Age Ain't Nothing but a Number

by

Aaliyah

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Aaliyah's debut CD yielded two Top 10 singles - "Back and Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (the later or which was written and originally recorded by the Isley Brothers). However, the CD is filled with great songs, including a great balance of hip-hip songs (Throw Your Hands Up, Down with the Clique) and ballads (Age Ain't Nothing But a Number). Almost any of the songs on the CD could have been a hit single. That said, Aaliyah's voice was not as mature as it would be later, and some of the lyrics are a bit juvenile (if you're not down with my clique/ then you're poop on a stick).

The entire CD was produced by R. Kelly (he appears in the shadows on the CD back cover and is name-checked in several songs). With one producer, the CD sounds very cohesive, but it also is not as varied as her later CDs. It was rumored that she and R. Kelly were married at the time, even though she was only 15 years old. Her marriage seems to be addressed in the song, "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number," which argues that she is wiser than her years would seem.

At times, the album sounds a bit dated (the CD "One In a Million" is much better). One of the lyrics states, "Aalyiah's got a 90's swing," which is pretty accurate - the CD sounds very much like an early 90's hip-hp CD. Despite this complaint, I still greatly enjoy this CD. It sounds great and is a lasting tribute to Aaliyah's talent. We will miss out on hearing future recordings from this superstar, but will continue to enjoy the music she left behind.

On Aaliyah's debut, it ain't hard to tell that R. Kelly found her. Most of the songs sound like Aaliyah is featured on them instead of them being her own songs like "Back and Forth" and "Old School" (R. Kelly's name is even being mentioned in the latter's chorus). One of the only moments that you can feel Aaliyah's ability is on the remake of The Isley Brothers' "At Your Best". This album is still good to play in your stereo, but if you want a really good Aaliyah album, check out One in a Million (yeah, I know she has another album after that; I meant what I said).