Remembering Aaliyah On Her 39th Birthday!

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Aaliyah was a singer/songwriter born on January 16th, 1979. The late singer met success when she released her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number back in 1994. The album, created beside mentor/boyfriend R. Kelly, made the 15 year old an international success. The project was praised for it’s combination of silky-smooth vocals and hart-hitting production, setting the tone of 90s R&B. The album’s lyrical content explored themes such as love while maturing as a woman making a connection with girls internationally. In 1996 the singer followed up with the critically acclaimed album One In A Million. The Timberland and Missy Elliot assisted album spawned hits like “One In A Million,” “4 Page Letter,” and “The One I Gave My Heart To”. By the time Aaliyah’s self-titled album was released in 2001, the singer was a household name crossing into Hollywood movies and international fashion. The album spawned some of Aaliyah’s best songs including “We Need A Resolution,” “More Than A Woman,” “Try Again” and the notorious single “Rock The Boat”. On August 25, 2001, we lost a legend. Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane accident coming from the Bahamas after shooting the visuals to “Rock The Boat”.

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The shocking news rocked the world, sending fans and music lovers into mourning. Upon her passing Aaliyah had a huge impact on the culture. The singer was a role model for women and a sex symbol to men all while having a heart of gold. Musically, Aaliyah was ahead of her time, setting the tone for female R&B singers in the 90s and throughout the early 2000s. Her style, performance and videos defined what it was to be a super star. Although Aaliyah isn’t with us today, her influence and sounds are all around us. The singer’s notable for opening doors for some of today’s biggest stars including the likes of Ciara and Beyonce. Today Aaliyah would have been 39! Check out some of Aaliyah biggest hits below!

Aaliyah – “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”

Aaliyah – “One In A Million”

Aaliyah – “Are You That Somebody?”

Aaliyah – “Rock the Boat”