Aaliyah’s Music Will Finally Be Streaming—Here’s How to Listen
Aaliyah was considered to be one of the greats. The R&B singer‘s talent and passion were evident from a young age, and she was determined to be a star. Aaliyah did just that, but as her fans remorsefully recall, the sensational singer’s life was cut short. Though her legend and influential impact are still present today, much of her music has not been. However, that all seems to be changing now.
Aaliyah’s journey in the spotlight
In May of 1994, at the age of 15, Aaliyah released her debut album. Appropriately titled, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. It was a huge success.
It didn’t take the star very long to produce and premiere her next album, One in a Million, and it even included collaborations with Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Her third and final album, Aaliyah, came out in July of 2001, but tragedy was soon to follow, as many people remember.
The tragic and unexpected death
Aaliyah was in the Bahamas shooting a music video for “Rock the Boat” when her life came to a devastating end. While taking off to head back home, the plane she was in exploded into flames.
The catastrophic accident caused the death of her and eight others who were onboard. BBC shared that an investigation revealed overloading the plane to be the source of the unforeseen disaster. Aaliyah was just 22 at the time.
Her music will finally be streaming-here’s how
When Aaliyah died, her fame and career were on the rise. Though no one can say for certain, it didn’t seem like she planned on stopping making music anytime soon. Likely, she was just beginning.
As many can expect, Aaliyah’s death brought on challenging times for her family, friends, and loved ones in the years to follow. As for her fans and followers, not only was her presence greatly missed, but much of her music was also.
Barry Hankerson was Aaliyah’s uncle and manager. He was also the owner of Blackground Records, the label company that Aaliyah joined. Due to a combination of legal issues and the star’s family’s wishes, much of her music got tied up after Aaliyah’s death.
Since she didn’t record her first album with Blackground Records, Age Ain’t Nothing, but a Number has been the R&B singer’s only album available to stream. It has been out of print and next to impossible to get in CD or Vinyl form. Luckily, that is all set to change very soon.
Thanks to Hankerson’s newly founded partnership with Empire, a music distribution company, Aaliyah’s fans, and followers are finally going to get what they have wanted for so long.
Just the other day, Spotify announced its plans to make Aaliyah’s music accessible on the popular streaming platform. August 20th will mark the beginning of the exciting and highly-anticipated rollout. One in a Million will be the first album to hit Spotify and will be followed up with the soundtrack from Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah’s acting success was just more proof that the talented young woman was meant for stardom.
On September 10th Spotify will add Aaliyah to the collection, and shortly after, I Care 4 U, and Ultimate Aaliyah will be the final two pieces of the overdue installment.
Hankerson spoke out on his renewed intentions and explained that this is a way “to introduce Aaliyah and Blackground’s legacy to a new audience.” Though no one would want to argue with that, it still raises some eyebrows considering Hankerson’s behavior and timeline. Nevertheless, Aaliyah’s fans and followers are thrilled to learn about the exciting news and look forward to streaming song after song.
