Who Was Aaliyah? The Princess of R&B
If you've ever heard "Try Again" come on and felt the whole room change, you already know why Aaliyah still matters. But who was she, and why do fans still call her the Princess of R&B? Here's a short guide for new fans and old ones.
Where did Aaliyah come from?
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 16, 1979, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She studied at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts and graduated in 1997, already a recording artist.
How did her music begin?
Her first album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, came out in 1994, and its first single, "Back & Forth", made her a star. Two years later, One in a Million (1996) brought in producer Timbaland and Missy Elliott, and their sound helped shape R&B for years.
What made her different?
Aaliyah was credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, which earned her the nicknames "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". She mixed a soft, cool voice with beats that felt new, and a style all her own: baggy clothes, dark sunglasses and hair falling over one eye.
Music and film
- Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994)
- One in a Million (1996)
- Aaliyah (2001)
She also acted, starring in Romeo Must Die (2000), whose song "Try Again" went to number one. Queen of the Damned followed in 2002.
Remembering Aaliyah
Aaliyah died on August 25, 2001, at just 22, when her plane crashed in the Bahamas. Her music has never stopped playing. Every piece at Aaliyah Merch is printed to order, as a small way for fans to keep her style close.