Please Don’t Release Posthumous Aaliyah Songs If They Sound Terrible
We all miss the fallen icon, but dropping subpar releases after her death is straight-up disrespectful
If you’re going to release a “new” song from Aaliyah, it should at least be audible. That not only meets the bare minimum for any musical release in 2021, but when it comes to Aaliyah specifically, it’s a sign of reverence for someone who managed to become one of the most influential artists of her generation by the time she passed at 22. Anything else is not only disrespectful to her, but to her fans who’ve been put through enough over the years simply trying to obtain digital access to her discography.
Earlier this month, Blackground Records suddenly (and randomly) released the single “Poison,” which features The Weeknd. It marks the first release of new Aaliyah music since the 2012 single “Enough Said,” with Drake.
On the new record, Aaliyah sings: “How can I explain myself to you? Questions keep lurking through my mind. Is it the lover for the time? I’ve given my heart, my joy, my soul to you. If it is real, I sure can’t see.”
Unfortunately, the previously unreleased vocals sound poor — especially when juxtaposed with those of The Weeknd. Now, I am nothing but a victim of public education under then-Governor George W. Bush, so you can imagine that my public arts education was clipped after a while. Still, even I can tell that the song’s mix is, respectfully, fucking terrible.
The Weeknd sounds like 2021; Aaliyah sounds like she’s recorded in a closet back in 1991. Who heard this and thought it was a great idea to release? There is no way people heard this and thought it was the best they could do.
The vocals sound as if they were taken from an old TalkBoy. If you don’t know what that is, congratulations, you have so much youth ahead of you. For the rest of the millennials, Gen Xers, and others, y’all know what I mean and y’all damn well that ain’t…
