Review: Aaliyah - Self-titled debut album
Before I get into the review, I need to be 100% honest about how much of my adoration and appreciation for this album came after years of spins and studying. I had moments where I really loved a select few songs and disregarded others, moments where I would skip the singles and only play the album songs, and moments where I deleted some songs from my library only to add them back later. It is important to share this because I think it conveys how much I love ALL of this album today AND that I don't believe I was the only Aaliyah fan to have this experience. This album was a COMPLETE departure from the Aaliyah on "One In a Million" and "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number". But even on the other side of this metamorphosis, the Aaliyah that we have all known and loved is still in there. With this project, Baby Girl maintains a profound connection to R&B by crafting a body of work that mirrors her essence and indomitable spirit. THIS. IS. the RNB Nerd review of Aaliyah’s self-titled debut album.
If you ask me, putting “We Need a Resolution” at the start of the project does so much to set the overall tone of the album. “We Need a Resolution” was the bridge for fans to enter this new world that Aaliyah and her collaborators quietly built while she was filming Queen of the Damned. Reading that she and her team spent all their nights working on this set of songs, so much of me hopes that they felt and believed in their hearts that this would make a significant impact. The release of “We Need a Resolution” made people rethink how to perceive and what to expect R&B to sound like. Leading the set in this way let the listener know that you were not going to get anything like you had before. “We Need a Resolution” is a bold declaration of who Aaliyah had become as an artist and a woman. In many of the promo interviews about the album and in its accompanying EPK, Aaliyah seemed determined to emphasize how much she had grown up since her previous work. I would argue that it most certainly comes across in all the music and it is crazy to think of how mature, secure, and solid she sounded at just 22 years old. I also find it hard for anyone to separate how apparent her maturity comes across in both the song and the accompanying visual. Everything was next level and Timbaland certainly made sure to keep that fire burning by lending his budding sound, that relied heavily on exotic samples, to a definitive Aaliyah record that we have all come to love.
Even when considering how "Loose Rap" was set to be the first single from this project, it still fulfills what I argue she was trying to achieve: Transition into the new millennium with something completely new and unexpected. Everything about this song, in comparison to the music of her peers at the time, is just on a whole other frequency. Just flat out unreal at the time! Plus, you got to love that Static Major feature too! Coming in as the second song of the set made it difficult to guess or think about what to anticipate you would hear next. This did well to keep the momentum of the LP moving.
“Rock the Boat” is beautiful as it is sensual. The only non-Timbaland produced single from the record, “Rock the Boat” was a gorgeous reminder that Aaliyah had not forgotten her roots. Delivering the suggestive lyrics in her buttery smooth falsetto, you get lost in her exactness when it comes to describing how to please her. The video is one for the books, putting Aaliyah’s alluring feminine energy on full display while simultaneously giving the song the visual embodiment that it deserved. Doing the song justice, as one amazing person once said.
“More Than a Woman” is a pure poetry. Describing a love that is thrilling, arousing, and electric. Breaking new ground yet again with her endearing singing style and OMG THE VIDEO. Brand Aaliyah came all the way through with performance, gloss, and sexiness. And while she had become more refined in her aesthetic, her tomboy style can still very much be felt and seen in the visual. Infectious and timeless, I will never get over it.
There were a few specific moments on the album that I remember so vividly, “Never No More”, was one of them. Of course, we all loved the singles, that goes without saying. But there were 11 other songs to sink our teeth into and "Never No More" is certainly a bite worth having. Something about her vocal delivery is smoky, reminiscent of some Motown classics, The Isley Bros., etc. I listened to this song a few times at .75 speed to really digest the singing and it is hard to ignore how she must have been inspired by the classics. That, and that Static Major REALLY REALLY poured his heart and soul into this album as much as Aaliyah did. Having written almost the entire project himself, it is so beautiful to think that his work on this album is a big part of what makes him a legend and it can be heard and felt in songs like "Never No More".
"I Care 4 U" makes me think of something like R&B-Noir. This and other songs like "Never No More" and "I Can Be", have a dark grit to them that keeps a nice balance and that does not lose the soul that is at the core of both Aaliyah's singing and music. This is another song that sounds like the writer, Missy Elliot, if you know her ballads – you know what I mean. Aaliyah is gentle and sultry as she comforts her heartbroken counterpart. From a female perspective, Aaliyah is compassionate and easy, something that I cannot say I have heard ANYTIME lately. The story being told here is so unique and Aaliyah brought it all the way home, letting us take a break before we picked up the tempo in the next track.
“Extra Smooth” is a pure exemplification of how radically different Aaliyah’s approach was this go around. Musically, this is a straight up dance-pop song that is elevated with electronic elements and something that we would see across much of this project; styles of songwriting that did not follow the traditional composition standards that were like what we heard from her before. We had a verse, the hook, a second verse that switches the cadence mid-way, and a bridge that is just vocal ad-libs. Yet, it all works together and creates a string of complimentary sounds that I cannot help but want to call, “Try Again 2.0”.
"Read Between the Lines" is probably my second favorite song from the project as of today. The ad-libs and runs are gorgeously highlighted. The Latin elements give it a danceable, tango vibe that no doubt took influence from the Latin Explosion that had the music world in a chokehold. The traditional sounds are modernized here, married with electronic elements and that see Aaliyah run free with her beautiful soprano.
My favorite from the project, "U Got Nerve" is slick, innovative R&B. Showing us yet another side to her singing, Aaliyah's heavy enunciation lends itself to the feeling when an adulterous mark needs to be dealt with. The pulsing beats and heavy processing of Aaliyah’s voice raised the bar for what was the status-quo sound in the genre at that time. Another next-level moment.
“I Refuse” brings us back down from the high we got on the previous songs. There is a dramatic build to the song and the over pace delivers a theatrical moment in conveying the message that Aaliyah has lost her tolerance and is leaving her relationship. The almost operatic placement of everything that went into the song is something that I would say is new for Aaliyah too. This sounds like a movie! As the pacing picks up, we get to the climatic crash of the song and are softly brough back down to earth. I love the flute at the end! Lots of emotions in this one and Aaliyah bodies them all!
“It’s Whatever” feels like it could be the cousin to “Rock the Boat”. Sonically, both are sweet, gentle, and sensual. Her voice is velvety, particularly on those ad-libs and runs – MY GOD! This song would bring me so much peace when I was younger, and it still does for me today. Effortless, soothing, and pure – this song helped me imagine a better life for myself that I believe is still in the making! Forever engrained in my heart and mind is “It’s Whatever”.
"I Can Be" is a straight up Tank record (he wrote it). I can hear him through Aaliyah so much and IDK about you, but that makes me happy. Lyrically, I am impressed with the boldness and the creativity that went into illustrating the story being told in this song. Aaliyah's chosen key sounds like it follows what I imagine is the Tank demo, TO-A-T. It is her voice that conveys the sadness that someone might feel in having to accept being in that position with someone that they love. The music is standout too. "I Can Be" ("What If" too) really takes the abstract and alternative elements to their limits, but still brings it back to a place that doesn’t lose the listener. That is what happens much on this album, pushing the boundaries but ensuring that it makes sense.
“Those Were the Days” is another moment that Aaliyah shares some of her sweetest vocals on top of some futuristic, extraterrestrial sounds with a record that I believe is one of the more accessible and smoother moments from the project. Contrasting the perfect summer days spent with her lover or spending time in bed, the feelings are fading away and it needs to be addressed. As I will summarize at the end, this entire album expresses that Aaliyah was IN IT when it came to her relationships. It HALES in comparison to what we hear a lot in the music of today. Nobody wants to fix or work through things anymore. Aaliyah maintains her integrity despite every side of love that she experiences, even the unpleasant ones.
"What If" along with "I Can Be", for me, show that Aaliyah was deep into her sonic and musical exploration. The criticism that these two records were "try hard" is understandable since they sound rather different from everything else on the project. But if you strip away the industrial sounds, it is still a SOULFUL song that is fierce and fiery, doing well to round out the projects progressive-R&B vibe and maybe leaving us with a clue into what sounds we should anticipate next from Aaliyah.
This album would deliver something that was unlike anything we had heard from Aaliyah, and in R&B/Pop music at the time. I think the major star of this project is Aaliyah’s vulnerable and honest perspective on quite literally every side to love. She is confident but then she is unsure, all while maintaining her always present sexy-cool demeanor. Exploring the situations surrounding love in a way that addresses issues directly, confronts her partner when necessary, and considers how to mend relationships versus ending them, comes off with depth and richness. Throughout, her voice is as sweet and strong as ever. Aaliyah gave the world something that it will never forget. This album is a BLESSING to us all and I hope you get a sense of my gratitude in this review. FOREVER AALIYAH!
