Celebrate Aaliyah's Heavenly 44th Birthday With "Are You That Somebody"

BYHayley Hynes5.1K Views
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RIP to the Princess of R&B.

Each and every August, fans of the late Aaliyah mourn her untimely death, but when her birthday comes around in January, it marks the perfect occasion to celebrate the Princess of R&B's life. This year, we're specifically streaming "Are You That Somebody" in her honour.

Released in May of 1998, the song has chiefly gone on to reach critical acclaim and influence artists long after the vocalists' tragic passing. As The Rolling Stone Album Guide previously put it, Timbaland's production acts as a springboard for Aaliyah's voice. R. Kelly's, on the other hand, was more of a "cradle."

Singer Aaliyah (1979 - 2001) attends the premiere of 'Planet of the Apes' at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, 2001. (Photo by Steve Eichner/Getty Images)

As Genius notes, the song was surprisingly first recorded for the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, and even earned a Grammy nomination. In the past the late 22-year-old was known for singing ballads, but this introduced the world to a new side of Aaliyah.

"Is it my go, is it your go? / Sometimes I'm goody-goody / Right now I'm naughty-naughty," she flirtatiously sings on the catchy chorus. "Say yes or say no, 'cause I really need somebody / Tell me are you that somebody."

The accompanying visual sees Aaliyah showing off her keen sense of style and expert dance skills.

In his usual fashion, Timbaland got creative with sampling for "Are You That Somebody." He used a baby's coo from Prince's "Delirious" which remains talked about in music history to this day.

Stream Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody" on Spotify or Apple Music. Afterward, find this week's new music recommendations on our R&B Season playlist here.

RIP.

Quotable Lyrics:

But if I, if I let you know
You can't tell nobody, I'm talkin' 'bout nobody
Are you responsible?
Boy, I gotta watch my back, 'cause I'm not just anybody

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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