Is Aaliyah not the most overrated dead celebrity?

You have issues OP. How disrespectful and immoral. Watch yourself

R1, you’re a tad over dramatic.

r1 Immoral? I didn’t speak ill of her as person. She seemed like a nice enough girl. She just wasn't the singer/artist that people make her out to be. She was a middling talent.

She had hits, and it’s a little ridiculous to compare her to Brandy and Monica when they had a HUGE SMASH with The Boy Is Mine and their styles in the late 90s were more pop than Aaliyah. Aaliyahs sound was more urban.

She also was a great entertainer with a naturally large presence.

You don’t need a big voice to be a singer.

I was a teen when she died and I can tell you that no one cared about her until she passed. It was the first time I noticed virtue signaling, although I didn't learn about the concept until much later

Isn’t that the case with many celebs that die tragically? I bet you had James Dean lived no one would care about him after a short while and he would have faded into obscurity

r4 The thing is, she is compared to Brandy and Monica but rated above them. People have rewritten history to the point where she was the biggest R&B teen star of the 90s when that’s just not true. She doesn’t deserve her “princess of R&B title”. Monica is R&B through and through. I would argue that Brandy’s music is predominantly R&B too. They just had great crossover success.

I’ve seen Aaliyah perform. She was not “great”. She was okay. I also don’t rate many of the women you named highly so I don’t know what point you were trying to prove there.

"Try Again" by Aaliyah is on the March 2003 GAP In-Store Playlist!

"I'm Getting Used To You (Radio Mix)" by Selena is on the April 2000 GapKids In-Store Playlist!

Before she died, the only songs of hers I'd heard were "Try Again" and the one from the Anastasia soundtrack. But in fairness, I was in my early teens and mostly listened to pop rather than R&B at that point. She did have a pleasant, if generic, voice.

Sure, she would have been nothing without Timberland. But she was his muse and her voice was perfect for layering. And pretty much all of her songs have aged gracefully, still sound current. ( by stark contrast to someone like Justin Timberlake, another Timberland protege)

She had hits since very young (she was 15 when Back and force was a hit) and her relationship with R Kelly is part of the whole mythology.

Anyway, i don't think her after death hype has a lot to do with being very successful but with the fact that a good bunch of R&B big names think she was special and had a great talent.

I remember Frank Ocean making an homage a couple of years ago

And about Selena, i think it had to do with the fact that you never know what would happen with her.

She was a big tex mex star, but that's a very niche kind of music. She was about to release her first album in english at a time that the number of latino stars having success in english was very low. And of course his death was very tragic

Entertainment Tonight crowned Selena THE MEXICAN MADONNA!!!!

Tragic deaths shouldn’t be a reason to exult someone higher than what they were or what they could have been

Selena had a beautiful voice . I think she would have done very well had she lived.

Selena was far more entertaining and pleasant than J. Lo. Dear God, if only Selena had lived, we may have been spared talentless J. Lo.

Anyways, I do think Aaliyah is overrated in her death but I think like someone else above said her music is still very listenable today. And I don't think its true she would have been nothing without Timbaland. Her hits with R. Kelly sound good too (although, yes, the title Age ain't nothing but a number is creepy, especially in retrospect). She was more savvy than Brandy or Monica--she was planning to do some duet with Trent Reznor and she had her eye on things outside of R&B. Does anyone believe Beyoncé knows anything? I mean WITHOUT her handlers?

R15: Maybe, but she was a star on her kind of music, she was very young and it seemed she had a bright future ahead her.

And come on, a tragic death made wonders for James Deen or Marilyn Monroe. Everybody knows that if you die young your legend is magnified

Umm... Princess Diana. Overrated TRASH. If my mum knew I thought that she’d murder me. x

With Aliyah it was two things, the scandal with R Kelly which resulted in her first album, then Missy Elliott and Timbaland writing and producing her second album One In a Million. That album was very innovative and influential as far as production and Aliyah was a belter like Monica so it fit with the music. And while Aliyah was sexy like all the other pop tarts at the time, she had a more cool detached sexual energy than the out loud pop singers at the time.

I was in high school in the late 90s who listened to alternative radio and hated the predominant hits on pop radio, but “Are You That Somebody“ creeped me out enough that I liked it (the baby rattles and Coos). I still like that song to this day and it does hold up.

Aaliyah had a decent voice, but what made her more unique than the Brandys and Monicas and Beyoncé’s is that she was willing to branch out more of genres and experiment. She wanted to work with Jonathan Davis of Korn and liked Nine Inch Nails. She was also getting parts in movies at the time (aside from Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned, she had a small role in the Matrix franchise that was recast later after she died, etc.).

I think she would’ve been very successful at different endeavors had she lived, although probably not Beyoncé-level singing career for decades. She had a really strong drive and was open to things her peers weren’t interested in, so my guess is she would have kept singing and maybe doing music that was interesting to her but also focusing on other career aspirations (ie like Rihanna and her successful fashion line, which she now focuses on more than music).

She's overrated due to colorism.

She was pretty damn good in Queen of the Damned, and I didn't expect that from her at all. I don't think her death was overrated, you rarely hear about her these days, she's only ever brought up in connection to R. Kelly.

I do have a sweet spot for her because “Are You That Somebody” off the Dr. Dolittle Soundtrack was one of my favorite songs when I was starting puberty haha.

Does anyone think that Freddie Mercury was overrated? Or was he really that great, and just not appreciated in his lifetime?

Because dying middle-aged is almost as good for your legend as dying young!

How the hell was Freddie Mercury not appreciated? He didn't sell out arenas with Queen so people could watch him sweep the stage...

Aaliyah was a “whisper coo” just like Jabba. So overrated. She was better as an actress. OP is correct, she would be like Monica or Ameríe if she lived. The black community loves lionize any black celebrity who dies, especially when they die you. She was a creepy creation of pedi RKelly.

[quote] There’s something about a woman dying young and attractive that does something to people.

It's not just women. It's every young and attractive celebrity. Look at James Dean.

It's because of the WAY she died, OP. For the same reason people still talk about The Day The Music Died, despite the fact that nobody under the age of 100 remembers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, et all. Young people dying in a plane crash is horrific, which is why that kind of tragedy captures people.

Aaliyah's death was especially horrific, though. If I can remember correctly (don't quote me on this) everyone onboard The Day The Music Died plane was killed instantly. Aaliyah and everyone on board her plane didn't die in the actual crash like Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. They burned to death. Aaliyah died burning to death. THAT'S why.

Aaliyah was talented. I agree she wasn't a vocal powerhouse like Brandy or Monica. But she and Myá were excellent performers. Aaliyah had (pedo) R. Kelly and Timbaland producing her albums which gave her distinctive sound. I think had she lived, she would have still had a career. She was more talented than Ashanti and Cassie. Only Beyoncé and Ciara would have been rivals but I think she could have held her own against them. Timbaland possibly would have given the sound for "Promiscuous" and "Say it Right" to Aaliyah rather than Nelly Furtado.

Aaliyah and Selena may be a bit overrated but they are still leagues more talented than what came after them like Fergie, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Cardi etc. etc.

Selena had a fucking great voice and you're worse than Hitler for saying otherwise, OP.

Also overrated does not mean they are bad or untalented.

Beyoncé and Lady Gaga are talented for instance but they are still overrated by the media.

I've always wondered what Beyonce's career trajectory would have looked like if Aaliyah didn't die. She seemed a lot more personable and charismatic than Beyonce, who comes across as a bit of an empty vessel.

Aaaliyah was popular because of her collaborations with Timbaland and Missy Elliott. Who knows where she would be today? Most likely the same place Ashanti, Ciara, Monica, and Mya are.

I think Beyoncé is hardworking and talented but she was also lucky.

Ashanti had issues with Murder Inc which hurt her career. Amerie was a flash-in-the-pan. Cassie was just a no-talent pop tart that nobody took seriously. Keri Hilson and Keyshia Cole's nasty attitudes ruined their own careers.

Ciara was Bey's real competition for a while but they coexisted. Ciara being more the dancer and Beyoncé more the singer. When Rihanna came on the scene, she got a huge media push, Jay-Z got her the best songs and she was stunningly beautiful which is why she lasted longer.

Imagining Aaliyah in this environment would be quite interesting.

I can’t conjure up any of her songs in my head. I did see Queen of the Damned and I remember her being okay. Not really a demanding role.

It's absolute bullshit to say that nobody talks about Aaliyah except when the subject of R. Kelly comes up. What a misogynistic thing to say. Aaliyah was able to thrive after leaving R. Kelly. One in a Million and her self-titled remain two of the most influential R&B albums of the last 30 years. Missy talks about her on social media often. She's beloved by many artists today and often trends on social media, especially the anniversary of her death.

The real shame is that her estate has handled her catalogue with, well, contempt. So much of her music is not on streaming and some of her albums are out of print. An artist as beloved and iconic as Aaliyah should have her music catalogue treated with the utmost respect.

Same for many other singers who died young.

Hell, even I liked her. Every single (younger than me at the time) white girl I knew adored her above all of the other black female artists of the time.

You know how sassy black women like to say, “that’s some white people shit”?

Aaliyah is some black people shit.

She was great fun in the otherwise terrible Queen of the Damned.

Why are so few images showing up lately?

[quote] Beyonce, who comes across as a bit of an empty vessel

Beyoncé had a complete image makeover starting with I Am Sasha Fierce. She stopped giving interviews and went from being a fun-loving pop star with songs like "Baby Boy" and "Ring the Alarm" to having a more artful Goddess type of imagery.

She had way more emotions before that image makeover.

Corey Monteith has that crown, OP.

r40, that doesn't make any sense. That line is used when referencing a behavior, not an individual.

Nah, most overrated has got to be Marilyn Monroe followed by Diana.Most underrated tragic celebs were Carole Lombard and Patsy Cline imo.

I think Aaliyah would have wound up going mainly into acting. Just a hunch. She was quite charismatic.

Aaliyah, Brandy and Monica were all prototypes for Britney and her clones. Aaliyah was cool with Britney and NSYNC though

[quote] She would be a hasbeen right now just like her 90s teen peers Monica and Brandy.

Brandy isn't a hasbeen. She killed somebody with her SUV while texting.

You people don't remember that Brandy was a huge pop star in the 90s and had her own successful sitcom Moesha? She was in a Cinderella remake with Whitney Houston and was in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Also her vocals were praised given her very young age.

I think she lost crossover appeal when she went more full-on R&B. Full Moon and Afrodisiac were great albums though and aged well. Her career drying up was likely due to that hit-and-run. She kept taking long-ass breaks between albums and plus newer music is also kinda boring.

[quote]Aaaliyah was popular because of her collaborations with Timbaland and Missy Elliott. Who knows where she would be today? Most likely the same place Ashanti, Ciara, Monica, and Mya are.

Strong disagree. I believe she would have gone into acting and stayed there.

Romeo Must Die was reviewed horribly but still did well at the box office, Queen of the Damned (which sucked but she was fun) and her later cut appearance from The Matrix when she was also scheduled to appear in The Matrix: Revolutions meant she was on her way. She was pulling off what those other girls (save Brandy who you didn't mention but was around) couldn't. She was also considered prettier than any of them.

And to be fair, Ciara knows she never has to work again while she's popping out kids for Russell Wilson and he keeps playing for the Seahawks. They're set.

Ciara and Mya still make pretty good music in my opinion. Brandy for some reason can't put together a cohesive album since Afrodiasiac.

r18, who is James Deen, Paula Deen's nephew?

I liked Aaliyah better than Brandy and Monica back in the day. She had a hipper image than those two.

Aaliyah had a great catalog of songs. She oozed sex and had the IT factor. Brandy was a dog who made Rebecca Gayheart look like Driving Miss Daisy. Remind me OP, did Brandy receive a Golden Globe for I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in '99 or '00? Monica was pretty also but her personal life got in the way of her music.

I think that honor goes to Amy Winehouse. At least Aaliyah had a handful of hits and wasn’t trash.

Brandy was cute and fashionable and love her music and all. But that said, she had a mean streak and was a diva. Wasn't she rude to Countess Vaughn on the set of Moesha because Countess was a much better actress and a natural comedienne who stole the show from her? I think she fat-shamed Countess too. Brandy had an eating disorder herself.

Also Brandy needs let Whitney go, she keeps bringing her up all the time. We know Whitney was her mentor and idol but it seems almost unhealthy. Also she keeps promoting her no-talent brother Ray-J who is more famous for fucking Kum KKKartrASShian on camera than any of his music and "acting". And finally, I don't like that she has been playing the victim with her hit-and-run. YOU MURDERED A WOMAN! Nobody is sympathizing with you, sorry!

I remember Monica’s cheekbones, she seemed so elegant to people unaware of her personal issues, it was only years later that I realized how hood she was. Aaliyah was the girl who was cooler than everybody, and Brandy was more taylor swift black american sweetheart. Aaliyah probably wouldve moved on to acting eventually though.

Mya is left out of all these conversations but I do enjoy a lot of her recent music. It's not amazing but it is great music to just chill and vibe to. She is the weakest of the bunch vocally.

I think right now, it's all about SZA, HER, Summer Walker and Lizzo trying to compete with each other for mainstream success. Ella Mai, Ari Lennox, Jhene and Tinashe are more for their fans at this point. And Normani is overhyped and has done nothing of note yet.

Didn't her "entourage" overload her tiny plane and cause it to crash? I seem to remember reading this somewhere.

Interesting that none of Brandy, Monica and Aaliyah had those ginormous mega-butts. They were tall and skinny, almost waif-like even. When did this diaper butt thing start.

She's compared alongside Monica and Brandy because they all came out at the same time, with Aaliyah coming out first, then Monica and then Brandy.

[quote]Also Brandy needs let Whitney go, she keeps bringing her up all the time. We know Whitney was her mentor and idol but it seems almost unhealthy.

Didn't her brother also have a part in killing Whitney?

[quote]Didn't her "entourage" overload her tiny plane and cause it to crash? I seem to remember reading this somewhere.

Yes, sadly.

The extra weight -- and the way in which it was distributed -- most likely contributed to the plane's crash shortly after takeoff, said John Frank, executive director of the Cessna Pilots' Association.

According to a report released Thursday by the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department, the plane was loaded to within 805 pounds of its maximum takeoff weight, not counting the weight of the nine people on board -- one of those a 300-pound bodyguard.

"Clearly the airplane was above its certificated gross weight when it took off, by several hundred pounds at least," said Frank.

Most overrated dead celebrity?

Ahem.

[quote] They were tall and skinny, almost waif-like even. When did this diaper butt thing start.

It seemed the beauty standard in the 90s was thin and athletic in general. Even Destiny's Child were quite skinny when they made their debut.

I think rise of rappers and fetishization of women like Jennifer Lopez, Melyssa Ford, Amber Rose, Kim Kardashian and other video girls is a bigger reason for it.

For the rise of big booties.

I know it’s a bit of a cliché to be resentful of these things, but she made the In Memoriam segment of the Academy Awards the year after she died. However, nominated, and long time fan favorite, Dorothy Maguire did not. The Academy’s response was that there wasn’t time for everyone. That was one of the reasons I gave up ever thinking that the Oscar telecast was something to be taken seriously as anything other than a commercial enterprise.

And all *I* knew how to do was take off my clothes!

R54, Some of Amy's music is good but I can never listen to it, I always have to go listen to cover versions of her songs because I can't stand her gargle mouth singing. I blame her for all the mush-mouth singers out there today.

She definitely had "it". These white suburban kids were screaming like crazy when Aaliyah entered the room.

A lot of Aaliyah's appeal was her personal style. Dark. She was the antithesis of the pop princess image that was so popular at the time (late 1990s) That made her unique and made people curious. She was remarkably beautiful. Janet Jackson said Aaliyah was one of the most beautiful people she ever met. She was a trend setter for sure. The slick music she made was the icing the cake.

Aaliyah was one of the last pop stars to have genuine mystique, I think that's what keeps people so captivated with her so many years later. She never discussed her past with RKelly, and kept her personal life a mystery after that. Her death coincided with 9/11 and think that's what keeps her death in people's memory as well.

I never paid any attention to Aaliyah. I would love to have seen what Left Eye would be doing if she had lived.

It has been a long time since I've seen this video.

This thread made me go back and look at it. I just remember being freaked out by the snake when I was younger. There really was something about her.

I'm also struck by how beautiful she was. I felt the same about Ciara years later but Aaliyah was just perfect. There wasn't anyone that had that combination: attractive, could sing and could dance from her peers.

(And yes, I had her poster on my wall.)

[quote]I think Beyoncé is hardworking and talented but she was also lucky.

Yeah people don't realize how lucky Beyoncé was. Kelly was the first break out star from Destiny's Child and had a huge megahit. Ashanti had multiple hits charting. That could've killed Beyoncé's chances alone. Beyoncé herself has said over and over that her label didn't like Dangerously In Love at first and thought it would be a flop with no hits. The go-go DC sound was not popular at the time but Beyoncé pulled it off with sex appeal and showmanship.

Beyoncé's solo career started way after Aaliyah's, I dont even compare them TBH. I think of Aaliyah as a 90s artist and Beyoncé as a 2000s artist.

I’ve always thought Abe Lincoln was the most overrated dead celebrity.

[quote]The real shame is that her estate has handled her catalogue with, well, contempt. So much of her music is not on streaming and some of her albums are out of print

You know as much as that sucks, I think her estate made up for it by releasing Rock the Boat shortly after she died, along with all the footage of her making the video, literally hours before she perished. They could've never released it, but they did. That was shortly after 9/11. Watching Aaliyah come back to life in that video was a huge moment. That event is what made her "overrated in death", if you want to call it that. She was venerated in the hip-hop and R&B community after that.

[quote]Kelly was the first break out star from Destiny's Child and had a huge megahit. Ashanti had multiple hits charting. That could've killed Beyoncé's chances alone.

I'm not saying she wasn't lucky in some way. I'm just saying that Mathew Knowles was never going to let Kelly shine more than Beyoncé. I'm sure he was shocked that "Dilemma" was such a huge hit before Bey ever truly got on her own two feet. I was surprised Kelly waited so long to fire him as her manager and get her own people. Of course when she did her record label dropped her and she had to start anew but at least she did it.

As for Ashanti, Mathew was slick. Destiny's Child "Survivor" came out in 2001. Ashanti's first self-titled album came out in 2002 and that clashed with Kelly Rowland's "Simply Deep" solo album. (Even little Michelle had her solo "Gospel" album out and while it may not have been a hit with general audiences it did do well with the gospel set so good for her. HA!)

Bey's solo album, "Dangerously In Love" came out in 2003. Ashanti's, "Chapter II" came out the same year as you mentioned but then they went and put out "Destiny Fulfilled" in 2004, before Ashanti could release "Concrete Rose" at the end of that same year and that was it for Ashanti. Gone for the next 4 years.

While I'm sure luck was involved, I think it was also good planning. He kept those girls in the spotlight year after year with either a Destiny's Child release, a solo album or one of their various film projects. It's kind of amazing how fast people used to get new music out when you think about it.

[quote]Even little Michelle

not "little" Michelle! 🤣

Imagine if she'd ended up with him instead of Bey.

Aaliyah being with R. Kelly and Dame Dash... Beyoncé with Jay-Z... Kanet with Jermain Dupri.

I don't and will never get it.

*Janet

At least Chilli got Usher and Ciara got Bow Wow in their prime despite the toxicity of the relationships

"I think that honor goes to Amy Winehouse."

Good one! She actually had a hell of a voice, but her career was so brief and spotty that she never accomplished much with it.

Aaliyah didn't have a big voice but she still could sing. She sang acoustic and live plenty of times too and while a bit shaky and nervous, she held her own.

People confuse being loud and yelling to be "real singing". I guess Patti, Whitney and Mariah made it that way. See also: Mary J, Beyoncé, J Hud, Xtina and the worst offender Jessica Simpson.

R78 it's about power.

I thought she was still alive?!

Aaliyah and twink Timberlake

I do believe she would have had a huge singing and acting career had she lived

OP aren't you just a ball of sunshine.

I think Timbaland would have given Nelly Furtado’s second wind to Aaliyah had she not died, but her music career probably would have dried up by the late 2000s and she would have focused on acting. The camera looooved her so she would have been very successful.

She would have had the career Beyonce bought for herself.

1 Thing by Amerie is one of the ugliest hit songs ever made

Amerie runs a book club now and is promoting literacy. I respect that she is doing something that will better society.

R91 her YouTube channel is cute.

“Are You That Somebody” is my favorite Aaliyah song by far. I first heard it in high school and thought the baby rattle plus the cooing was freaky but then I grew to like it and the melody she sang.

And the dancing in the video looks amazing. Aaliyah was a star.

[quote]Romeo Must Die was reviewed horribly but still did well at the box office

Romeo Must Die wasn't really a movie that featured her. It was Jet Li movie that sometimes had scenes with her in them.

Same with Queen Of The Damned. Everyone else in the movie did all of the acting. She was barely present.

Aaliyah really was a fashion icon. I feel Aaliyah and Janet both had really great style that aged pretty well. Style and sexiness are innate in my opinion. Mariah, Beyoncé and Britney always looked so tacky to me in comparison. MAC recently released a makeup line inspired by Aaliyah.

She made everything look so effortless, the way strutted around in the 'Try Again' video made me rewatch it again and again. For me the trio of 'If Your Girl Only Knew', 'Are You That Somebody' and 'Try Again' are absolute classics and all stood the test of time. Would she have hit a commercial peak on her next album after 'Aaliyah'? we will never know, but yes id like to think she would have, as someone else mentioned maybe she would of got some of the material for Nelly Furtados 'Loose' album. I hope they sort out the problem with her streaming music issues this year, its such a shame!