Product Description

Aaliyah's self-titled third album comes some five years after her sophomore effort ONE IN A MILLION. . The singer has obviously put her time out of the spotlight to good use. She's joined here by a few old friends, including Timbaland (a co-producer of her previous album who also shares some production credits here).
For the most part this is a downtemposet, typified by the Missy Elliot-penned "I Care 4 U", a slice of old-school R&B that displays Aaliyah's sultry, fragile vocals to good advantage, and the Latin-inflected "Read Between the Lines". There's more depth to Aaliyah than her stock diva cover photos might suggest, as evidenced by the ambitious opus "I Refuse", which brings all the contradictions of a contemporary relationship into sharp relief, and the end-of-the affair "Those Were the Days", the lyrical and musical content of which reveal the singer's darker, more interesting side.

Track Listing

1. We Need A Resolution - Aaliyah & Timbaland
2. Loose Rap - Aaliyah & Static
3. Rock The Boat
4. More Than A Woman
5. Never No More
6. I Care 4 U
7. Extra Smooth
8. Read Between The Lines
9. U Got Nerve
10. I Refuse
11. It's Whatever
12. I Can Be
13. Those Were The Days
14. What If
15. Try Again
16. Aaliyah Introduction
17. One In A Million
18. Are You That Somebody
19. Try Again
20. We Need A Resolution - Aaliyah & Timbaland
21. Aaliyah

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126418 in Music
• Released on: 2006-05-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
Seven years after her debut at just 14 years old Aaliyah's third studio album is a bizarrely mature album. While most artists are just getting going Aaliyah's been through a career arc that has led her from pop to street to an unconventional retro-modern risk-taking version of US R&B. Lead track "We Need a Resolution" and the fantastic "Try Again" (originally released on the excellent Romeo Must Die Soundtrack) are as a mainstream as it gets and the album's pace rarely gets above medium. There'll be less hits from "Aaliyah" but it's an extraordinarily romantic exposition of passion and pain. While Missy Elliot is cranking out jams for all her "club freaks" Aaliyah is like a modern day Minnie Ripperton, exploring the pains of moving from child star to adult sex symbol. Tracks such as "Never No More" and "I Care 4 U" (featuring Missy) are slinky, twisted ballads with a film noir shade as diva Aaliyah steps catlike away from the bubblegum R&B of her contemporaries. There's even the now-obligatory rock track tacked on near the end ("I Can Be") but even this excels the standard hip-hop/rock/R&B crossover fare with it's Prince-like influences coupled with Aaliyah's own instinct for deep seduction. Aaliyah also signals a move away from her long-standing musical relationship with producer Timbaland who contributes just three cuts. Having started out heavily supported by R Kelly it now appears Aaliyah's more than able to go it alone. --Jake Barnes

Customer Reviews

Aaliyah truley is 'one in a million' and will be missed
Aaliyah's untimely death on the 25th August was a complete shock to everyone. I have a lot of her music and she has a wonderful voice. I bought Aaliya's new album, and the songs are amazing. From the sassy "We need a resolution" to the amazing "U Got Nerve" left me an even bigger Aaliyah fan, and is a CD that has barely left my car. her death was a terrible shock and it was so tragic and such a waster of a beautiful talented young girl. I know Aaliyah wont be forgotten as she had the voice of an angel. If anyone hasnt got this album, then get it. Its the last songs you will hear from Aaliyah. R.I.P angel.

Great Album
I Love Aaliyah-and this is a great album. Its not like like one in a million which i prefer, and i would have preferred a more R&B old school vibe like we are used to aaliyah doing on this album, however she was trying out different styles with this, and it kinda worked, as she moved to a more mature vibe. The wonderful 'We Need A Resolution', 'Rock The Boat' 'Try Again' 'I Care For you' and 'More Than A Woman' are all memorable and now legendary classics. I Care 4 U should have been released. Again, Timbalands legendary production has not failed to miss this album.
The only problem i have with this is a few of the songs fail to be either R&B, pop nor rock and were best being replaced with her normal style. (Eg U got Nerve and I Refuse) Music outside an artists genre never tends to go down well with the fans and the worst song on this is 'What If'. Aaliyah was a big Korn fan (a US hard rock group) and i think some of the songs had a rock feel to them.

Beautiful tracks to look out on this album are 'Whatever'-its so sweet, 'Those were the days'-upbeat and very cool, and 'Read between the lines'-a poppy upbeat song. It would have been nice to hear a song written by Aaliyah, but she knew what she did best-Sing beautifully with her distinctive breathy vocals that we shall never forget. Rest In Peace Aaliyah
Great Album

What An Excellent Album To End On
Even in death, Aaliyah will always be one of my favourite artists. Her r 'n' b sound was so unique, so perfect and her new and last album does not disappoint. The album starts with her first and possibly the only single to be released from the album, We Need A Resolution. I was blown away when i first heard this song, it has a very cool, furturistic sound, teaming up with Timbaland this will be forever one of my favourite tracks. Loose Rap is again a very cool song and one of my favourites, followed by Rock The Boat which is a little slower than the first two, but still very cool. More Than A Woman, track 4 is another Timbaland produced song and another highlight, classical music mixed in with some very cool r 'n' b beats. I Care 4 U is ok, a bit dull, Never No More is ok at first but listen to the lyrics and all falls into place, one of the most meaningful songs on the album. Extra Smooth has a very unique funky sound, another favourite like the next track, Read Between The Lines which has a slight Latin feel to it. For me the album goes down hill from here slightly with It's Whatever, Those Were The Days , I Can Be and What If. I Refuse has a haunting sound to it and U Got Nerve is a powerful upbeat song.

Aaliyah's brilliant album ends on a real high point with the excellent Try Again. So many good songs on one album makes you think if only Aaliyah was still alive to make more of the ground breaking music that we've learnt to love so much.