Aaliyah

Aaliyah

The beautiful and talented Aaliyah tragically died in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22. No discussion of R&B in the past 20 years is complete without a mention of Aaliyah. While she may have first made headlines as the child-bride of R. Kelly, Aaliyah quickly separated from the modern R&B pack as she gravitated toward Timbaland and Missy Elliot. Behind Missy and Timbaland's sci-fi aural landscapes, Aaliyah dropped smooth jams that maintained a chilly sense of futuristic urban hipness.

Aaliyah's posthumously released third album was set to launch Aaliyah's mature "grown-up" career. Self-titled, the album pulsed with classic singles such as "We Need a Resolution," "Rock the Boat" and "More Than a Woman." The musical developments of Aaliyah's sound made the plane crash all the more tragic. Another case of "what if" had hit the music world hard.

Now 8 years later, no modern R&B singer possesses Aaliyah's combination of sophistication, sexiness and adventure. Beyonce's too huge. Rihana's too singles oriented. And countless others force a persona. As Aaliyah's final album proved, a major voice had started to develop. While Aaliyah is now always thought of as an extension of her fate, try to approach the music on its own terms. Don't think about what she could have done next. Just appreciate the tastiness that she left behind.