Aaliyah made a name for herself in the world of ‘90s contemporary R&B amongst other mononym hit-making singers such as Brandy and Monica. She displayed a fashion sense and musicality that artists continue to try and emulate.

Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton on January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York, she was raised in Detroit, Michigan. In 1989, she appeared on the TV talent show Star Search when she was only ten years old. Her uncle Barry Hankerson started the label Blackground Records and introduced Aaliyah to hit-maker R. Kelly. Aside from the cover of The Isley Brothers ballad “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, Kellz produced and wrote every song on Aaliyah’s 1994 multi-platinum debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, which was released through Blackground Records and Jive Records. Aaliyah’s introduction came via the New Jack Swing single “Back & Forth”, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B chart before achieving gold status. “At Your Best (You Are Love)” was released as the second single and also achieved gold status after it peaked at #2 on the R&B chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following reports of an improper relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly, she cut ties with him and signed to Atlantic Records along with Blackground Records. In 1996, Aaliyah released her multi-platinum sophomore album, One in a Million, with half of the album’s music production and songwriting courtesy of the up-and-coming Virginia duo Timbaland and Missy Elliott. The album featured the #1 R&B single “If Your Girl Only Knew” as well as the gold singles “One in a Million” and “The One I Gave My Heart To.” Though her music career was evolving, Aaliyah continued her education, being homeschooled by her mother and eventually graduating from the Detroit Performing Arts High School in 1997 with a 4.0 GPA. That same year, she contributed “Journey to the Past” to the soundtrack of the 1997 film Anastasia. In 1998, the song received a nomination at the 70th Academy Awards for “Music (Original Song)”—the same year she released the soundtrack hit “Are You That Somebody?” for the Eddie Murphy film Doctor Dolittle.

Aaliyah made her debut as an actress in the year 2000 as Trish O'Day alongside actor Jet Li in the Warner Bros film, Romeo Must Die. The film’s soundtrack featured Aaliyah’s hit single “Try Again,” which became her second single to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In July 2001, Aaliyah released her long-awaited self-titled album, Aaliyah, which featured the singles “We Need A Resolution,” “Rock the Boat,” and “More Than A Woman.” The album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and achieved multi-platinum status.

On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah was tragically killed in a plane crash in The Bahamas during a return flight to the US after filming the music video for “Rock the Boat.” She won a number of posthumous awards, including winning two at the American Music Awards. Before her tragic death, she was casted for the role of “Zee” in films, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, but she did not get to finish her scenes, so her role had to be recasted. Her sophomore and final film, Queen of the Damned, was later released posthumously on February 22, 2002. The posthumous albums I Care 4 U (2002) and Ultimate Aaliyah (2005) both contained previously unreleased material. Aaliyah’s music has been enveloped in legal battles between her estate and Blackground Records, but in 2021, Blackground signed a distribution deal with EMPIRE to release her albums to streaming services.

Despite a relatively short career, Aaliyah’s smooth style has influenced a number of contemporary R&B artists such as Drake, Ciara, Alicia Keys and Ty Dolla $ign to name a few. Nelly Furtado said the following to Billboard about Aaliyah’s legacy:

Aaliyah possessed a rare poise and light that comes about once in a generation. She created the blueprint for the modern day triple threat: a young woman keen to challenge herself, but never tainted by brand awareness – a truly iconic and natural trailblazer.