Top 10 Aaliyah Songs (List)
What up one & all. Sky Bento here on the check-in. Big Bento Energy is in total effect. Hope you and yours have been drinking water and protecting your mental health as always, especially as we head into these colder months.
Now I don’t know about y’all but I know about us and uh, we’ve been bumping Aaliyah like she’s a new artist. Like she’s still here with us. Man. Rest in peace Baby Girl. Her energy is still with us. From Kehlani to Jhene Aiko to every soft-spoken female vocalist in baggy clothes, her influence cannot be understated. Even Rihanna & Beyonce owe a bit of their hip-hop influenced R&B to the princess herself. So it’s exciting to finally see her legendary discography hit streaming services to influence a new generation of potential up-and-coming hit-makers. I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a list of her best records just in case you’re new to her catalog. Not going to hold you, a lot of this list was no-brainers for me. With the exception of course my last minute decision to exclude “Back & Forth” from the list, for obvious reasons. Keep it a buck, this is really just an excuse to gush about my favorite Aaliyah joints. So without further ado, let’s start this off from the bottom.
As always, these are just my opinions and do not reflect the views of TDN as a brand, a staff or a m***********g crew. Feel free to argue with the kid on Twitter @plzsaythebento. Now let’s roll.
10. “Come Over” featuring Tank - For some reason this record not on streaming services still. Originally recorded for her self-titled third studio album, this wouldn’t be released until 2003 on Aaliyah’s posthumous compilation album I Care 4 U. It’s kind of crazy to me that this one really got left off of her final album. It has that defining early 2000’s/late 90’s R&B style production courtesy of the legendary Bryan Michael-Cox. Complete with bouncy triangles and the same kind of shuddering hi-hat/shaker combo that launched Timbaland into the stratosphere, Aaliyah delivers the quintessential “let’s spend some time” song. Her smooth, understated yet confident vocals are a trademark but here they really shine bright as she asks if it’s cool for her to pay you a visit. How could anybody say no?
9. “At Your Best (You Are Love)” - I didn’t realize this was also a product of he whole shall not tarnish this article. But I just didn’t have the heart to remove it. No cap, when I hear that intro I hear Drake & Jeezy. But when it drops, I see that scene in ATL. As you can see, I have a lot of connection to this record. This one is just smooth, from the vocals and to the production. This is a Sunday afternoon in the park on a date. It just feels so good to listen to. Your house should be spotless if you clean to this, word is bond. There’s just something magical about the mix of confidence and curiosity in Aaliyah’s opening “let me know”. Her tender voice laid the groundwork for all of the whisper singers of today as I’ve mentioned above, but she still packs so much emotion and dynamic range into her delivery even while her melodies remain understated. This joint could honestly repeat from the moment you pick your date up, through the dinner, through the late night festivities, even to the point you wake up in the morning. And it still wouldn’t get old. Salute to The Isley Brothers for the timelessness.
8. “I Don’t Wanna” - More of that trademark turn-of-the-millenium R&B sound. Shakers, light snares, triangles, spaced out kicks, you know the vibes. This really feels like the subject matter. You can almost see Aaliyah up late at night thinking about her lover. This is young love in audio form. The record is obviously about not wanting to be separate from her lover, wanting to spend the rest of your life with somebody. But there is a slight sense of urgency that comes with realizing that that takes work to make work. It’s not smooth sailing all the time, you’ve got to let your love do the fighting. Maybe things ain’t going so well, but the love is so strong. What would life be like without your other half? That said, Aaliyah never sounds like she could really not be alone. The confidence is still there. She knows she could be alone, but she don’t wanna. She wants things to work. And with vocals like this, how could you not stick around? This feels like the Destiny’s Child blueprint and you can’t help but love every second.
7. “4 Page Letter” - This might be the greatest “turn me up” intro of all time. At least, it is in R&B. It’s such a cliche, but with the fade in and way the production is set up, it actually helps immerse you in Aaliyah’s state of mind with this one. It’s like she really wrote a letter and took it to the studio. The harmonies on the chorus are when this really turns into a production, because until then it just feels so intimate you can’t help but fall in love. Four pages? We talking double-spaced? Baby Girl got a lot to say. You can feel the playfulness in this record, you can only imagine how sappy yet smooth an actual four page love letter from Aaliyah would be. It’s just a beautiful song from a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice that was taken from this world far too soon.
6. “We Need A Resolution” featuring Timbaland - Timbaland invented Kanye West with this beat. Exaggerating a bit, but when the beat changes and we get that saw blade kind of synth following Aaliyah’s “Where were you last night”? Never mind that, what about when that string sample comes in? This pair really laid the foundation for the foundation for the foundation of so many of the sounds we love today. Plus we have Aaliyah asking the all-important question “who should be hurt and who should be blamed?” This really changes the dynamic of any relationship. Nobody wants to be wrong, but without being wrong you can’t learn. Aaliyah isn’t looking to be right, she’s looking for a healthier relationship. Then Timbo hits her with “I think I’m going to get me a drink, I’ll call you tomorrow”. Classy. City boys, we up 50. But on a serious note, this record reeks of paranoia but also the little bit of faith that remains is strong, grounded, and mature. You’ve got to love how Aaliyah conveys these complex emotions with such natural restraint.
5. “More Than A Woman” - Aaliyah was far more than a woman. Aaliyah was incredible. And this record is a flex of both confidence and insecurity at the same time. Notice she says “I’ll be” not “I am”. She’s human. She’s aware of her capabilities. She’s also aware that she could always do better. Then she tells us honestly, that she doesn’t think we’re ready for that thang. Love is complex. Aaliyah was complex. This just puts that on full display and makes her feel so much larger than the life she was given. This in a lot of ways feels like the quintessential Aaliyah song because of it. Fitting that it should fall in the middle of this top 10 like that. But damn, if this didn’t sound like a future to come when it was released.
4. “Rock The Boat” - This was Aaliyah’s final music video filmed in her lifetime. In fact, she had actually passed on the plane ride back from the shoot. That bittersweet footnote cannot be shaken, as this one shows where Aaliyah was headed. Her record label reportedly wasn’t too hot about Aaliyah requesting a lover to “work the middle”. She was no longer a little girl, Aaliyah was showcasing her growth. This is Summer cookout music with a slightly Carribbean flavored rhythm in the drums and a faint futuristic synth pad wailing gently over it. Her angelic vocal tone sounds so inviting over more open production, and for a record so sexy yet so easy to two step to it never feels in your face at all. It’s chill, laid back, yet layered and empty and the same time. It’s like a musical ocean, so many little touches to explore, yet such a void that is easy to get lost in. It’s an effortless classic.
3. “Try Again” featuring Timbaland - Ladies, if I swipe up on your story or otherwise slide in your dms, one curve ain’t enough. That’s because I grew up on this joint right here. Between this and Dragonball Z, my childhood taught me how the importance of getting up over giving up. Now that said, you’ve got to read the room. Don’t waste your energy. Aaliyah was a master at this herself, never over-exerting herself vocally. This makes her a perfect match for Timbo’s over-the-tip futurism. It’s dope that the record starts with a Rakim reference. Most people at this point probably know the lyric from this record over the God MC at this point. Aaliyah knew how casually allure a brother as she sings about wanting a man who’s not going to give up when things get a little rough. She needs a man who’s going to put his dedication on display. And while the synths pulse in the background you could cut the sexual tension with a damn butter knife. All it takes is a little effort.
2. “One In A Million” - The birds chirping are the first sign that this is something different. Slow R&B drums, until it speeds up to loop back around. This is a sensory experience. The amount of times this record has been sampled, interpolated, and referenced is insane but for good reason. This is real 90’s R&B injected with just enough hip-hop flavor to keep it relevant as we headed into the new millenium. Little did we know this same sonic template would keep it relevant for years to come. This gave us Drake. I stand on that. I’m not saying that Drake could ever or would ever. But he’s definitely tried. The low tones, spacey percussion, smooth synths, and heavily understated vocal delivery have really become one of the calling cards of the most popular artist in the world for the last decade. But they all began here. Let that sink in. Of course there were artists like Sade before Aaliyah who would tackle sounds that could be considered a precursor. But it’s Aaliyah’s youthful energy and thick harmonies that make this so enduring, even all of these years later. This record is definitely one in a million.
“Are You That Somebody” featuring Timbaland - While everybody in my school was banging on desks to make the “Grindin’” beat, I always chose to bang this one out instead. Them first couple of hits, though. You know what I’m talking about. Boom. Boom. Boom-boom boom-boom boom. Wild rhythm. Never misses. And I’d be remiss not to mention the baby crying in the beat. I’m pretty sure that was the first time I was ever amazed specifically by the production of a record. This was the one I was most excited to bang when they first announced Aaliyah coming to streaming services. This also features probably the best Timbaland verse ever. The way Aaliyah loosely follows that signature rhythm is magical. Then those background harmonies that accent the beat. Wow. Still. It’s funky, futuristic and sensual all at the same time. It’s really about being chosen. Aaliyah keeping it all the way pimpin’ on em. There’s criteria to meet. You can’t tell nobody. You gotta be that somebody. Aaliyah is well aware of her own self-worth. She knew who she was and never portrayed anything other than that. And that’s what made her so special. She was that somebody.
This list was made in loving memory of a woman who indirectly shaped my childhood. Shout out to my older sister for blasting these records constantly and developing my taste in music before I could even realize it. Love and prayers to Aaliyah’s entire family. Rest In Peace Aaliyah. We’ll always love you.
