Aaliyah’s 2001 Self-Titled LP at 25: Every Track Ranked
Categoria: Musica
The groundbreaking project was the last album she'd release before her death in 2001.
Por Billboard | 07/07/2026
“I think that she knew that she was not the girl to be blended in with the herd,” producer Eric Seats recalled to Vibe in 2016 about the making of the record that would permanently confirm Aaliyah as a singular talent. Building on the sonic adventurousness of 1996’s One in a Million sophomore set and a pair of soundtrack smashes (1998’s “Are You That Somebody?” from Dr. Doolittle and 2000’s “Try Again” from Romeo Must Die ), Aaliyah’s eponymous third studio effort arrived in 2001 to push R&B into places it had rarely been before. In turn, it inspired a generation to break free from the boundaries which, in the genreless Spotify age, now seem archaic. Indeed, recorded during her downtime from filming Anne Rice adaptation Queen of the Damned , the LP – which, thanks to its striking portrait artwork, is also known as “The Red Album” – incorporates everything from Latin pop and neo-soul to funk, hip-hop and even industrial rock. It could have been a commercial disaster, but both her longtime fans and new converts were left excited by its experimentation, resulting in a string of hit singles, two Grammy nominations and, eventually, a place atop the Billboard 200 . Of course, Aaliyah’s opus will always be tinged with tragedy. Just over a month on from its release, and having just shot the video for its planned second single, the 22-year-old singer – along with all seven members of her entourage and the pilot – were killed when their plane crashed soon after takeoff from the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands. But her self-titled set is a work that ensured that “Baby Girl” will never be forgotten. To celebrate its 25th anniversary on Tuesday (July 7), here’s a ranking of its 14 tracks from worst to best.