly angelic singer and even better person.  R.I.P.
 
Here are some of the Celebrity tweets... 
- 'We'll always love you Aaliyah,' Nicki Minaj
- "Aaliyah was an inspiration, always kept me & my friends in [Kansas City] out of trouble. Too busy in the mirror doing her 'swoop' bang & dance moves.:)" Janelle Monae
- "R.I.P. Aaliyah" T.I.
- "Today is the day that the R&B Angel Aaliyah passed on. RT if you loved her the way I did!!WE MISS YOU BABYGIRL!!!!"  Ne-Yo
- "We'll always love you Aaliyah," Diddy 
- "RIP Aaliyah, U can NEVER be replaced!!"  Ciara

Here's some of her classics

Aaliyah - Try Again
Uploaded by shermanshecapio. - Explore more music videos.



Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody
Uploaded by bobbypulanu. - Watch more music videos, in HD!



Aaliyah - Miss You
Uploaded by gigamusic. - Watch more music videos, in HD!


 

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