Good Morning All!
I cannot believe how the heavens have opened up this week! I am solar-powered so my productivity runneth a bit low but I'm feeling good, feeling great...feeling great, feeling good, how are you?
Today marks the 9th anniversary of R&B singer Aaliyah's passing. Although I never proclaimed myself a huge fan in the 90s, I really did follow her career through the years and I've continued to celebrate her life and music as I've gotten older. She seemed to be somewhat of a quiet storm, one who blazed trails without having to craft a life made perfectly for PR campaigns. I wonder how she would have dealt with the overly-exposed pop world of today. I venture to say she would have been the youth's Sade, one who dips in and out of the spotlight but always does it with grace.
Aaliyah was one of the first artists of the 90s generation to endorse a brand (Tommy Hilfiger) and move into film. When I listen to her music, I realize just how ahead of her time she was. She may not have had the best voice or the hottest track out, but she had a strong presence in the industry and a voice that continues to be heard. Aaliyah's influence can be seen mostly in Rihanna and Ciara's styles, although I'm no longer impressed with their overall imaging now that they are huge celebrities.
It's interesting to witness how the lives of Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica panned out. All of them are/were normal girls who just had extraordinary talent. I never knew all I wanted to know about them but as their lives have played out, we've seen the humanity in them - the growth, the heartbreak, the family ties or woes, the transitions, etc. In this day and age of music, the artists are so different. Everything is for show. Nothing is sacred. (Although I love Beyonce, I kinda wanna see her make a mistake. Even just a small one, just to show us that she's not a robot.)
In different ways, Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica were my r&b heroes. Although Brandy was my ultimate #1 because she was the brown-skinned Cover Girl, I was pretty obsessed with Aaliyah's style; I never understood how she could be so cool ALL the time. I also loved the way she handled herself around the Super Friends - Ginuwine, Missy, Timbaland, & Playa.
Now that Aaliyah has transitioned, I am very happy that she was not around to be a part of the R. Kelly scandals. That would have been the worst. But I am most thankful that her music was pure and she seemed to really love the artistry, as opposed to the exposure. It was very nice to have an around the way girl just dancing and singing because it was a passion.
It'd be nice to see that again but we may never witness that kind of authenticity in pop culture again. Aaliyah is one in a million!
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