Evolution of Aaliyah.
Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton was a style icon in the 90's. Her mellow attitude exuded sex appeal. However her style didn't. The late R&B singer brought sexiness to the tomboy appeal, as her music evolved as did her style. In this post I will be talking about how Aaliyah's representation changed within the same time as her albums released.
Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
Age Ain't Nothing But A Number came out in 1994 when Aaliyah was 15 years old. As you can see in these images Aaliyah's style screamed tomboy. This is done through the use of her baggy clothes, short hair and little dark make-up. It suggests that she is the type of person is who cute not sexy Typically not many girls in the 90's dressed like this. however Aaliyah representing this style had many girls then and now dressing to something similar to her style. As you can see in the first two images Aaliyah isn't really trying to be sexy; she seems a lot more comfortable. However in the third image she has put a spin on her own individual style. By Aaliyah wearing her clothes in this style the use of the crop top highlights a cute sporty type persona but again she cover it through the use of baggy clothes. By showing off her boxers she leans more to the masculine way of dressing reinforcing a tomboy stereotype. This trend was popularised by her bringing a sense of sexiness to a tough exterior.
In this album Aaliyah said that she felt as if her songs came at the audience quite tough, a bit edgy, hip-hop, but the vocals can be quite soothing. She went on to say, that lyrically she wants things to be different. The feel of the album gives a sense of just her hanging out with her friends partying. this is done through her songs, 'Back & Forth' 'Down with the Clique' and 'Young Nation'. Even through those songs you could sense her tomboy exterior. However in songs such as 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number' 'At Your Best (You Are Love)' and 'I'm Down'. Suggested adult themes unlike her style. It was as if she was represented to a tomboy who could also be sexy. Christopher John Farley of Time magazine described the album as a beautifully restrained work. That Aaliyah's girlish, breathy vocals rode calm on R.Kelly's rough beats. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic describe the singles as slyly seductive. From this I believe that Aaliyah's style represented a unconventionally beautiful girl with a tough masculine tomboy exterior who could also be seen as a love interest.
One In A Million.
One In A Million came out in 1996 when Aaliyah was 17 years old. In these images you can see the different stage of Aaliyah's style. From being in tomboy chic she went to seductive with a hint of urban chic. In this era of her life Aaliyah decided to opt a style which involved her covering her left eye with her hair. The preferred audience for this representation i believe is for man. As in this image she is really sexualised. As you can see in this picture Aaliyah is just posing in a sultry manner a very common pose used in the 90's. Aaliyah isn't conforming to any convention but creating her own genre tomboy sexy chic. She has changed from her complete tomboy innocent exterior to sensual and seductive with and urban twist.
In this album Aaliyah came across as fierce and sexy. The element of tomboy in her music was now eliminated. However it was sort of replace with a party vibe. Like the previous album an element of urban was still present this is seen in songs such as 'Got To Give It Up.' The albums name sake 'One In A Million.' and 'A Girl Like You.' Two of these songs were paired with a male artist which gave it the urban vibe paired with her voice it was an unusual mix. In Vibe magazine Dream Hampton described Aaliyah as deliciously feline, comparing her to Janet Jackson. Q magazine said that her smooth, sweetly seductive. Since its initial reception, the album has been recognized by writers and music critics as redefining the genre coming into the late 1990s and solidifying Aaliyah's position as a key figure in R&B music. In a retrospective review,Slant Magazine Slant Magazine said that it is "undoubtedly one of the most influential R&B albums of the '90s," and credited it for establishing "Aaliyah and the Timbo family as undeniable hip-hop forces." Allmusic viewed it as a significant improvement over her debut album with "greater variety of material" and producers, and called Aaliyah's voice "smoother, more seductive, and stronger than before". The album was ranked number 90 on Rolling Stone 's 100 greatest albums of the 90s. It was also listed as one of 33 Hip hop/R&B albums in Rolling Stone 's "Essential Recordings of the 90s".
Aaliyah.
Aaliyah self-titled album 'Aaliyah' came out in 2001 when she was 21 years old a few months before she passed. This is when Aaliyah style was in full circle. Once a girl who refused to wear dresses and had her own urban tomboy look has now changed into a completely feminine look. I feel as if here she is trying to conform to the style of the noughties as this outfit is the style girl groups such as Destiny's Child wore and Singer Brandy liked. No longer wearing her hair short and wearing baggy clothes it is as if Aaliyah made a complete juxtaposition with her style. This translated into her music as if she grew out of her tomboy phase and wanted to celebrate being feminine.
Songs such as More Than a Women and Rock The Boat.' Are very suggestive and even contribute to her look as well as new attitude. She came across as more mature more of a women. There was no middle ground. she had evolved successfully. Brad Cawn wrote that Aaliyah demonstrated Sade's grace and Missy Elliott's daring with fashionable neo soul that was "equal parts attitude and harmony, and all urban music perfection".
