Aaliyah : NPR

Notebook: A Month Into R. Kelly's Trial, Here's What It's Been Like In The Courtroom

In this courtroom artist's sketch made from a video screen monitor, R. Kelly (left) and lawyer Thomas Farinella listen during the opening day of his trial on Aug. 18, 2021 in Brooklyn, New York. Elizabeth Williams/AP hide caption

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Elizabeth Williams/AP

Law

Notebook: A Month Into R. Kelly's Trial, Here's What It's Been Like In The Courtroom

September 15, 2021 • Four weeks into testimony in the R&B superstar's New York federal trial, it's often been hard to hear testimony from the women and men he allegedly abused.

Courtesy of Blackground Records

#NowPlaying

Aaliyah, 'Are You That Somebody'

September 7, 2021 • On the Timbaland-produced "Are You That Somebody," Aaliyah's soulful, contemporary-sounding vocals enchant. Even though it's been over 20 years, this track feels like yesterday.

Music News

Aaliyah's Catalog Has Started To Arrive On Streaming. What Took So Long?

August 26, 2021 • The late R&B star Aaliyah's catalog has started to arrive on streaming, starting with the 1996 record One In A Million — made in an era now being re-examined for how it treated famous women.

Aaliyah's Catalog Has Started To Arrive On Streaming. What Took So Long?

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The Joys And Complexities Of Revisiting Aaliyah's Music

One In A Million took Aaliyah's air of mystery and the laid-back vibes, and reworked them to help pioneer a new way forward in pop and R&B. Catherine McGann/Getty Images hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Joys And Complexities Of Revisiting Aaliyah's Music

August 25, 2021 • At 14, she stood out for her cool and "mature" demeanor. But at the heart of that persona was a youth lost too soon.

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KMazur/WireImage

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Aaliyah: Essentials

August 25, 2021 • It's been 20 years since the untimely passing of Aaliyah in a plane crash when she was just 22. In that time, her influence has been felt everywhere in music and pop culture, even though the bulk of her catalog has been notably inaccessible to fans — until now. Aaliyah's second studio album One In A Million finally became available on Spotify for the first time, and more of her discography will be released in the coming weeks. And today, we're looking back at some of Aaliyah's essential tracks.

Aaliyah: Essentials

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The Runaways perform at CBGB's in New York City in August 1976. Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

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Turning The Tables

The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women

July 24, 2017 • NPR's list of the greatest albums made by women, from 1964 to the present.

From The Isleys To Aaliyah To Frank Ocean, The Evolution Of 'Love'

Frank Ocean released an Aaliyah tribute, "At Your Best (You Are Love)," on the late R&B singer's birthday. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

August 26, 2001 • 22-year old pop music star and actress Aaliyah was killed late last night in a plane crash in the Bahamas. She already had two platinum albums and two Number-One singles before she graduated from high school. Host Lisa Simeone spoke with Steve Jones, a music critic for USA Today about the role Aaliyah played in the contemporary pop music scene.

Aaliyah

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Bob Dylan performs on stage during the 21st edition of the Vieilles Charrues music festival on July 22, in Carhaix-Plouguer, western France. Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

Why Some Musicians Last

September 20, 2012 • It's hard to know in the present what the future will sound like. History tells us that the most popular musicians don't always survive their era, but tiny gestures and innovations often influence the next generation.