One in a Million - Aaliyah (CD 2001)

The Main Idea
1996 was a big year for seventeen-year-old Aaliyah. She broke away from mentor/producer/ex-husband R. Kelly and released her sophomore effort, One In A Million, which featured a much more diverse array of collaborators than her debut, including Jermaine Dupri and Rodney Jerkins. However, what remains gratingly apparent on this record is that Aaliyah still hasn't found her own sound and instead relies on new mentors Timbaland and Missy Elliott to guide her. Though it remains a fan favorite, I consider One In A Million to be Aaliyah's worst effort, simply because it's so bland and placid. At least her first album was soulful; this one is just overproduced and tries desperately to keep up with R&B's ever-changing tides.

The title cut and first single ushered in Aaliyah's new sound very appropriately. One In A Million is a smooth, mid-tempo dance tune that Aaliyah delivers effortlessly with her blend of class and attitude. It's got a good bassline and Missy Elliott's background vocals are also superb. Timbaland's production adds just enough to the track without overpowering it. The edgier If Your Girl Only Knew was also produced by Timbo and, though it doesn't have a very good hook - "She would probably leave you alone/She would probably curse you out and unplug her phone/I bet she'd be glad that you was gone/And then she wouldn't have to worry" - the slightly darker, heavier sound of it is a nice change. The guitars and drum kicks are excellent, and Aaliyah really pulls out some of the smokier aspects of her voice quite well. Everything's Gonna Be Alright was helmed by a pre-Darkchild Rodney Jerkins, but you can still tell it's one of his productions. It's funky, fresh, and danceable with a great beat and a catchy hook, though that hook becomes pretty damn repetitive by the end of the song.

I'm not really digging Aaliyah's version of Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up, mostly because it features some very annoying vocals from Slick Rick. The production is a little cheesy and bubblegum and Aaliyah's vocals sound hollow and soulless; the remix of this song is much better. I Gotcha' Back, produced by Jermaine Dupri, is nothing to scream about, either. It's a nice smooth, mid-tempo tune that Aaliyah delivers well, but something about the production just isn't right. It's probably the little "ow ow"'s in the background; it's just nothing special. It's obvious by Heartbroken's simple hook makes it all-too obvious that it's another Timbaland-helmed track: "I'm tired of my heart being broken/I'm tired of these tears falling down my face/I'm tired of this love being taken for granted/Won't you go your way." Production-wise, it's nearly identical to "One In A Million" and Aaliyah doesn't do anything special with it vocally, so it's skippable.

Hot Like Fire sounds a lot like some of Missy Elliott's early material, though I don't like her ad-libs here. Aaliyah's vocals are as sweet as ever, but don't suit the more production-heavy sound of this hip-hop/dance cut. Some of the sound effects are cool, but it's actually pretty annoying, though catchy. Missy's presence is also felt on Ladies In Da House, on which she delivers a very stupid, immature rhyme. Really, it's just retarded, and I don't know why it was even included. I don't like the stuttery lyrics of this one, though I like how Aaliyah and Timbaland trade lines on the hook. The beatboxing beat is great as well. A Girl Like You has always been one of my personal favorites, mostly because I like the contrast between Aaliyah and Treach's vocals. It's catchy as hell and the sampling gives it a very soulful sound, especially with those horns. Aaliyah sounds sexy and playful here, which only adds to the song's allure.

Aaliyah covers yet another Isley Brothers tune here; this time, it's Choosey Lover, a great choice for her vocal style. It's smooth and sensual with a great electric guitar and calming vocals; one of the best things about Aaliyah is that she never oversings. This track actually includes the original version and a "new school" remix, the latter of which sucks horribly. This was not meant to be a hip-hop song. Anyway, The One I Gave My Heart To is the record's big, booming, Diane Warren-penned ballad and features one of Aaliyah's best deliveries ever. She starts out soothing and soft, then soars with emotion and strength towards the end; I never knew this girl could sing so well! The dramatic production and acoustic guitar are lovely as well. Never Givin' Up is a duet with some guy named Tavarius Polk, which is good because it would be rather forgettable if it didn't include him. Tavarius and Aaliyah's voices mesh almost perfectly together, and the old-school soul vibe and quiet piano of this tune compliment those vocals well.

Giving You More is another mid-tempo R&B ballad that's fairly decent, since Aaliyah pulls it off well, but it just doesn't stand out enough to be anything truly remarkable. The hook isn't particularly catchy and the production is repetitive, making it one of the album's weakest cuts. It seems like everyone in the world loves 4 Page Letter except for me. I think the whole lyrical concept is really cheesy and Missy Elliott's background vocals are annoying and clash horribly with Aaliyah's. The production is typical Timbaland and the track itself isn't particularly innovative or soulful; I'm just not a fan of it. Never Comin' Back is also pretty irritating; I don't like the way Aaliyah acts like she's talking to the crowd at a show. The whole call-and-return thing is played out and needs to just go around; Timbaland's boring old production and more of Missy's vocals really don't help either.

Final Thoughts
On her first record, Aaliyah sounded like nothing more than R. Kelly's puppet. Now, on this record, she sounds like nothing more than Timbaland's puppet. Aaliyah's got a lovely, unique voice and a smoky, sexy quality about her, but it's just not displayed enough on One In A Million. Of course, Aaliyah was still only seventeen at the time and obviously had no clue what direction she wanted to go in musically, but that's made a bit too apparent on this record. She jumps from overproduced party jams to cheesy cover tunes to dramatic torch songs all within the space of fifteen minutes or so, and those transitions do not always go smoothly. One In A Million was just another stepping stone in Ms. Haughton's career. Though it signified the end of her relationship with R. Kelly and has its bright spots, it did nothing to establish her as a real artist with a definite sound, and that's what's really lacking about this album.

Key Tracks: "A Girl Like You," "One In A Million," "If Your Girl Only Knew," and "The One I Gave My Heart To"

Great Music To Play While: Searching for an Aaliyah/R. Kelly sex tape, rocking tacky, oversized black sunglasses, attending JD's funeral (oh, sweet dreams...), having a weird Hebrew name that not even Mr. Shake-Your-Bon-Bon himself can say, giving new meaning to R. Kelly's "Bump & Grind,"and finally running out of amusing things to type in this section.

Other Albums By This Artist: Age Ain't Nothing But A Number,Aaliyah,I Care 4 U