Happy Heavenly Birthday, Aaliyah: Fem Film Icon Spotlight

 

Aaliyah, photographed by Joe Wright.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton. 

Every time this January date arrives, it remains hard to stop imagining what would have happened if Aaliyah were still alive, still blessing us with edgy music and sleek dancing as well as advancing in her acting career. She had an incredibly layered vocal range coated in honey tinged softness— and she held back a lot, didn’t let us hear the full capacity of her depth. Furthermore, her screen presence delivered vivacious elegance in both her own classic music videos and in the cameos she brought to her friends Lil Kim and Missy Elliott— a unique style combination blending urban aesthetics with sophisticated fashion. She was in a class all her own, often duplicated yet no one else compared.  

Aaliyah singing on Star Search. 

Born on the same day as one of her favorite singers the enigmatic Sade, Aaliyah first performed at age ten on Star Search, choosing a sweet and hearty rendition of My Funny Valentine. Her loss to her competitor became our eventual gain. She would release three albums—two of which remain on heavy rotation ever since the days of middle school when the kids were performing the One in a Million beat on the cafeteria tables. Hard to believe that that iconic song did not win a Grammy (nor any other Aaliyah effort) proving that the show doesn’t always have the best musical record. She came out with an air of mystery, eye covered by a fringe of dark hair, soft spoken and articulate, effortlessly beautiful. 

Aaliyah was that 90’s cover girl from Sophisticated Black Hair to Teen Vogue. 

On the verge of pending stardom, Aaliyah starred in only two feature-length films— Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned, both directed and written by men. Even though this almost mirrors her musical history (with the abuser producer of her debut and Timbaland who has said weird comments about her), it was always wonderful seeing her with other incredible women— Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, 702, Changing Faces, Da Brat. She was set to star in the two Matrix sequels, Honey, and Sparkle— a film produced by Whitney Houston who looked forward to working with her. If only she had been supported and cared for, Aaliyah would have remained an unstoppable force, continued to be everywhere, smiling with such an infectious grace. 

Aaliyah in the Matrix sequels (scenes were reshot with her replacement Nona Gaye), as Trish O’Day in Romeo Must Die, and Akasha in Queen of the Damned

On August 25, 2001, the world lost the commendable Aaliyah in an awful, terrible way. During that time, we had been utterly riveted by her interviews—her excitable nature, her esteemed intelligence, her sweet humor, and her supreme modesty. She desired to branch out, to explore her artistry— testing out new sounds, playing new roles— the true sentiment of an entertainer. 

And although she didn’t get to show us as much as she hoped, we are forever grateful for what we received from her. 

Memorable Aaliyah quotes:

“Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want. If God gave you the talent, you should go for it. But don't think it's going to be easy. It's hard!”

“When I'm long gone, I want to be remembered not just as an actress or singer, but as a full-on entertainer.”

“I stay true to myself and my style, and I am always pushing myself to be aware of that and be original.”

“You have to enjoy your job; you should wake up every day and love what you do... I honestly do... From the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. I'm truly happy.”