Virgin
Urban Contemporary, 2001

Hmm, all I can say is Aaliyah’s self-titled third album is smooth and perfectly produced. Slick, creamy, and faultless. Thing is, the young lady’s thin, uninteresting, and bland vocals cause this snooze effect to take place. There’s only so much interesting voice layering effects one could do with her voice in the studio before the blandness starts showing.

Her slick, smooth tunes are definitely perfect for love and smooches in the backseat of your daddy’s car, especially when no one is paying attention to the radio. While less accessible and radio-friendly than anything Aaliyah has ever done, there are some great tunes, like Try Again and the wicked Extra Smooth and U Got Nerve. These less conventional, interesting R&B and hip hop tracks are what make Aaliyah great, but at the same time, too many long, draggy ballads of lurve and kisses and muah-muah-muah-oh-baby’s also drag this one down to Snooze Central.

Best listened while snogging or with the remote control at hand.