Words by Bailey Agbai
After a long wait, Aaliyah is finally arriving on streaming services, and bringing a treasure trove of R&B goodness with her.
At a busy intersection in Shoreditch, sits a billboard high above the road. Across a photo of the ‘Try Again’ singer, is a clear and decisive message: “Aaliyah is coming”. The advertisement is almost surreal; Almost 20 years after her death, Aaliyah is finally being reintroduced and marketed to the world and a generation who have too long been deprived of her full music catalogue. August 20th saw the streaming debut of her second studio album, One in a Million, and, with plans to release her subsequent releases over the next few weeks, it seems Aaliyah is finally getting the renaissance that she deserves.
When Aaliyah passed 20 years ago, the world was a very different place. It wasn’t without its struggles, but society could enjoy a level of ignorance that would seem impossible in today’s social media dystopia. In Aaliyah’s world, she was the darling of R&B: from her meteoric rise under the then-respected and now-disgraced R. Kelly to her final studio album, she consistently remained a force to be reckoned within the music industry. Finally being able to listen to her catalogue with ease is probably the nostalgic relief that we all need right now.
Naturally, after her death, music moved on. R&B seemed to refocus its attention towards then-rising talents like Beyoncé, and brand-new stars like Rihanna. Still, in the R&B and pop music zeitgeist, Aaliyah’s name never lost relevance. Her legacy has always been strong, but the streaming era has prevented it from reaching its full potential; Until recently, only her first album has ever been made available on streaming services and so the remainder of her discography has become somewhat of a myth: the holy grail of R&B.
The key to understanding any artist is often found within their influences. Drake, one of today’s most successful artists, has cited Aaliyah as the biggest influence on his music, yet his legion of fans has been unable to conveniently explore and examine her discography like they do with the Canadian rapper’s. Aaliyah’s impact on R&B and hip-hop is immeasurable and her music is irreplaceable. To truly understand how these genres evolved into what they are today, one must consider both Aaliyah and her contemporaries as pioneers.
There is a degree of exoneration that also accompanies Aaliyah’s arrival on streaming services. Up until last Thursday, her only available album on Spotify and Apple Music was her 1994 debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. It’s a strong first release for any artist but has since been spoilt by its history: produced and written in its entirety by R. Kelly, who at 27 was accused of marrying a 15-year-old Aaliyah in an illegal ceremony. The album’s lyricism seems to revolve around the prospect of an inappropriate relationship, and so inaccurately reflects Aaliyah’s own independent artistry. After parting ways with Kelly, Aaliyah forged her own path as an artist and crafted two more albums that arguably outshone her first in every sense. Considering the controversy, her subsequent albums have always deserved more attention than her first.
With One in a Million now on streaming services, the first steps have been made to lift the veil that has kept Aaliyah from a generation for too long and finally reveal the greatly missed and unforgettable Aaliyah: a pop culture icon and R&B trailblazer.