Aaliyah’s Unstoppable: Controversy in 2022
Few would’ve – or could’ve - predicted the overall calm that surrounds the beginning of this year. Even with rising cases of the thing that shall not be mentioned, the news is relatively slow otherwise. At least, in mainstream media. Black Twitter has been having a field day in the past few weeks, with the announcement of Aaliyah’s second posthumous album, Unstoppable, at the end of January 2022. And so the controversy began.
One of the first elements that were derided throughout the internet was the release of the song “Poison”, featuring the Weeknd, as the single. A mid-tempo R&B song that brings the - no pun-intended - ghostly elements of the early the Weeknd with Aaliyah vocals should be good. While I personally enjoy the track due to its perfect mixture of both of the artists’ vocals within the story told, many do not enjoy it. Some attacked it for being disrespectful, as The Weeknd’s vocals are clearer than that of Aaliyah… Which is something that I won’t attack given that her vocals were laid in 2001 and The Weeknd almost twenty years afterward.
The second controversy that arose from the announcement of Unstoppable would be the guest features. Consisting of Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Drake, and the aforementioned The Weeknd, one can immediately see that there are only men in this lineup. Some fans would’ve enjoyed having female artists that were directly influenced by Aaliyah, such as Jhené Aiko or Ciara. While I do see the point and do somewhat agree that it would be nice to have some representation from women who were inspired by Aaliyah, I feel as if it is a nit-picky point. A lot goes into acquiring artists to do features on a song, including deals, conversations, and much more than most fans will ever see, therefore, I do not blame the record company or the estate for that.
The final - and the most damning - of all of the problems that have been called out in the creation of what has been touted as being the last Aaliyah album is abuse. Careful considerations of the men that were selected to be a part of the album presents a varying degree of misogyny, starting from questionable lyrics to full-blown domestic assault. This is often telling, as many are aware of Aaliyah’s uncomfortable and certainly illegal relationship with R. Kelly. It makes me question who this album was made for: the fans? If so, they do not understand that many of the fans of Aaliyah would not support abuse or misogyny in any way. While I believe that my opinion is mute in this discussion, I do believe that this is something that needs to be examined by many more people and talked about.
With a flurry of final considerations, Unstoppable will be released. Using what’s left of Aaliyah’s discography, this is most likely the last time that we will hear new music from the songstress. All I can say, on my end, is that I will do my best to enjoy the project for what it is; the swansong of an iconic artist gone too soon. The controversies, whether I consider them valid or not, should be secondary to the music. Parts of conversations and articles that eventually flow in the wind. Let’s enjoy Aaliyah one last time, like fans.
What are some of your predictions for 2022? Do you agree with my list or would you have added or taken away something from the list? Sound off in the comments below, follow on Instagram at @YongeEntertainment for more unfiltered comments on rap, the community, and music in general.