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Aaliyah isn't just a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward, it is one of the strongest urban soul records of its time.
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At times, Aaliyah's somewhat frail, underpowered vocals seem insufficient to meet the emotional heights she seeks to attain (particularly on the epic ballad "I Refuse"), but simultaneously that's a large part of her appeal.
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Overall, aside from the crummy rock-out of 'What If', 'Aaliyah' is accomplished fluid soul, with nothing too jagged or startling to spoil the polished veneer.
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Though not as immediate as some of her past mainstream work, Aaliyah's latest has the smoky temptress slowly working her way through R&B, hip-hop and even slightly techno beats...
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Aaliyah only missteps when she tries to stretch outside of her musical comfort zones, indulging in Latin pop and cheesy metal on ''Read Between the Lines'' and ''What If,'' respectively.
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At times the reliance on heavy-breathing, laid-back grooves is a little annoying--Aaliyah doesn't quite have the pipes to carry off melodramatic fare like "Never No More," and a few more club bangers on the order of the springy, sassy "U Got Nerve" certainly wouldn't have hurt.
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What's most pronounced is the subtlety of it all, the tastefulness, the lack of bombast and histrionics.
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An album of dull, vocal virtuoso ballads.
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Q MagazineA fair bit of filler... [Sep 2001, p.106]
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Aaliyah is Control, Velvet Rope and Jagged Little Pill all rolled into one. It's the album Janet should have made with All for You, the manifesto that Beyonce thought she was penning with Survivor.
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Take away the album's lone misfire -- the cliché-filled "Rock the Boat," produced by Rapture and E. Seats -- and this work is nearly perfect.
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SpinDeeper than anything she's delivered before, Aaliyah's a hard record; almost never does a song roll over and beg to be loved. This makes the yielding moments all the sweeter. [Aug 2001, p.130]
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When it clicks, "Aaliyah" transforms the confusion of young adulthood into exhilarating freedom
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Like [Missy] Elliott's terrific last release, Aaliyah gets into a sultry, late-night groove and sticks with it, but throws in enough sonic twists--like the moody piano and symphonic flourishes of "I Understand"--to keep it from getting redundant.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 86 out of 107
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Mixed: 8 out of 107
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Negative: 13 out of 107
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Dec 7, 2022Esse álbum, assim como todos os outros da Aaliyah são uma obra prima R&B, consigo sentir a música.
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Jul 17, 2022An album of dull, vocal virtuoso ballads." I agree. This album is mediocre.
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Mar 20, 2021This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.