Line #31 Music/Aaliyah


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aaliyah59_5958.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.'']]
3
4	[floatboxright:Influences:
5	+ Music/JanetJackson, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/MaryJBlige, {{Music/TLC}}, {{Music/Sade}}, {{Music/Prince}}, Music/StevieWonder, Music/NineInchNails, Music/EnVogue, Music/{{Korn}}, Music/{{Prince}}, Music/NaughtyByNature]
6	[floatboxright:Influenced:
7	+ Music/DestinysChild, Music/{{Drake}}, Music/ChrisBrown, Music/{{Ashanti}},
8	Music/{{Amerie}}, Music/{{Ciara}}, Music/{{Tinashe}}, Music/{{Cassie}}, Music/{{HER\|Musician}}, Music/JheneAiko, Music/{{Solange}}, Music/JessieWare, Music/TheXX, Music/JamesBlake, Music/HowToDressWell, Music/JCole, Music/{{Haim}}, Music/{{Normani}}, Music/HayleyWilliams and many, many more.]
9
10	->"''Aaliyah was a flower that was just blooming.''"
11	-->-- '''Music/MissyElliott'''
12
13	Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah, was an American recording artist, actress, and model. She was born in [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity Brooklyn]] but raised in UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}.
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15	At an early age, Aaliyah appeared on the television show ''Series/StarSearch'' and performed in concert alongside Music/GladysKnight. At age 12, she signed with Creator/JiveRecords and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to Music/RKelly, who became her mentor, as well as the lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, ''Age Ain't Nothing but a Number'', released when she was 15. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum. After facing strong scrutiny over her relationship with Kelly, including allegations that the two were briefly married when she was 15, Aaliyah ended her personal and professional relationship with Kelly alongside her contract with Jive, and signed to Creator/AtlanticRecords.
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17	Aaliyah worked with record producers Music/{{Timbaland}} and Music/MissyElliott for her second album, ''One in a Million''; it sold three million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, she appeared in her first major film, ''Film/RomeoMustDie'', and also contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in ''Billboard'' history to achieve this feat, and earned her a UsefulNotes/GrammyAward nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing ''Romeo Must Die'', Aaliyah filmed her part in ''Film/QueenOfTheDamned'', and released her third album ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Aaliyah]]'' on July 7, 2001.
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19	Just over a month later, on August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". She was only 22 years old. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system, and the plane had been massively overloaded with recording equipment. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court.
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21	Since then, Aaliyah's music has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases. With album sales estimated to be between 24 to 32 million copies worldwide, Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop, earning her the nickname "Princess of R&B".
22	----
23	!!Discography:
24	!!!Released during Aaliyah's lifetime:
25	* 1994: ''Age Ain't Nothing but a Number ''
26	* 1996: ''One In A Million''
27	* 2001: ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Aaliyah]]''
28	!!!Released posthumously:
29	* 2002: ''I Care 4 U'' (compilation album of unreleased songs)
30	* 2005: ''Ultimate Aaliyah'' (compilation album; the first disc is a collection of her {{greatest hits\|Album}}, while the second disc contains material from soundtrack and studio albums)
31	* 2022: ''Unstoppable'' (contains new tracks and [[PosthumousCollaboration colloborations with artists like]] Music/TheWeeknd and Music/ChrisBrown)
32
33	!! Aaliyah exhibits these tropes:
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35	* AffectionateNickname: 'Li-Li' and 'Baby Girl' to her friends and family.
36	* AwardBaitSong:
37	** As was tradition in the 90s, she recorded one of these to tie in with an animated film. Hers was "Journey To The Past" from ''{{WesternAnimation/Anastasia}}'', which she performed at the 1998 Oscars.
38	** "Are You That Somebody?" from the remake of ''{{Film/DrDolittle}}'' starring Creator/EddieMurphy, was a top-charting hit. It’s success helped the film’s box office numbers considerably.
39	** "The One I Gave My Heart To" is closer to this than her usual stuff. It's a sweeping ballad about love, and allows her to really belt it out.
40	* BeachEpisode: The video for "Rock The Boat", which was filmed in the Bahamas.
41	* ChildProdigy: Both from a performing and academic point of view. She had a 4.0 GPA in high school, which means she was a straight-A student.
42	* FeatherBoaConstrictor: "We Need a Resolution," both song and video, have a snake theme. They were her favorite animal.
43	* GenreRoulette: Her third album had elements of R&B, pop, electronica, and rock.
44	* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: Missy Elliot described her as someone who "always made sure her nails were done, her perfume was right, and her bag had lotion and lip gloss" - but she still had a very casual, tomboyish image.
45	* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: She loved stuffed animals and collected them. She had a beloved orangutan given to her by her grandmother that she was especially attached to.
46	* HeroicResolve: "Try Again" states that the girl is interested and playing hard to get - but that doesn't mean the boy shouldn't keep trying.
47	* HipHopSoul: ''Age Ain't Nothing But A Number'' was a mix of Hip Hop Soul and NewJackSwing. ''One In A Million'' and ''Aaliyah'' used Hip Hop Soul exclusively.
48	* IdolSinger: And a TeenIdol at that, given she was signed at the age of twelve.
49	* IntercourseWithYou: "Rock The Boat", "More Than A Woman," "One In a Million," "Hot Like Fire"
50	* JailbaitTaboo: Her reported marriage to R.Kelly when she 15 and he was 27. A much milder version is implied in "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number", which talks about a younger girl wanting a relationship with a slightly older boy who is "afraid" about starting with her because of her age.
51	* LikesOlderMen: "Age ain't nothin' but a number"
52	* LittleBlackDress: She wears one in the video for "We Need a Resolution".
53	* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Aaliyah ran into this; people would claim that she owed her fame more to her beauty and overproduction thanks to Timbaland rather than her own singing talent. Of course, after she died tragically, this is rarely if ever brought up. She's now remembered as a great singer who died too soon.
54	* NoRomanticResolution: Appropriately enough the song "We Need a Resolution" ends without the eponymous resolution.
55	* RedemptionInTheRain: The climax of the video for "The One I Gave My Heart To" features her singing and dancing triumphantly in the rain.
56	* TheQuietOne: She was reportedly very quiet in large gatherings of people, and was usually very soft-spoken in interviews.
57	* RogerRabbitEffect: The video for her cover of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'' song "Journey To The Past" features her and some children entering the movie's animated world, and appearing to interact with its denizens.
58	* SheCleansUpNicely: Given her casual style, it was a surprise to see her wearing a dress for the 1998 Oscars (though she did say she bought it off the rack). She would be seen in dresses a little more often as she got older.
59	* SopranoAndGravel: Her duet with Music/{{DMX}}, "Come Back in One Piece".
60	* SplashOfColor: For the video of "If Your Girl Only Knew" it starts out DeliberatelyMonochrome with only Aaliyah herself in color - and she then gradually adds color to the rest of the setting.
61	* TheirFirstTime: "Hot Like Fire" is from the perspective of a girl who wants to wait for sex but promises it will be great when she's finally ready.
62	* TitleTrack: ''[=One In A Million=]'' and ''[=Age Ain't Nothing but a Number=]''.
63	* TokenWholesome: With regards to her sex symbol status, ''Rolling Stone'''s obituary said:
64	--> "She was remarkable for being sexy without selling herself, for finding the thin line where she could attract the boys without embarrassing the moms."
65	* UnbuiltTrope: A pioneer for the essential sound and subject matter of R&B today, Aaliyah's songs avoided TheUnfairSex that is now quite common among R&B artists.
66	* TheUnfairSex: Her music intentionally avoided this. Which is rare considering R&B is prone to lopsided male bashing.
67	* VideoFullOfFilmClips: The video for "Are You That Somebody?" features clips from ''Dr. Dolittle'' starring ''Creator/EddieMurphy''. Also, "Come Back in One Piece" features clips from ''Romeo Must Die''.
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Context Music / Aaliyah