Aaliyah

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Aaliyah

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Aaliyah's third and sadly last album is one that took me by surprise. I had come to expect the standard pop charts-friendly songs that had brought her to a place of fame. Although uptempo tracks are not my favourites, her songs had proven to be very good. I an act of memorial, I purchased the album.

I discovered an album that was very different from what I expected. As well as several amazingly listenable uptempo tracks, their were some really lovely ballads. The track "It's Whatever" almost makes me cry everytime I hear it. The song sounds so sad, and her voice is so beautiful and fits perfectly.

Many of my friends and my cousin think this album is not that good, but I think they missed the point of this album. Well done Aaliyah, may you rest in peace.

It's about time that this album was released. For the past six years Aaliyah has survived in the music world on two spectacular and at the time revolutionary singles-'Are you that Somebody?' and 'Try Again'. Expectations were high for this album and she does not dissapoint. Her signature style of seduction and understatement permeates the whole cd although she appears strangely removed from the material as if she was simply given the words to sing and studio time booked. (None of the songs were penned by Aaliyah) Despite this emotionally removed stance some of these tunes severly rock. 'Rock the Boat' and 'Loose rap' are intricately structured and funky party tunes and slow jams such as 'I refuse' and 'Read between the lines' are innovative and illustrate a multiplicity of influences ranging of R&B, hip hop, rock and , especially effective in 'I refuse'- jazz. This album is definitely different than anything put out there by Aaliyah's contemporaries but sometimes one gets the feeling that it is trying to hard to be different and eclectic. Despite this obviously inconsistent review it is a good album and Aaliyah does sound and look more confident than ever before- although all the lyrics seem to revolve around good relationship/bad relationship it does make you tap your fingers and move your feet..and that is definitely not half bad.