Her 1996 follow-up, One in a Million, pushed R&B into the future via production duo Timbaland and Missy Elliott’s skittering beats and forward-thinking songwriting, earning Aaliyah the nickname of the Queen of Urban Pop. By the time she reached her mid-teens, Aaliyah gained significant footing in the R&B world with her 1994 debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, which was highlighted by the energetic party-starter “Back & Forth” and “At Your Best (You Are Love),” an elegant Isley Brothers cover.
Aaliyah competed on the TV talent show Star Search at age 10 though she lost, Aaliyah performed in Las Vegas a year later with the esteemed Gladys Knight, her aunt through marriage. Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn in 1979, raised in Detroit, the artist was surrounded by music at an early age: Her mother, who was also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in voice lessons as a preschooler.
By combining angelic vocals with a quiet confidence and hip-hop flavor, Aaliyah brought a new edge to R&B in the ‘90s.