It’s so weird seeing people use Aaliyah to degrade other female artists when Aaliyah herself was never about that when she was alive. She refused a movie role once because it was making fun of Brandy, and yet people think it’s okay to tear down other women in her name? Madness.
Oh my god I never knew! Thanks for sharing it is always a joy to learn new things about her instead of the same old regurgitated stuff Id like to think by collecting and sharing little known facts keeps her legacy alive. So, I’ll share one as well. Once on the set of Romeo must die there was a cast mate making fun another cast mate for being an openly gay man and Aaliyah stood up for him and shut that shit that down immediately as you know one of her stylist/ hairstylist by the name of Eric who unfortunately passed with her in the accident was also an openly gay man.
@@hunni2968it’s so refreshing to hear that and I’m with you on wanting to hear new things about Aaliyah. I’m so tired of the reductive and repetitive conversations about her
@@lulujones she was offered to play Brenda from the Scary Movie franchise, it was meant to be a parody of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, which Brandy was in; Brenda's character was a parody of Brandy's character.
The internet: "Man if Aaliyah was still alive she'd be so much bigger than Beyonce." Me: "Man, If Aaliyah was still alive you'd all be trash talking her the same way you trash talk Beyonce. So sit your racist ass back down and get a job."
i understand but not everybody is racist. i’m a black woman and this is not racism. they just like to unnecessarily comparing WOMEN. it has NOTHING to do with race.
@@lexo420 It was actually when she was 15, and people who were around them at the time said he’d been raping her when she was at least 13-14 because they’d caught them on a tour bus. Keep in mind that they’d met when she was 12 and he was 24.
I love how you pointed out how much Aaliyah was a goth/grunge girl. In so many Aaliyah fan tributes they don't really mention how dramatic she was and how alternative her interests were for a black girl at that time. It makes it even clearer how a lot of these comparisons are skin deep bc agree if she was still here we'd probably have some kind of alt rock project taking her in a totally different trajectory than Beyoncé
it's crazy because homegirl was really talking about how much she loves reading vampire novels, only wants to wear all black most of the time and grinding to get that trent reznor collab but when it comes to her goth adjacent side folks be like🙈
Right Beyonce is more counry/boho. But also GLAM and DRAMATIC. But aaliyah was more goth and grunge but also y2k with black leather, baggy pants. They werent the same at all.
Yes… Part of the reason why I loved her so much is because she was an Alt black girl. We don’t get represented enough, she was my representation and I miss her.😢
They'd sooner blame a 19 year old rnb girl group member for a plane crash than to hold accountable predatory men who took advantage of this talented beauty while she was alive.....and then hypothesize the "bigger" career she would have had as if Beyoncé hasn't in stats or cultural impact surpassed many who came before and after Aaliyah🙄
Honestly, I think that if Aaliyah were still alive today, she'd be a scream queen. I remember seeing an interview with her when she was promoting Queen of the Damned and she was talking about how much fun she was having playing Akasha and that she hoped to play more monstrous women in her acting career. She had a dark side and as a fellow goth girlie, I respect that.
Exactly! I said that she would be like a ciara. With a amazing husband, STRONG fanbase, but instead of singing all the time. She'll DOMINATE acting. She'll be in the most coolest movies and drop am album anytime she pleased. And she would do more fashion/modeling.
"Beyoncé is a successful black woman, and that is enough for people to want to humble her" and its sadder that they use another black woman to do it. Neither of which would or could or want to be compared. Really says a lot. Also to add to the stay, try to do it before Chloe dropped her album where Chloe and Halle were performing everywhere at the VMAs and people were constantly comparing her to Normani. It was so annoying to just watch. It was neither a manufactured rivalry nor a genuine rivalry people literally just started doing this in the comments, sections of videos, and on social media It's okay for 2 Black Women to exist in the same place.
People treat Chloe the way they treat Beyonce, and people treat Halle they way they treat Aaliyah (after her death). They critique Chloe, and deify Halle.
I don’t know why people have to bring race and sex into everything. All stars are compared to one another and scrutinized……also it’s mostly BLACK fans pitting Aaliyah and Beyoncé against one another and perpetuating conspiracy theories. I wish people would get lives and break their parasocial bonds with frivolous celebrities who don’t care about them.
@@AnonymousC-lm6tc Well, the person who created the video is black and I am black and this is mainly a black problem that Black people do/see in our community. How black performers specifically black women are and have been treated has been well documented. It is a bit weird that you're asking why people have to bring up a race while simultaneously talking about how it's mainly black fans doing this so...
I will always be angry at how little was done regarding Aaliyah and R. Kelly’s “relationship”. If they’d taken her and even Tiffany’s abuse seriously, then he wouldn’t have gotten so much money to do the things he did (the tapes, the studio beds, etc.), and he wouldn’t have been able to hurt as many people as he did.
I’ve noticed some of these people weaponizing Aaliyah against other Black female artists (mainly Beyoncé) aren’t even old enough to remember Aaliyah like that, which makes it all the more ridiculous. I love Aaliyah but there’s sooo much revisionism around her career it’s crazy. I place much of that blame on Aaliyah’s uncle, banning her music from streaming for 20+ years damaged Aaliyah’s legacy.
I find this so fascinating that people have this tendency to mythologize the deceased. Aaliyah was an amazing talent but at the time she was highly scrutinized because of what mostly seems like jealousy and misogyny, but in death she is no longer a threat. There were so many people who dogged out Aaliyah when she was alive. She was described as a promiscious and accused of seducing men and being hypersexual even though she was the victim. She was described as not being black enough due to changing music interests and when she modeled for Tommy Hilfiger. B gets constant shade. But B and A have very different sounds, styles, and vocal ranges so it never makes sense to compare them.
Sadly that was just the damn 90s. They said that about every black singer at some point. However the hate was a whisper compared to her light. She was a force and nobody said that shit to her face 😂. Aaliyah was very intelligent and it was understood mofos are hating. She had a great reputation and was pretty beloved. But you are right her death has added a lot of extra shit. Aaliyah was just Aaliyah. Back then you it was normal to like more then one artist at a time. You were seen as weird if you were a stan. Hence the name. But now a days people idol worship which diminishes the actual work of the artist. Aaliyah had great music, a great team and a great additude. She wanted to go to college and supported a lot of great things. She wasn't full of herself which was refreshing. She felt like she could be your friend on the block. I'm glad I was alive when she was and can sith though facts and fiction
Beyoncé just gets the ppl going. Weaponizing Aaliyah isn't even really about her at this point. It's about trying to humble the "uppity lightskinned creole witch" and downgrading her career and accomplishments because no way could she possibly deserve them. And Aaliyah isn't even the only artist this happens with, Beyoncé fans already know the deal.
Right. The first thing you encounter as a Beyoncé fan is seeing ppl force bey to take accountability for every washed up 2000s r&b singer lmao. Beyonce is the evil witch that somehow sabotaged keri hilsons flourishing career or stopped ameries bag like they create fantasy to humble her
There are people who just want Beyonce to be less. Less visible, less audible, less socially relevant, less everything. So they champion any cause that they think would make her shut up and go away.
@@ealusaid Exactly. And it's strange because Beyoncé HAS pulled back from the spotlight in a lot of different ways. She rarely does traditional media or rollouts and hasn't for 15 years now. She keeps her engagement strictly to her art and performances and ppl still have an issue.
@@MissAlmostFine Sadly, that part makes perfect sense to me. It's not about what Beyonce the person does or doesn't do, but their whole perception of her as a social phenomenon. Beyonce can drop an album with absolutely no fanfare, but a lot of people only hear about it because they see a screencap of a Tweet about how Our Lord and Saviour Beyonce has once again chosen to gift us with a work of art far beyond our mortal deserving, and the haters just think, "Ugh, I'm so tired of hearing about her. She's not actually THAT good." It's depressing because even when you have the best PR team in existence, you can't really control what other people think of you at the end of the day. But it's also liberating because it's proof that it actually is possible to succeed and thrive in spite of people, without ever having to make them see the light.
I always think these takes on Aaliyah are so gross because she is not alive to defend herself. She is frozen in time, and people get to WILDLY extrapolate and exaggerate whatever they think she might have thought or believed. But that sad truth is she's not here. And I'm positive that once Aaliyah was no longer the cool girl to these people, their toxicity would be out in the open, and they would say some truly outrageous hurtful things.
I have great respect and admiration for Zendaya for not taking the role of Aaliyah in her biopic, as she didn't want to proceed without the blessings of her friends and family. The project was made anyway, with Alexandra Shipp.
That movie was very disrespectful. The thing that pissed me off was the romanticizing of her relationship with R Kelly even though Aaliyah was a child.
@@kamsismith Agreed, Adult/teenager relationships should never be romanticised, since there is a power imbalance, and she could consent from a legal standpoint.
I was very angry that Wendy Williams, the producer of that movie, didn't care about Aaliyah and her legacy similar to Andrew Dominik not caring about Marilyn Monroe and her legacy with Blonde. Blonde is the reason I'm very skeptical of Back to Black, the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic. This is why people(more so, people of color)need to tell their stories and stop letting people who don't care about their subject(s) and their accomplishments create movies, TV shows, and documentaries about them.
I still remember how she shared her favorite music videos and she chose really heavy and dark stuff like Corn and Nine Inch Nails. it was so awesome and suprising. It's such a shame that we didn't get to see what she would've created next.
@@gingerkitty1425 I don't know either. I still remember when my friend offered to write "Korn" on my backpack with a glitter glue pen, he wrote "Corn." :(
I feel like it's an extension of the racist idea that 'all black people look the same'. As if all black female artists are interchangeable and nuance isn't a thing. It's gross.
This is so wild. Because when she was alive, it was absolutely unheard of to pit them against each other. At least not in my circle or in any 90s-00s media I consumed in middle & high school. I find the nostalgia around Aaliyah and Sade to be veryyyy weird on social media tbh.
We were so spoiled in the 90s for excellent black entertainment in all forms of media. The only fighting I remember were the east/west coast rappers. And it turns out that was manufactured by the studios.
Thank you. I grew up with an older sister that loved Aaliyah and Destiny’s Child so I listen to them both a lot growing up. I’m a huge Beyoncé fan now but I definitely lead more towards Aaliyah when I was younger because as you said she was giving me goth girlie. And I was an emo kid lol From her listening to rock music to, driving a motorcycle, to the tomboy outfits, to often wearing black, to Queen of the motherfucking damned LOL
Male artists are given more agency to control who they beef with and compare themselves to. But female artists get compared when they're just making their art in the same space as other women. I think you're right to use the word "humbling." Famous men are competing with each other. Famous women are competing with US, the fans, the public. We only have enough energy to uplift one woman at a time, to the point where famous women will try to uplift each other and we'll reject their love for each other wholesale. Those comments under the Aaliyah tribute made me so upset, because can you imagine being Beyoncé and reading those? Someone she knew, who was in her industry, who she actually met, died tragically, and she and her group make a tribute to that person, and people speculate on how "real" her feelings are because THEY want to draw comparisons and pit women against each other. I'm glad you made this video cuz this conversation is so cathartic
They don’t just think her feelings are fake, they think she played a part in the girl’s death. Like 20 year old Beyoncé plotted and schemed to successfully have a major celeb murdered and just got away with it. It’s absurd.
I loved this video and it was very needed. The constant Aaliyah comparisons need to stop I even remember people doing that to Ciara it made zero sense Also there's a possibility Aaliyah's career could have gone the same way as Brandy and Monica her contemporaries and sadly if she was still here she may have been ridiculed by R. Kelly fans like when she was alive. I am sick of this Highlander esque "there can only be one" attitude when it comes to Black women in entertainment. This is why I love this current era of women in hip hop because we're spoiled for choice just like we were in the 90s/early 00s
people also forget that when aaliyah's self titled album was, when it first came out, people really slept on it. it returned to number one after she passed but who knows if it would have gotten the appreciation it deserves. that's another aspect that saddens me because if you look back at the numbers, people were paying her in dust more than they weren't. she had to die for a lot of people to appreciate her and that sucks
I think you can really see the, “there can only be one Black woman”, when you hear all of the Beyoncé and Rihanna comparisons. Both have completely different voices and performance styles and make completely different music, but because both were Black women doing pop and R&B, that was enough for people to think they were worth comparing. It shows how little people value having many different Black artists in a single industry over having one they can pin all of their expectations to, but it also shows how bad people are at basic music criticism.
Right, for all we know, Aaliyah could have decided she didn't want to be part of the music industry and could have retired after her last album. So many things could have happened and we will never know because we don't live in that alternate universe
Thank you! We have the top acts and there black! Aaliyah Beyonce Nicki Minaj Rihanna. Need I say more. If there was only one star in the sky nobody would look up
you know im not much into calling out race but the thing with Brittany and Aaliyah was like the only time i heard someone not at least mixed black be compared to her.....thats weird i think...
They do this with Beyonce and everyone. Since Latoya and Latovia were removed from Destiny's Child there has been this anti-Beyonce movement. "Beyonce isn't as pretty as..." "Beyonce doesn't sing as well as..." Beyonce doesn't have as much money as..." Taylor Swift, Aaliyah, Kelly Rowland, Kim Kardasian, models, singers, actors, dancers, random people who sing in local neighborhoods, even Michael Jackson. Everything this woman does someone, somewhere can tell you how it is evidence that she is evil. Preachers have preached sermons against Beyonce IRL. It's crazy.
Also Beyonce invited them to her concert a few night's ago. And most of these blogs didn't post it...they live of her drama but never show when she does kind things.
@@Samaihsimmons-ex2nc Right! The people involved have resolved the issue and the world just won't let go of whatever happened when they were all teenagers. At the time, I doubt Beyonce had very much control of those decisions anyway. We always forget that these celebrities are people. 🤷🏾♀️
They were doing it even before LeToya & Latavia left, it was ‘she’s not even pretty and can’t sing’ 🙄 Beyoncé taught me from a young age that being really pretty and talented, won’t save you from unfair criticism, even if people act like they want to see that
@@nelsonmakay2522and TLC outsold anything Destiny‘s Child put out, as did the Spice Girls so what is the point? Comparing a pop group on a mainstream label to a solo artist on an independent label. Aaliyah was solo from gate while the other one needed an interchangeable girl group and Jay-Z to finally pop when she did have the balls to go solo cuz lord knows that shit with Amil went nowhere just like Work It Out went nowhere
The sad thing about Black singers being automatically labelled « R&B » because of their skin color is that it hasn’t died. Rihanna often gets this label despite most of her songs being pop, pop rock and her biggest hits being electro pop. Aaliyah’s sound was very diverse as her last album proved, it truly is a shame that people who love to throw her name around all the time won’t acknowledge that. Miss her so much 😢
Okay shout out to missy Elliott for still being a real one. It’s wild to see her pop up in the collabs with so many smaller black female artist. She’s such an underrated powerhouse in the industry.
I’m also sick of the comparisons between Aaliyah and Beyoncé. The use Aaliyah and even her tragic death to tear down Beyoncé’s accomplishments and talent. Both of them were in their own lanes. I honestly don’t get why Beyoncé receives so much hate. She is by far one of the best entertainers of her generation.
The esoteric-conspiracy theories around Beyoncé be too much sometimes, the people posting them are the real energy vampires, feeding on the success of another person and stewing in envy
I was around for that 90's era... Aaliyah was a boss. Beyoncé is a boss. 90’s Brandi, 90’s Monica-- they were all so unique and talented. I'm just really happy Aaliyah isn't forgotten 💗
It's literally because Beyonce and Aaliyah's careers had a similar career trajectory a la Star Search and Beyonce's career rose astronomically post-Aaliyah's death. That's it. I'm old enough to remember how shocking Aaliyah's death was and I was young enough to have petty thoughts like "Why couldn't it be Britney???!" I like Britney now, but she annoyed me back then. It's also Millennials holding onto their youth through the now sanctified Aaliyah and the potential of who she could have been. When people die at a young age, people will always try to rationalize it or find meaning in it. The Aaliyah vs Beyonce rhetoric helps people cope through the senselessness of Aaliyah's death 🤷♀️ People gone people.
one time i was telling my friend how much i liked a new Erykah Badu album and he said "oh she's cool but Lauryn Hill will always be #1" like YOU DIDNT HAVE TO PICK A FAVORITE can you not give credit where credit is due to multiple black women?? thanks for this video 💖
Thank you!!!! No one who loves Aaliyah should say these kinds of things, it's so cruel to both Aaliyah and Beyonce. Aaliyah is respected and remembered, she had an impact, we don't need to bring other women down to appreciate her.
This comparison are from these newbies who weren't around. They had their own lanes. One was R&B and one was pop. They had their own distinct looks and sounds.
such a refreshing aaliyah vid! giving them both flowers while also pointing out how beyoncé is constantlyyy bashed and pitted against her, & u got nerve was playing in the background! subscribed! lol
I imagine the alt-timeline where Trent Reznor works with Aaliyah and they become a powerhouse music couple in the early 2000's. She seemed like his type and would of been down to work with her. I notice in a lot of the goth side that Aaliyah is fairly well liked and a lot of folks wish she was alive to see how she would of moved in that space and her portrayal of Akasha is generally considered one of the few good things in that movie. Both ladies were on such a different style and career path that seems so absurd to compare the 2.
There have been so many stories of Aaliyah working with Destiny’s Child but people still decide to pit them against each other. So I’m going to acknowledge some of them right now. - Aaliyah’s Uncle Barry Hankerson admitted that him and Aaliyah were fans of Beyonce and that sometimes she would come in the studio to help Aaliyah write songs. “Beyonce’s Beyonce I’m a fan of hers Aaliyah was a fan of hers and to Beyoncé’s credit Beyonce actually came to the studio and helped Aaliyah write some songs and she was very non egotistical in that point of view which I appreciate because I’ve worked with a lot of artist that the ego we would have to move some furniture to get them in a room” - Aaliyah helped choreograph the video to “Get On The Bus” for Destinys Child. - In an early interview Destinys Child was seen rehearsing to Aaliyah’s “Came To Give More Love” - In the behind the scenes of Beyoncé’s “Best Thing I Never Had” Music video there was an Aaliyah poster in the background of Beyonce trying on clothes - There’s a video on TH-cam where Beyonce Is singing “A Change is Gonna Come” at one of her concerts and in the back its showing various black legends and one of them is Aaliyah. - Aaliyah shouted out DC when she was hosting TRL and complimented their “Survivor” video. - There is a very old photo of Beyonce wearing a sweatshirt with Aaliyah’s face on it - Beyonce gave Aaliyah a birthday tribute on her website - Aaliyah’s referenced in Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” remix - On the 15th Anniversary of her Death Beyonce posted the video of their interview on instagram
@@FlyBeautyLady Did they dispute what he said or are you just assuming because it could be very likely that it did happen. Just because they didn’t say anything doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Beyoncé ain’t wrote no damn songs of her own without 100+ writers and she damn sure ain’t wrote anything for Aaliyah. Stop believing Barry’s lying ass.
I really appreciate the videos you've made about misunderstood women who died young. Brittany Murphy and, now, Aaliyah. They fought so hard in such predatory industries and under an unsupportive public eye. The compassion you have and the space you make for them comes through
near 4:06 when #Aaliyah was alive some did pit her against #Brandy. Not cool. Aaliyah once looked in the camera and responded *"There's enough room for both of us."* Which is so true; with *she* and other singers, back then. Comparing *greats* isn't nice.
Thanks for making this video! Misogynoir is so damn ugly! There has and will always be room for everybody, and why that is so hard to understand is really beyond me.
A collaboration between Korn and Aaliyah or Aaliyah and Deftones would've been immense. If I remember correctly "Change" by Deftones was on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. I didn't know that she loved rock and metal music! The media loved to compare women to each other, and that's just stupid because they all have their own unique styles! Britney and Christina, Jennifer Lopez and Selena, Beyonce, Brandy, Monica and Aaliyah, and Aaliyah wasn't the type to give into that notion either, she didn't want that. She really did live up to her name, as she was _truly_ "the exalted one". (I think Beyonce is brilliant, and I think all of these aforementioned women are absolutely fantastic, whilst J.LO isn't a fantastic singer by any means, she makes up for it in being a great actress and dancer). Beyonce and Aaliyah had different fashion styles, Aaliyah had a more tomboyish/gothic style and Beyonce was more bohemian. They had different producers, Aaliyah had Timbaland producing her music and I think Beyonce had Diplo, Tricky Stewart and Rich Harrison.
And actually, the Joan Crawford/Bette Davis feud was manufactured to an extent as well. Be Kind Rewind did an extensive two part video on it. The press and gossip columns printed stories about a feud that both actresses expressed confusion on for years - Bette even being quoted as saying "there's room for both of us on the Warner lot". They barely interacted for most of their careers, as they were under contract to different studios for the longest time, and Joan accepting Anne Bancroft's Oscar on her behalf was the first tangible bit of tabloid evidence for the feud. And then it spilled over into a real life one, with them not getting along on Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. And even after Joan's death, Bette still called her a professional who knew her lines and nailed her scenes. The actual person whose guts she hated was Faye Dunaway It's just so exhausting watching people pick sides or treat this like a wrestling match where there's a face and a heel. I do a lot of Charmed content and it is infuriating to put up with the Shannen Doherty vs Alyssa Milano 'feud' that, similar to the Aaliyah situation you detailed, ignores the actual bad people who treated them both terribly - the showrunner (Brad Kern) who made fun of Alyssa when depression resulted in some weight gain or else showed off Shannen's Playboy to the writers room, the execs actively pitting the actresses against each other to stop them asking for more money, the network not giving them the resources they needed to do the show justice or the press themselves and everything they did to try and sell magazines. Never mind the actresses deny that there was ever an ultimatum on one of them leaving or that it's possible for two people to not get along or disagree creatively the way men do without it being called a catfight
I teared up when you talked about what Aaliyah wanted to get into next before she passed, wanting to get into UK garage and collab with Korn would be legendary 🕊
I had no idea that people were comparing Beyonce to Aaliyah, especially to this extent. The only similarities they have are that they are both Black women that make R&B music. But their aesthetics, their singing voices, their sounds were so different from each other. People just love grasping at straws.
those comments are soooo tiring. Especially the Illuminati ones. like we are grown adults and people are still leading with that as if we’re still in middle school
I didn't know this pretend beef was a thing, but it disrespects Aaliyah's memory. Also, I love that you continuously pointed out her as a low-key goth girly. She was only a few years older than me, and I recognized that in her (fellow low-key goth girly) and loved her for it. I could see her going down a different path music-wise if she hadn't died.
Aaliyah was a great artist. She definitely one of the biggest “what it’s” and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see how big she could’ve become. But, some of these Aaliyah fans are very toxic and crazy. They don’t see her as a actual human being…it’s like because of the fact she passed, they propel her up to be this pinnacle of perfection who is a godlike figure, which is a very unrealistic view to have. I’ve seen this behavior with other celebs who passed at their peak, they are compared- and their existence is used to put down artist who are similar to them.
Another great video! u talk abt how fickle the public’s mind is and I agree. Who knows if those same people would care abt Aaliyah today if she didn’t match up to their image of what they wanted her to be. I kinda got chills w/ one of your last points about how much everyone kinda looks the other way regarding how the adult men treated Aaliyah and instead chalk it up to beyonce being the perpetrator (who was also a young woman sexualized by men 10+ years her age). It’s so easy to attack black women before supporting and protecting them which hurts to see. Anyway, love them both and very glad to see a small annoyance of yours blossom into such a good video :)
I’ve always said that the mythology of Aaliyah’s legacy and talent became a thing largely because of the uber success of Beyoncé. She rarely gets compared to other modern-day artists. Just Beyoncé. It’s like they can’t create a current star who sings, dances or performs better so they have to posthumously transform Aaliyah into this singing, dancing sorceress whose mere presence today would have wiped away current-day Beyoncé as we know her..
This. Aaliyah is everyone's favorite artist to weaponoze against Bee because Aaliyah is dead and so they know Beyonce will never have an oppurtunity to actually prove the claims wrong as she has done with every other living artist who was supposed to be a threat. Beyonce has outlasted every single supposed challlenge to her popularity young and old for over 20 years now, but yet the one artist in the world who would have taken her out was the one who died 2 years before she went solo, how convienient of a narrative. Never mind the fact that said deceased artist was not anywhere close to being the biggest female artist out at the time that she passed. Make it make sense.
@@FlyBeautyLady Niether of Aaliyah's albums were 3x platinum in 2001. Her first was only platinum and reached double platinum after she died, her second went double and its still only double platinum till this day. She was consistently moderately successful in her 7 year career but she was not the biggest female or even close to being in the top 5 when she died. She was doing double platinum when Destiny's Child was going 8x platinum. I could write an inflated list of accomplishments like that avout any artist of decent success. Her popularity and relevance were greatly exaggerated after she died.
@@jaysmith9933I have the receipts that literally show this. Soundscan confirmed exactly what her sales were and that girl was already considered multiplatinum by the time she graduated high school. You bitches never know what you’re talking about and it’s embarrassing.
I've noticed this sentiment being echoed on twitter a lot recently and it's so infuriating to see people who seem to think they're paying her a compliment reduce her to a nonexistent would-be rivalry to delegitimize the success of another woman. Also really liked the point of how Beyonce is framed as someone who was more harmful to Aaliyah than the men that worked closely with her that actually were. Very well done breakdown of just how ridiculous and insulting it is to parrot the conspiracy
I often feel that people who compare Aaliyah & Beyonce are also letting their racist slip show by thinking they make the same music just cuz they are black women. And it always comes across as super condescending cuz it follows the thought that black art is just some amalgamation with no precision and it's so fucking racist.
They both made R&B…..it’s the same genre with different variations. Of course they are being compared…..that’s how life and the industry works. Competition drives public interest and success. What rock have you been living under?
This is all us Beyhive try to say and in the end get gaslighted or told we’re discrediting Aaliyah. I appreciate this intellectually honest breakdown. You nailed it.
It's very frustrating to see that manufactured beef still going now, and worse, reaching QAnon levels of insanity. How could someone suggest that Beyonce's had anything to do with Aaliyah's death? It's what awful cheap media does, and reminds me what happened in my country about 10 years ago. A guy and her gf got lost in a mountain area for months. They could only find the gf, obviously shook. But then local talk shows started to theorize that she killed they guy, that she did a reverse Gone Girl on him, and even made a TV series about it. Very bizarre.
Beyoncé and Aaliyah had so many things in common. However, to say that Beyoncé would not be at the level she’s at right now is crazy. She is passionate about performance. She is passionate about the history of music. If Aaliyah were to be alive today, I don’t even believe she would be compared to Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, even SADE and other high performers. Again, Aaliyah would’ve dominated in the film and creative directorial field. People need to understand that multiple black women can thrive in the same room.
@@FlyBeautyLadyYour genuinely slow for that vocal analysis take it’s very incorrect. 2. Compare Bey performances since her debut to Aaliyah till her death. Very much night and day of energy and actually putting on a show
@@FlyBeautyLady she never screamed the song out especially seeing as she incorporated creseando and decreseando throughout her version. And her version linguistically sounds closer to some of the great like Pavoratti when they sung it. Also are you implying Beyoncé’s voice isn’t clear because she has probably the clearest voices in the music industry?
@@FlyBeautyLady I’m black first and foremost. Rhythm is something universal regardless of race there are a million and one white singers with good rhythm and million and one black people who lack rhythm. On top of that you say Beyonce appeals to white audiences but only ONE of her albums had mainstream influences and that was I AM…Sasha Fierce. Other than that her albums never had much mainstream appeal. Just look at the post-4 era she literally made either alternative R&B with Self-Titlted ( A genre that didn’t get much popularity till CTRL and Anti came out in 2016-2017), A Mix of Genre’s with Lemonade, and an entire Afro beats inspired album with the Gift again before the mass popularity of that genre. And she single-handedly brought back a very niche group of music with Renaissance focusing on House and Disco influences. So tell me which of these albums sound like they have mainstream and white appeal. Also Beyoncé has a very soulful voice have you heard her sing Precious Lord Take my Hand, or Swing Low, her Stevie Wonder tribute, and especially Cadillac records and her 4 Album which is essentially a love letter to soul music and funk with a modern twist
As an older goth girlie who grew up in the 00's, right in that sweet spot before Twilight, when Queen of the Damned was our goth bread and butter, I have to say she truly was a goth icon to us!!! You couldn't escape her, any online goth spaces or in real life, she was eeeeverywhere. We really did love her and appreciate her gothness and goths who didn't listen to any mainstream music still loved her cause she was sort of intuitively recognized as one of us by us. She really was very much recognized! I think the younger generations need to know this because this part of the internet is pretty much lost, non archived, flash player gone, this whole culture forgotten. She was THE vampire queen Akasha, our absolute star. I'll never get over what she could've done if she had the time 😢💔
Queen of the Damned had an AWESOME soundtrack! Aaliyah was great as Queen Akasha yet she was sooooooo underused. I wish the movie had followed the Anne Rice book much like the film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire had.
@@danavixen6274 Yes, I also find it funny how even tho the movie underused her and used Jesse as a sort of "Bella" type main girl, no one cared and everyone just simped for Akasha anyways xD
@@3DianaI do agree Jesse (Marguerite Moreau) was made the 'main' girl for the sake of the movie yet she was boring. I was far more engaged when Akasha (Aaliyah) and Lestat (Stuart Townsend) were together onscreen. I believe Aaliyah did live long enough to finish QOTD so director Michael Rymer IMHO was wrong to focus less on Akasha and more on Jesse.
@@danavixen6274 agreed! i also think that's the reason, i don't think it was lack of time, they probably thought jesse was more "marketable", and they were wrong as hell. honestly i watched that movie probably hundreds of times and still had to google her name when i was replying to your comment xD
The thought of a world with both of these women makes my heart smile. We, as a society, have to get into the "AND" mindframe bcoz there never is just room for one.
I think you were absolutely right about A24. The way some people are in love with that studio rather than respecting the filmmakers they hire is ridiculous.
Whew, I'm glad you made a video on this topic. It's something I've been seeing forever which is sad honestly. I think what really makes me ill about the comparisons is that Aaliyah was only 22.. Her career was still ongoing she had much more to give. It's simply unfair to compare a life cut short due to tragedy to one that ended up taking off after their debut
Thank you sm for this video. I’m a huge Aaliyah fan and have been noticing this discourse recently. Those commenters consider themselves fans but can’t even praise Aaliyah without mentioning Beyoncé or conspiracy theories. It’s so disrespectful to Aaliyah’s legacy.
Thank you so much for making this video. It was needed. Aaliyah was a beautiful human, a once in a lifetime talent, and genuine soul. Her life has come down to just her passing, which is heartbreaking, she was so much more. And it's so disheartening and disrespectful to her and also Beyoncé who has nothing but incredible things to say about Aaliyah. Both are talented women, both are legends, and both will go down in history.
Its mostly fueled because of Jayz. People speculate that Aaliyah and Jay had a relationship that was intimate. Its simply not true. Dame dash said everyone was trying to get at aaliyah he just happen to snag her. And the real fued was between those two divos. And even that had little to do with Aaliyah. Beyonce and Aaliyah could of cared less 😅. They were both being fabulous at the same time in their own lanes. Beyonce was dominating the girl group world and Aaliyah was dominating with her movie romeo must die. And the r&b lane. Both of them were riding high at the same time.
Thankyou so much for this video. It has echoed so many things I have thought and seen over the past few years, and it makes engaging with Aaliyah's music online so much more difficult than it should be. The first major musicians in my upbringing were Aaliyah, Mariah, and Destiny's Child. Since then they remain some of my absolute favorites along with Beyoncé. I started typing up different points as I watched this video (and wrote way too much), but I feel like you hit the nail on the head for each of them. But I just want to echo that you aren't tripping, there is just a nasty form of misogynoir, respectability, and purity politics occurring. More than anything I feel like it's a shame that so much of the conversation isn't about what Aaliyah left with us, which was the sublime, genre bending, otherworldly music and performances. I didn't realize it as deeply as I do now (because I was a child), but to be a teenage Black girl in the 90s into her early 20s and accomplish the things she did, with her voice, with her styling, with her performances? It's truly astonishing and not common at all. Other points that came to mind: - It's not only disrespectful to compare someone in their death at 22 years old, but Aaliyah died so young that the majority of her career she was a child. Now that I am in my 30s, I can even see that someone who is 22 is barely into their adulthood. So it just feel so strange and vile to me, for people to talk about Black girls/teenagers in this way. - You alluded to this, but I just have to reiterate that it doesn't make sense to compare a Beyoncé or DC3 to Aaliyah musically or commercially. Destiny's Child were absolutely r&b, but by the time Survivor came out they had extreme pop crossover. Sometimes even getting flack for the production choices on Survivor for leaning away from a more classic r&b sound. But with the poppier sound allowed them to absolutely soar commercially and crossover, while Aaliyah's 3rd album was underperforming due to problems with the rollout and drama at Blackground records. - On top of that I just have to give everyone their flowers and say, the way that a Beyonce, Destiny's Child, or Aaliyah constructed creative projects were so uniquely them. DC was drawing from soul, gospel, r&b. And the unique aspects came from the strange, unique harmonies and vocal production and melodic choices on top of beats that were a little more sparse or repetitive. Often the sound was more about belting, layering, very direct/forward songs where the vocal performance is centerstage (with small curiosities occurring in the background). And visually it was all about a group of Black teen girls/young women who were playing with country-glamour and southern bell aesthetics. In contrast Aaliyah was all about the mystique and effortlessness in her voice, whether she was singing sultry and low or angelic and high. She was drawing from some of the same references, but as opposed to the Southern influences and Gospel-hiphop delivery it was more about the sound that she crafted together with Timbaland and Missy. The production was futuristic and there was an ease and airiness that allowed for the production to be just as centerstage as the voice. And then in terms of genre you could hear her love for the dark, heavy, industrial, gothic, and metal influences. It's really the sort of thing you didn't get to hear from Black r&b/pop artists with the exception of a few Janet Jackson tracks. Visually, the choices reflected the song selection. And so overall Aaliyah originally started off being compared a bit to Brandy and Monica, just because of their ages and identities, by One in a million she was kind off uniquely on her own in the same way Missy and Timbaland were. _ I think a big thing that people overlook, is the harm from the actual adult men in her circle and how unprotected she was since childhood. And additionally, it has been revealed over time how the CEO of Blackground Records (her uncle), had shady dealings that went on to directly affect all the artists and collaborators. Almost everyone who has worked with them had bad things to say, and I feel like Aaliyah was the exception because she was the star of Blackground and related via family. But between the management mishaps, the drama that was occurring internally because of Blackground, I easily could have seen a future where Aaliyah records started to underperform until she got new management, or perhaps she would have focused on acting until the music business dealings became more secure. Anyway this is super long now, but this is to say this video is such a needed balm because I feel like I haven't been able to enjoy the communal aspects of listening to Aaliyah, because of the gross misogynoir on display.
Tried watching this morning getting my 5yr old ready for school… obviously couldn’t concentrate enough… so here I am watching it again!!! And holy shit, what a great video ❤️🔥 I came back to rehear and hear again and again, 18:47
you capture all my frustrations that i have whenever I see these comparisons. And let me tell you, you are not overracting. I know youre not on twitter and that's where you see these comparisons the most. There is not a viral Aaliyah tweet out there where someone isn't bringing up Beyonce. I remember when Aaliyah's death anniversary happened, and it was also arround the time that Renaissance Tour was the talk of social media (still is) and the amount of people that kept bringing up Beyonce was so damn infuriating. People were making stupid discourse about them instead of just celebrating this young woman that they claim to love so much. it's honestly kinda sad
Thank you sooooooooooooooo much for making this. You literally said everything I've been feeling about the comparison. And especially that stupid conspiracy. I'm a new subbie! 👍🏾👍🏾
On the music not being sonically or stylistically similar.... Surprised you didn't mention the Amerie comparisons too😅 they say Bey jacked her sound as if 1 thing wasn't produced by Rich Harrison who produced Crazy in love (which came first) and Green light... But funny enough Ameries own discography doesn't feature much of the go-go sound she apparently owns
To be fair tho Rich Harrison also produced different sound that wasn’t always go-go and more traditional R&B. Like he produced Beyoncé’s be with you from DIL. It always gets me tho that they only say Bey stole that sound, because Mary J bilge and Toni Braxton also had songs produced by Rich with the go-go sound before Crazy In Love even dropped
this is such a wonderful tribute to Aaliyah's legacy, which is so often used & abused & misaligned ❤ also I really think you could do a whole video just on the OBSESSION with "beyonce is overrated" rhetoric. I have loved beyonce since middle school and literally every time I bring her up, somebody has to go on and on about how overrated she is. 🤢🤢
Some people are apparently very concerned with how accurately an artist is rated. They should get together and form a rating board that will advise the public on how highly to speak of artists. This will give them a purpose!
Thanks for introducing me to Aaliyah! I'm not up on pop music in almost any decade, so it's nice to learn about musicians of which I'd been previously unaware.
Right aaliyah was like the girl next door with a DRAMATIC edge. Beyonce was a Tina Turner/diva but sweet with a country/boho look. They are not the same at all. Not one bit. They were cool in the 90s. Beyonce was so far away from aaliyah. The comparison np makes NO SENSE💀💀
I grew up listening to both artists and I definitely remember posts on music forums appreciating Aaliyah career 5 years after she passed. Aaliyah Fans were basically posting how much they missed her music. There were Brandy/Monica fans would posted that Aaliyah couldn’t sing in comparison to Brandy. Then the Beyoncé fans started posting Beyoncé the Queen of all. Thus the fans wars began. The scorpion show had a few videos literally about this fan war years ago.
@@dejstoney I think it's more that casual music fans, regardless of generation, make superficial comparisons often. If you really pull back these comparisons there's often no real deeper musical similarities outside of the race and gender of the artists, sometimes the genre.
this has GOT to be my favorite video of yours, I’ve been saying this forever! And I just could never figure out what to call it “Weaponizing Aaliyah” is just PERFECT
LOVE how you captured my comment in the screenshot lol. I had my shady tendencies. But I'm over it. I now believe a lot of people online are just trolls and agents to keep the Stan wars going just because. Tony Turner discussed this at length. ❤
That's because they are sexual and "weird" for example... adele NEVER EVER had a conspiracy theory. Taylor swift has some but it because she had an edgy look/era called "reputation". Black woman are accused alot of being witches and being evil.
My one (1) criticism is that Betty and Joan started as a manufactured rivalry that turned into a real rivalry. [my main source is from Be Kind Rewind's video on their fued so I understand I could be wrong]
Omg unrelated but related to @17:14. I was recently watching the Fatty Koo (2000s musical group) show & there is a segment where the singer we kno of today, Miguel, auditions to be in the group & hes a bit over the top, so the members of Fatty Koo laugh at him (albeit rudely) & then dont let him join. & all of the comments r like "thats what all of those Fatty Koo members get for making fun of Miguel !" & other things that uplift Miguel & put down Fatty Koo. And i always felt like it was weird for ppl to act like them being mean & moreso insecure that they would lose their opportunity to a man they didnt kno (miguel) is the SOLE reason why their group didnt last longer. As if the group Fatty Koo wasnt fighting predatory record labels (that put them in a tense situation to begin with). Longwinded LOL but ur comment in the vid just reminded me of that issue of ppl pretending that just cuz they LIKE a celeb means that celeb is always in the right & everyone else is wronging them, even if its just a normal interaction. & that ppl can blatantly ignore the outside predators of the situation (in this case the record label that sent miguel to audition as a way to threaten the group members secuirty in the band). Cuz if the tables were turned and miguel wasnt famous but Fatty Koo still was, everyone would probably clown on miguel just like they did without thinking twice about it. Ppl can be so flip floppy. Anyway, love the vid & topic ! U always discuss unique things that r still very relevant to the times ! Edit: heres the vid - th-cam.com/video/0cH5xcVJ67Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=AieGJXmEVsC4ElK3
what you said is true, Honestly Im happy aaliyah was famous in the time she was, because anytime before(80s-) or after(2002+) would've been even worse for her, i can only think about how badly people would've treated her and regarded her nowadays too; these manosphere podcasts, these toxic blogs(tsr,the neighborhood talk etc), and the beefs people would try to create with her and someone else online, bodyshaming her etc.
The original Destiny’s Child dancing to Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody at the end, was a perfect touch. This video is soothing Aaliyah’s goth side was one of my favourite things about her, especially when she did Queen of the Damned The ‘there can only be one’ mentality when it comes to BW entertainment even affects sisters, it’s like a sickness or something. The token Black girl obsession must stop!
Dope video. I think forced manufactured women rivalries within music industry was a lot during the 90s early 00s that’s why I liked how Meg, Cardi & Rapsody push back against the highlander there can only be one women rapper. We can have more then one great artist on top.
It’s so weird seeing people use Aaliyah to degrade other female artists when Aaliyah herself was never about that when she was alive. She refused a movie role once because it was making fun of Brandy, and yet people think it’s okay to tear down other women in her name? Madness.
Oh my god I never knew! Thanks for sharing it is always a joy to learn new things about her instead of the same old regurgitated stuff Id like to think by collecting and sharing little known facts keeps her legacy alive. So, I’ll share one as well. Once on the set of Romeo must die there was a cast mate making fun another cast mate for being an openly gay man and Aaliyah stood up for him and shut that shit that down immediately as you know one of her stylist/ hairstylist by the name of Eric who unfortunately passed with her in the accident was also an openly gay man.
@@hunni2968it’s so refreshing to hear that and I’m with you on wanting to hear new things about Aaliyah. I’m so tired of the reductive and repetitive conversations about her
What role was that out of interest?
@@lulujones she was offered to play Brenda from the Scary Movie franchise, it was meant to be a parody of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, which Brandy was in; Brenda's character was a parody of Brandy's character.
@@hunni2968she was truly the most exalted one! miss her everyday 💯
The internet: "Man if Aaliyah was still alive she'd be so much bigger than Beyonce."
Me: "Man, If Aaliyah was still alive you'd all be trash talking her the same way you trash talk Beyonce. So sit your racist ass back down and get a job."
PERIOD
Allllllllll this
i understand but not everybody is racist. i’m a black woman and this is not racism. they just like to unnecessarily comparing WOMEN. it has NOTHING to do with race.
THANK YOU
They should focus on protecting young people from the monsters in Hollywood and stop comparing children who were abused to random other pop stars.
the people who push these Beyoncé conspiracy theories don't care about children being exploited by powerful men
That part!!! R. Kelly who married Aaliyah or tried when she was 16.
@@lexo420 It was actually when she was 15, and people who were around them at the time said he’d been raping her when she was at least 13-14 because they’d caught them on a tour bus. Keep in mind that they’d met when she was 12 and he was 24.
El oh el😊 her mans is the biggest predator
But protecting young people doesn't make money!
I love how you pointed out how much Aaliyah was a goth/grunge girl. In so many Aaliyah fan tributes they don't really mention how dramatic she was and how alternative her interests were for a black girl at that time. It makes it even clearer how a lot of these comparisons are skin deep bc agree if she was still here we'd probably have some kind of alt rock project taking her in a totally different trajectory than Beyoncé
💜💜💜
it's crazy because homegirl was really talking about how much she loves reading vampire novels, only wants to wear all black most of the time and grinding to get that trent reznor collab but when it comes to her goth adjacent side folks be like🙈
Right Beyonce is more counry/boho. But also GLAM and DRAMATIC. But aaliyah was more goth and grunge but also y2k with black leather, baggy pants. They werent the same at all.
Yes… Part of the reason why I loved her so much is because she was an Alt black girl. We don’t get represented enough, she was my representation and I miss her.😢
Did everyone forget about Queen of the Damned?
They'd sooner blame a 19 year old rnb girl group member for a plane crash than to hold accountable predatory men who took advantage of this talented beauty while she was alive.....and then hypothesize the "bigger" career she would have had as if Beyoncé hasn't in stats or cultural impact surpassed many who came before and after Aaliyah🙄
Exactly.
THANK YOU
Honestly, I think that if Aaliyah were still alive today, she'd be a scream queen. I remember seeing an interview with her when she was promoting Queen of the Damned and she was talking about how much fun she was having playing Akasha and that she hoped to play more monstrous women in her acting career. She had a dark side and as a fellow goth girlie, I respect that.
💜💜💜
Her stylist called her aesthetic ghetto goth in one of her eras!
Exactly! I said that she would be like a ciara. With a amazing husband, STRONG fanbase, but instead of singing all the time. She'll DOMINATE acting. She'll be in the most coolest movies and drop am album anytime she pleased. And she would do more fashion/modeling.
She was a vocal fan of Nine Inch Nails. I so wish we could’ve seen her embrace even more alternative style and performance
Exactly. She’d likely would’ve continued with spooky films. Probably foreign ones
"Beyoncé is a successful black woman, and that is enough for people to want to humble her" and its sadder that they use another black woman to do it. Neither of which would or could or want to be compared. Really says a lot.
Also to add to the stay, try to do it before Chloe dropped her album where Chloe and Halle were performing everywhere at the VMAs and people were constantly comparing her to Normani. It was so annoying to just watch. It was neither a manufactured rivalry nor a genuine rivalry people literally just started doing this in the comments, sections of videos, and on social media It's okay for 2 Black Women to exist in the same place.
ppl were comparing Chloe and Halle to each other too, which is especially sick
People treat Chloe the way they treat Beyonce, and people treat Halle they way they treat Aaliyah (after her death). They critique Chloe, and deify Halle.
I don’t know why people have to bring race and sex into everything. All stars are compared to one another and scrutinized……also it’s mostly BLACK fans pitting Aaliyah and Beyoncé against one another and perpetuating conspiracy theories.
I wish people would get lives and break their parasocial bonds with frivolous celebrities who don’t care about them.
@@AnonymousC-lm6tc Well, the person who created the video is black and I am black and this is mainly a black problem that Black people do/see in our community. How black performers specifically black women are and have been treated has been well documented. It is a bit weird that you're asking why people have to bring up a race while simultaneously talking about how it's mainly black fans doing this so...
@@AnonymousC-lm6tcyou your being INTENTIONALLY obtuse about this matter 🥴.
Aaliyah being only 22 when she passed is just so heartbreaking
I will always be angry at how little was done regarding Aaliyah and R. Kelly’s “relationship”. If they’d taken her and even Tiffany’s abuse seriously, then he wouldn’t have gotten so much money to do the things he did (the tapes, the studio beds, etc.), and he wouldn’t have been able to hurt as many people as he did.
I’ve noticed some of these people weaponizing Aaliyah against other Black female artists (mainly Beyoncé) aren’t even old enough to remember Aaliyah like that, which makes it all the more ridiculous. I love Aaliyah but there’s sooo much revisionism around her career it’s crazy. I place much of that blame on Aaliyah’s uncle, banning her music from streaming for 20+ years damaged Aaliyah’s legacy.
I find this so fascinating that people have this tendency to mythologize the deceased. Aaliyah was an amazing talent but at the time she was highly scrutinized because of what mostly seems like jealousy and misogyny, but in death she is no longer a threat.
There were so many people who dogged out Aaliyah when she was alive. She was described as a promiscious and accused of seducing men and being hypersexual even though she was the victim. She was described as not being black enough due to changing music interests and when she modeled for Tommy Hilfiger.
B gets constant shade. But B and A have very different sounds, styles, and vocal ranges so it never makes sense to compare them.
That part!
Sadly that was just the damn 90s. They said that about every black singer at some point. However the hate was a whisper compared to her light. She was a force and nobody said that shit to her face 😂. Aaliyah was very intelligent and it was understood mofos are hating. She had a great reputation and was pretty beloved. But you are right her death has added a lot of extra shit. Aaliyah was just Aaliyah. Back then you it was normal to like more then one artist at a time. You were seen as weird if you were a stan. Hence the name. But now a days people idol worship which diminishes the actual work of the artist. Aaliyah had great music, a great team and a great additude. She wanted to go to college and supported a lot of great things. She wasn't full of herself which was refreshing. She felt like she could be your friend on the block. I'm glad I was alive when she was and can sith though facts and fiction
There vocal ranges aren’t that different tbh, but yeah.
There vocal ranges aren’t that different tbh, but yeah.
@BurdofSin please show me this song where Aaliyah had Beyoncé’s vocals lol.
Beyoncé just gets the ppl going. Weaponizing Aaliyah isn't even really about her at this point. It's about trying to humble the "uppity lightskinned creole witch" and downgrading her career and accomplishments because no way could she possibly deserve them.
And Aaliyah isn't even the only artist this happens with, Beyoncé fans already know the deal.
Right. The first thing you encounter as a Beyoncé fan is seeing ppl force bey to take accountability for every washed up 2000s r&b singer lmao. Beyonce is the evil witch that somehow sabotaged keri hilsons flourishing career or stopped ameries bag like they create fantasy to humble her
There are people who just want Beyonce to be less. Less visible, less audible, less socially relevant, less everything. So they champion any cause that they think would make her shut up and go away.
@@ealusaid Exactly. And it's strange because Beyoncé HAS pulled back from the spotlight in a lot of different ways. She rarely does traditional media or rollouts and hasn't for 15 years now. She keeps her engagement strictly to her art and performances and ppl still have an issue.
@@MissAlmostFine Sadly, that part makes perfect sense to me. It's not about what Beyonce the person does or doesn't do, but their whole perception of her as a social phenomenon. Beyonce can drop an album with absolutely no fanfare, but a lot of people only hear about it because they see a screencap of a Tweet about how Our Lord and Saviour Beyonce has once again chosen to gift us with a work of art far beyond our mortal deserving, and the haters just think, "Ugh, I'm so tired of hearing about her. She's not actually THAT good."
It's depressing because even when you have the best PR team in existence, you can't really control what other people think of you at the end of the day. But it's also liberating because it's proof that it actually is possible to succeed and thrive in spite of people, without ever having to make them see the light.
Beyoncé has been in the industry for 26 years now ppl can try to humble her she will always be here
I always think these takes on Aaliyah are so gross because she is not alive to defend herself. She is frozen in time, and people get to WILDLY extrapolate and exaggerate whatever they think she might have thought or believed. But that sad truth is she's not here. And I'm positive that once Aaliyah was no longer the cool girl to these people, their toxicity would be out in the open, and they would say some truly outrageous hurtful things.
I have great respect and admiration for Zendaya for not taking the role of Aaliyah in her biopic, as she didn't want to proceed without the blessings of her friends and family. The project was made anyway, with Alexandra Shipp.
That movie was very disrespectful. The thing that pissed me off was the romanticizing of her relationship with R Kelly even though Aaliyah was a child.
@@kamsismith Agreed, Adult/teenager relationships should never be romanticised, since there is a power imbalance, and she could consent from a legal standpoint.
I was very angry that Wendy Williams, the producer of that movie, didn't care about Aaliyah and her legacy similar to Andrew Dominik not caring about Marilyn Monroe and her legacy with Blonde. Blonde is the reason I'm very skeptical of Back to Black, the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic. This is why people(more so, people of color)need to tell their stories and stop letting people who don't care about their subject(s) and their accomplishments create movies, TV shows, and documentaries about them.
Yikes.
Y'all re-writting history here. She refused the role because of backlash. Her dad was out here saying she was Black enough.
I still remember how she shared her favorite music videos and she chose really heavy and dark stuff like Corn and Nine Inch Nails. it was so awesome and suprising. It's such a shame that we didn't get to see what she would've created next.
*Korn ... dammit I don't know how to do the backwards K
@@gingerkitty1425 I don't know either.
I still remember when my friend offered to write "Korn" on my backpack with a glitter glue pen, he wrote "Corn." :(
@@reikun86I would’ve been pissed 😭
Yeah, she talks about being into that stuff because her brother introduced her to many rock bands.
I feel like it's an extension of the racist idea that 'all black people look the same'. As if all black female artists are interchangeable and nuance isn't a thing. It's gross.
What a stupid assessment
Racism massively integrated by black folks in thier mind unfortunatly...
This is so wild. Because when she was alive, it was absolutely unheard of to pit them against each other. At least not in my circle or in any 90s-00s media I consumed in middle & high school. I find the nostalgia around Aaliyah and Sade to be veryyyy weird on social media tbh.
We were so spoiled in the 90s for excellent black entertainment in all forms of media. The only fighting I remember were the east/west coast rappers. And it turns out that was manufactured by the studios.
What do they do with Sade?
Accurate.
@@kostajovanovic3711^ i also am curious
Yeah. Aaliyah and Beyonce were never considered to even be close to alike. Not the way I remember it 20 years ago.
Thank you.
I grew up with an older sister that loved Aaliyah and Destiny’s Child so I listen to them both a lot growing up.
I’m a huge Beyoncé fan now but I definitely lead more towards Aaliyah when I was younger because as you said she was giving me goth girlie. And I was an emo kid lol
From her listening to rock music to, driving a motorcycle, to the tomboy outfits, to often wearing black, to Queen of the motherfucking damned LOL
Male artists are given more agency to control who they beef with and compare themselves to. But female artists get compared when they're just making their art in the same space as other women. I think you're right to use the word "humbling." Famous men are competing with each other. Famous women are competing with US, the fans, the public. We only have enough energy to uplift one woman at a time, to the point where famous women will try to uplift each other and we'll reject their love for each other wholesale. Those comments under the Aaliyah tribute made me so upset, because can you imagine being Beyoncé and reading those? Someone she knew, who was in her industry, who she actually met, died tragically, and she and her group make a tribute to that person, and people speculate on how "real" her feelings are because THEY want to draw comparisons and pit women against each other. I'm glad you made this video cuz this conversation is so cathartic
not true. G-Dragon was called the korean male gaga. Rain, the korean usher. chris brown, the new mj (when he debuted) to name a few.............
@@serenityq26 k-pop stans stay in their lane challenge, impossible
They don’t just think her feelings are fake, they think she played a part in the girl’s death. Like 20 year old Beyoncé plotted and schemed to successfully have a major celeb murdered and just got away with it. It’s absurd.
These Aaliyah stans are weird as hell for making these comments. That shows how conspiracy theory has brainwashed a lot of ppl on and off line
Male artists also get to actually harm and encourage harm in the black community without being labeled demonic or witches/warlocks.
I loved this video and it was very needed. The constant Aaliyah comparisons need to stop I even remember people doing that to Ciara it made zero sense
Also there's a possibility Aaliyah's career could have gone the same way as Brandy and Monica her contemporaries and sadly if she was still here she may have been ridiculed by R. Kelly fans like when she was alive.
I am sick of this Highlander esque "there can only be one" attitude when it comes to Black women in entertainment. This is why I love this current era of women in hip hop because we're spoiled for choice just like we were in the 90s/early 00s
people also forget that when aaliyah's self titled album was, when it first came out, people really slept on it. it returned to number one after she passed but who knows if it would have gotten the appreciation it deserves. that's another aspect that saddens me because if you look back at the numbers, people were paying her in dust more than they weren't. she had to die for a lot of people to appreciate her and that sucks
I think you can really see the, “there can only be one Black woman”, when you hear all of the Beyoncé and Rihanna comparisons. Both have completely different voices and performance styles and make completely different music, but because both were Black women doing pop and R&B, that was enough for people to think they were worth comparing. It shows how little people value having many different Black artists in a single industry over having one they can pin all of their expectations to, but it also shows how bad people are at basic music criticism.
Right, for all we know, Aaliyah could have decided she didn't want to be part of the music industry and could have retired after her last album. So many things could have happened and we will never know because we don't live in that alternate universe
Thank you! We have the top acts and there black! Aaliyah Beyonce Nicki Minaj Rihanna. Need I say more. If there was only one star in the sky nobody would look up
you know im not much into calling out race but the thing with Brittany and Aaliyah was like the only time i heard someone not at least mixed black be compared to her.....thats weird i think...
They do this with Beyonce and everyone. Since Latoya and Latovia were removed from Destiny's Child there has been this anti-Beyonce movement. "Beyonce isn't as pretty as..." "Beyonce doesn't sing as well as..." Beyonce doesn't have as much money as..." Taylor Swift, Aaliyah, Kelly Rowland, Kim Kardasian, models, singers, actors, dancers, random people who sing in local neighborhoods, even Michael Jackson. Everything this woman does someone, somewhere can tell you how it is evidence that she is evil. Preachers have preached sermons against Beyonce IRL. It's crazy.
Also Beyonce invited them to her concert a few night's ago. And most of these blogs didn't post it...they live of her drama but never show when she does kind things.
@@Samaihsimmons-ex2nc Right! The people involved have resolved the issue and the world just won't let go of whatever happened when they were all teenagers. At the time, I doubt Beyonce had very much control of those decisions anyway. We always forget that these celebrities are people. 🤷🏾♀️
They were doing it even before LeToya & Latavia left, it was ‘she’s not even pretty and can’t sing’ 🙄
Beyoncé taught me from a young age that being really pretty and talented, won’t save you from unfair criticism, even if people act like they want to see that
The things with Aaliyah and Beyoncé is silly because when she was alive Destiny’s child had already been nominated and won a Grammy.
@FlyBeautyLady u need to maybe take a break, grab some tea, some biscotti, wrap a blanket around and chill 😂😂
@@FlyBeautyLady did you watch the video?
2 grammys actually
@@FlyBeautyLady girl u sound unhinged... destiny's child survivor album was outselling Aaliyah self titled album in 2001.....
@@nelsonmakay2522and TLC outsold anything Destiny‘s Child put out, as did the Spice Girls so what is the point? Comparing a pop group on a mainstream label to a solo artist on an independent label. Aaliyah was solo from gate while the other one needed an interchangeable girl group and Jay-Z to finally pop when she did have the balls to go solo cuz lord knows that shit with Amil went nowhere just like Work It Out went nowhere
The sad thing about Black singers being automatically labelled « R&B » because of their skin color is that it hasn’t died. Rihanna often gets this label despite most of her songs being pop, pop rock and her biggest hits being electro pop. Aaliyah’s sound was very diverse as her last album proved, it truly is a shame that people who love to throw her name around all the time won’t acknowledge that. Miss her so much 😢
Okay shout out to missy Elliott for still being a real one. It’s wild to see her pop up in the collabs with so many smaller black female artist. She’s such an underrated powerhouse in the industry.
I’m also sick of the comparisons between Aaliyah and Beyoncé. The use Aaliyah and even her tragic death to tear down Beyoncé’s accomplishments and talent. Both of them were in their own lanes. I honestly don’t get why Beyoncé receives so much hate. She is by far one of the best entertainers of her generation.
The esoteric-conspiracy theories around Beyoncé be too much sometimes, the people posting them are the real energy vampires, feeding on the success of another person and stewing in envy
I was around for that 90's era... Aaliyah was a boss. Beyoncé is a boss. 90’s Brandi, 90’s Monica-- they were all so unique and talented. I'm just really happy Aaliyah isn't forgotten 💗
It's literally because Beyonce and Aaliyah's careers had a similar career trajectory a la Star Search and Beyonce's career rose astronomically post-Aaliyah's death.
That's it.
I'm old enough to remember how shocking Aaliyah's death was and I was young enough to have petty thoughts like "Why couldn't it be Britney???!"
I like Britney now, but she annoyed me back then.
It's also Millennials holding onto their youth through the now sanctified Aaliyah and the potential of who she could have been.
When people die at a young age, people will always try to rationalize it or find meaning in it. The Aaliyah vs Beyonce rhetoric helps people cope through the senselessness of Aaliyah's death 🤷♀️
People gone people.
one time i was telling my friend how much i liked a new Erykah Badu album and he said "oh she's cool but Lauryn Hill will always be #1" like YOU DIDNT HAVE TO PICK A FAVORITE can you not give credit where credit is due to multiple black women?? thanks for this video 💖
Thank you!!!! No one who loves Aaliyah should say these kinds of things, it's so cruel to both Aaliyah and Beyonce. Aaliyah is respected and remembered, she had an impact, we don't need to bring other women down to appreciate her.
@@FlyBeautyLadystfu your fave is dead 😂
This comparison are from these newbies who weren't around. They had their own lanes. One was R&B and one was pop. They had their own distinct looks and sounds.
such a refreshing aaliyah vid! giving them both flowers while also pointing out how beyoncé is constantlyyy bashed and pitted against her, & u got nerve was playing in the background! subscribed! lol
I imagine the alt-timeline where Trent Reznor works with Aaliyah and they become a powerhouse music couple in the early 2000's. She seemed like his type and would of been down to work with her. I notice in a lot of the goth side that Aaliyah is fairly well liked and a lot of folks wish she was alive to see how she would of moved in that space and her portrayal of Akasha is generally considered one of the few good things in that movie.
Both ladies were on such a different style and career path that seems so absurd to compare the 2.
There have been so many stories of Aaliyah working with Destiny’s Child but people still decide to pit them against each other. So I’m going to acknowledge some of them right now.
- Aaliyah’s Uncle Barry Hankerson admitted that him and Aaliyah were fans of Beyonce and that sometimes she would come in the studio to help Aaliyah write songs. “Beyonce’s Beyonce I’m a fan of hers Aaliyah was a fan of hers and to Beyoncé’s credit Beyonce actually came to the studio and helped Aaliyah write some songs and she was very non egotistical in that point of view which I appreciate because I’ve worked with a lot of artist that the ego we would have to move some furniture to get them in a room”
- Aaliyah helped choreograph the video to “Get On The Bus” for Destinys Child.
- In an early interview Destinys Child was seen rehearsing to Aaliyah’s “Came To Give More Love”
- In the behind the scenes of Beyoncé’s “Best Thing I Never Had” Music video there was an Aaliyah poster in the background of Beyonce trying on clothes
- There’s a video on TH-cam where Beyonce Is singing “A Change is Gonna Come” at one of her concerts and in the back its showing various black legends and one of them is Aaliyah.
- Aaliyah shouted out DC when she was hosting TRL and complimented their “Survivor” video.
- There is a very old photo of Beyonce wearing a sweatshirt with Aaliyah’s face on it
- Beyonce gave Aaliyah a birthday tribute on her website
- Aaliyah’s referenced in Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” remix
- On the 15th Anniversary of her Death Beyonce posted the video of their interview on instagram
@@FlyBeautyLady Did they dispute what he said or are you just assuming because it could be very likely that it did happen. Just because they didn’t say anything doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
@@FlyBeautyLady I'm aware of who Barry Hankerson is and what he’s done but that doesn't mean that the story couldn't be true.
@@laneatylers5805this person is a very sick and obsessed Beyoncé hater. Pay them no mind.
Beyoncé ain’t wrote no damn songs of her own without 100+ writers and she damn sure ain’t wrote anything for Aaliyah. Stop believing Barry’s lying ass.
I really appreciate the videos you've made about misunderstood women who died young. Brittany Murphy and, now, Aaliyah. They fought so hard in such predatory industries and under an unsupportive public eye. The compassion you have and the space you make for them comes through
near 4:06 when #Aaliyah was alive some did pit her against #Brandy. Not cool.
Aaliyah once looked in the camera and responded *"There's enough room for both of us."*
Which is so true; with *she* and other singers, back then.
Comparing *greats* isn't nice.
Thanks for making this video! Misogynoir is so damn ugly! There has and will always be room for everybody, and why that is so hard to understand is really beyond me.
A collaboration between Korn and Aaliyah or Aaliyah and Deftones would've been immense. If I remember correctly "Change" by Deftones was on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. I didn't know that she loved rock and metal music!
The media loved to compare women to each other, and that's just stupid because they all have their own unique styles! Britney and Christina, Jennifer Lopez and Selena, Beyonce, Brandy, Monica and Aaliyah, and Aaliyah wasn't the type to give into that notion either, she didn't want that. She really did live up to her name, as she was _truly_ "the exalted one".
(I think Beyonce is brilliant, and I think all of these aforementioned women are absolutely fantastic, whilst J.LO isn't a fantastic singer by any means, she makes up for it in being a great actress and dancer).
Beyonce and Aaliyah had different fashion styles, Aaliyah had a more tomboyish/gothic style and Beyonce was more bohemian. They had different producers, Aaliyah had Timbaland producing her music and I think Beyonce had Diplo, Tricky Stewart and Rich Harrison.
And actually, the Joan Crawford/Bette Davis feud was manufactured to an extent as well. Be Kind Rewind did an extensive two part video on it. The press and gossip columns printed stories about a feud that both actresses expressed confusion on for years - Bette even being quoted as saying "there's room for both of us on the Warner lot". They barely interacted for most of their careers, as they were under contract to different studios for the longest time, and Joan accepting Anne Bancroft's Oscar on her behalf was the first tangible bit of tabloid evidence for the feud. And then it spilled over into a real life one, with them not getting along on Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. And even after Joan's death, Bette still called her a professional who knew her lines and nailed her scenes. The actual person whose guts she hated was Faye Dunaway
It's just so exhausting watching people pick sides or treat this like a wrestling match where there's a face and a heel. I do a lot of Charmed content and it is infuriating to put up with the Shannen Doherty vs Alyssa Milano 'feud' that, similar to the Aaliyah situation you detailed, ignores the actual bad people who treated them both terribly - the showrunner (Brad Kern) who made fun of Alyssa when depression resulted in some weight gain or else showed off Shannen's Playboy to the writers room, the execs actively pitting the actresses against each other to stop them asking for more money, the network not giving them the resources they needed to do the show justice or the press themselves and everything they did to try and sell magazines. Never mind the actresses deny that there was ever an ultimatum on one of them leaving or that it's possible for two people to not get along or disagree creatively the way men do without it being called a catfight
I teared up when you talked about what Aaliyah wanted to get into next before she passed, wanting to get into UK garage and collab with Korn would be legendary 🕊
I had no idea that people were comparing Beyonce to Aaliyah, especially to this extent. The only similarities they have are that they are both Black women that make R&B music. But their aesthetics, their singing voices, their sounds were so different from each other. People just love grasping at straws.
those comments are soooo tiring. Especially the Illuminati ones. like we are grown adults and people are still leading with that as if we’re still in middle school
I didn't know this pretend beef was a thing, but it disrespects Aaliyah's memory.
Also, I love that you continuously pointed out her as a low-key goth girly. She was only a few years older than me, and I recognized that in her (fellow low-key goth girly) and loved her for it. I could see her going down a different path music-wise if she hadn't died.
What kind of music (song examples) d’you think she would’ve experimented with?
Aaliyah was a great artist. She definitely one of the biggest “what it’s” and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see how big she could’ve become. But, some of these Aaliyah fans are very toxic and crazy. They don’t see her as a actual human being…it’s like because of the fact she passed, they propel her up to be this pinnacle of perfection who is a godlike figure, which is a very unrealistic view to have. I’ve seen this behavior with other celebs who passed at their peak, they are compared- and their existence is used to put down artist who are similar to them.
babe wake up, yhara zayd made another video about Aaliyah!
Another great video! u talk abt how fickle the public’s mind is and I agree. Who knows if those same people would care abt Aaliyah today if she didn’t match up to their image of what they wanted her to be.
I kinda got chills w/ one of your last points about how much everyone kinda looks the other way regarding how the adult men treated Aaliyah and instead chalk it up to beyonce being the perpetrator (who was also a young woman sexualized by men 10+ years her age). It’s so easy to attack black women before supporting and protecting them which hurts to see.
Anyway, love them both and very glad to see a small annoyance of yours blossom into such a good video :)
I’ve always said that the mythology of Aaliyah’s legacy and talent became a thing largely because of the uber success of Beyoncé. She rarely gets compared to other modern-day artists. Just Beyoncé. It’s like they can’t create a current star who sings, dances or performs better so they have to posthumously transform Aaliyah into this singing, dancing sorceress whose mere presence today would have wiped away current-day Beyoncé as we know her..
This. Aaliyah is everyone's favorite artist to weaponoze against Bee because Aaliyah is dead and so they know Beyonce will never have an oppurtunity to actually prove the claims wrong as she has done with every other living artist who was supposed to be a threat. Beyonce has outlasted every single supposed challlenge to her popularity young and old for over 20 years now, but yet the one artist in the world who would have taken her out was the one who died 2 years before she went solo, how convienient of a narrative. Never mind the fact that said deceased artist was not anywhere close to being the biggest female artist out at the time that she passed. Make it make sense.
@@FlyBeautyLady Niether of Aaliyah's albums were 3x platinum in 2001. Her first was only platinum and reached double platinum after she died, her second went double and its still only double platinum till this day. She was consistently moderately successful in her 7 year career but she was not the biggest female or even close to being in the top 5 when she died. She was doing double platinum when Destiny's Child was going 8x platinum. I could write an inflated list of accomplishments like that avout any artist of decent success. Her popularity and relevance were greatly exaggerated after she died.
@@jaysmith9933 clock that tea
@@jaysmith9933I have the receipts that literally show this. Soundscan confirmed exactly what her sales were and that girl was already considered multiplatinum by the time she graduated high school. You bitches never know what you’re talking about and it’s embarrassing.
I've noticed this sentiment being echoed on twitter a lot recently and it's so infuriating to see people who seem to think they're paying her a compliment reduce her to a nonexistent would-be rivalry to delegitimize the success of another woman. Also really liked the point of how Beyonce is framed as someone who was more harmful to Aaliyah than the men that worked closely with her that actually were. Very well done breakdown of just how ridiculous and insulting it is to parrot the conspiracy
I miss Aaliyah so much. I’m grateful for the gifts of work she left us all.
I often feel that people who compare Aaliyah & Beyonce are also letting their racist slip show by thinking they make the same music just cuz they are black women. And it always comes across as super condescending cuz it follows the thought that black art is just some amalgamation with no precision and it's so fucking racist.
They both made R&B…..it’s the same genre with different variations. Of course they are being compared…..that’s how life and the industry works. Competition drives public interest and success. What rock have you been living under?
This is all us Beyhive try to say and in the end get gaslighted or told we’re discrediting Aaliyah. I appreciate this intellectually honest breakdown. You nailed it.
This was a very necessary video 🙏🏾
I just hate how they all word their comments. It feels like they are weaponizing this tragedy to put down another star.
It's very frustrating to see that manufactured beef still going now, and worse, reaching QAnon levels of insanity. How could someone suggest that Beyonce's had anything to do with Aaliyah's death? It's what awful cheap media does, and reminds me what happened in my country about 10 years ago. A guy and her gf got lost in a mountain area for months. They could only find the gf, obviously shook. But then local talk shows started to theorize that she killed they guy, that she did a reverse Gone Girl on him, and even made a TV series about it. Very bizarre.
Beyoncé and Aaliyah had so many things in common. However, to say that Beyoncé would not be at the level she’s at right now is crazy. She is passionate about performance. She is passionate about the history of music. If Aaliyah were to be alive today, I don’t even believe she would be compared to Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, even SADE and other high performers. Again, Aaliyah would’ve dominated in the film and creative directorial field. People need to understand that multiple black women can thrive in the same room.
I think Aaliyah might have still done music but in a more alternative way
@@FlyBeautyLadyYour genuinely slow for that vocal analysis take it’s very incorrect. 2. Compare Bey performances since her debut to Aaliyah till her death. Very much night and day of energy and actually putting on a show
@@FlyBeautyLady she never screamed the song out especially seeing as she incorporated creseando and decreseando throughout her version. And her version linguistically sounds closer to some of the great like Pavoratti when they sung it. Also are you implying Beyoncé’s voice isn’t clear because she has probably the clearest voices in the music industry?
@@FlyBeautyLady That’s a plane lie stop being delusional
@@FlyBeautyLady I’m black first and foremost. Rhythm is something universal regardless of race there are a million and one white singers with good rhythm and million and one black people who lack rhythm. On top of that you say Beyonce appeals to white audiences but only ONE of her albums had mainstream influences and that was I AM…Sasha Fierce. Other than that her albums never had much mainstream appeal. Just look at the post-4 era she literally made either alternative R&B with Self-Titlted ( A genre that didn’t get much popularity till CTRL and Anti came out in 2016-2017), A Mix of Genre’s with Lemonade, and an entire Afro beats inspired album with the Gift again before the mass popularity of that genre. And she single-handedly brought back a very niche group of music with Renaissance focusing on House and Disco influences. So tell me which of these albums sound like they have mainstream and white appeal. Also Beyoncé has a very soulful voice have you heard her sing Precious Lord Take my Hand, or Swing Low, her Stevie Wonder tribute, and especially Cadillac records and her 4 Album which is essentially a love letter to soul music and funk with a modern twist
So happy you made this video! This is a long overdue conversation that needs to be had.
As an older goth girlie who grew up in the 00's, right in that sweet spot before Twilight, when Queen of the Damned was our goth bread and butter, I have to say she truly was a goth icon to us!!! You couldn't escape her, any online goth spaces or in real life, she was eeeeverywhere. We really did love her and appreciate her gothness and goths who didn't listen to any mainstream music still loved her cause she was sort of intuitively recognized as one of us by us. She really was very much recognized! I think the younger generations need to know this because this part of the internet is pretty much lost, non archived, flash player gone, this whole culture forgotten. She was THE vampire queen Akasha, our absolute star. I'll never get over what she could've done if she had the time 😢💔
I completely agree. She will always be my Vampire Queen!
Queen of the Damned had an AWESOME soundtrack! Aaliyah was great as Queen Akasha yet she was sooooooo underused. I wish the movie had followed the Anne Rice book much like the film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire had.
@@danavixen6274 Yes, I also find it funny how even tho the movie underused her and used Jesse as a sort of "Bella" type main girl, no one cared and everyone just simped for Akasha anyways xD
@@3DianaI do agree Jesse (Marguerite Moreau) was made the 'main' girl for the sake of the movie yet she was boring. I was far more engaged when Akasha (Aaliyah) and Lestat (Stuart Townsend) were together onscreen. I believe Aaliyah did live long enough to finish QOTD so director Michael Rymer IMHO was wrong to focus less on Akasha and more on Jesse.
@@danavixen6274 agreed! i also think that's the reason, i don't think it was lack of time, they probably thought jesse was more "marketable", and they were wrong as hell. honestly i watched that movie probably hundreds of times and still had to google her name when i was replying to your comment xD
The thought of a world with both of these women makes my heart smile. We, as a society, have to get into the "AND" mindframe bcoz there never is just room for one.
I think you were absolutely right about A24. The way some people are in love with that studio rather than respecting the filmmakers they hire is ridiculous.
Whew, I'm glad you made a video on this topic. It's something I've been seeing forever which is sad honestly. I think what really makes me ill about the comparisons is that Aaliyah was only 22.. Her career was still ongoing she had much more to give. It's simply unfair to compare a life cut short due to tragedy to one that ended up taking off after their debut
i'm sorry "blonde wig wearing wildebeest" got me 💀 1:04
Same😁😭
Thank you sm for this video. I’m a huge Aaliyah fan and have been noticing this discourse recently. Those commenters consider themselves fans but can’t even praise Aaliyah without mentioning Beyoncé or conspiracy theories. It’s so disrespectful to Aaliyah’s legacy.
Thank you so much for making this video. It was needed. Aaliyah was a beautiful human, a once in a lifetime talent, and genuine soul. Her life has come down to just her passing, which is heartbreaking, she was so much more. And it's so disheartening and disrespectful to her and also Beyoncé who has nothing but incredible things to say about Aaliyah. Both are talented women, both are legends, and both will go down in history.
Your vids are always on time! Because, why was I just thinking about this comparison and how messed up it is.
Its mostly fueled because of Jayz. People speculate that Aaliyah and Jay had a relationship that was intimate. Its simply not true. Dame dash said everyone was trying to get at aaliyah he just happen to snag her. And the real fued was between those two divos. And even that had little to do with Aaliyah. Beyonce and Aaliyah could of cared less 😅. They were both being fabulous at the same time in their own lanes. Beyonce was dominating the girl group world and Aaliyah was dominating with her movie romeo must die. And the r&b lane. Both of them were riding high at the same time.
Literally this
Completely unrelated to the video (which I really enjoyed and appreciated), but you have such a lovely speaking voice! It’s so calm and soothing ❤
I'm so happy you're back!
Cannot thank you enough for making this video 💕
Thankyou so much for this video. It has echoed so many things I have thought and seen over the past few years, and it makes engaging with Aaliyah's music online so much more difficult than it should be. The first major musicians in my upbringing were Aaliyah, Mariah, and Destiny's Child. Since then they remain some of my absolute favorites along with Beyoncé.
I started typing up different points as I watched this video (and wrote way too much), but I feel like you hit the nail on the head for each of them. But I just want to echo that you aren't tripping, there is just a nasty form of misogynoir, respectability, and purity politics occurring. More than anything I feel like it's a shame that so much of the conversation isn't about what Aaliyah left with us, which was the sublime, genre bending, otherworldly music and performances. I didn't realize it as deeply as I do now (because I was a child), but to be a teenage Black girl in the 90s into her early 20s and accomplish the things she did, with her voice, with her styling, with her performances? It's truly astonishing and not common at all.
Other points that came to mind:
- It's not only disrespectful to compare someone in their death at 22 years old, but Aaliyah died so young that the majority of her career she was a child. Now that I am in my 30s, I can even see that someone who is 22 is barely into their adulthood. So it just feel so strange and vile to me, for people to talk about Black girls/teenagers in this way.
- You alluded to this, but I just have to reiterate that it doesn't make sense to compare a Beyoncé or DC3 to Aaliyah musically or commercially. Destiny's Child were absolutely r&b, but by the time Survivor came out they had extreme pop crossover. Sometimes even getting flack for the production choices on Survivor for leaning away from a more classic r&b sound. But with the poppier sound allowed them to absolutely soar commercially and crossover, while Aaliyah's 3rd album was underperforming due to problems with the rollout and drama at Blackground records.
- On top of that I just have to give everyone their flowers and say, the way that a Beyonce, Destiny's Child, or Aaliyah constructed creative projects were so uniquely them. DC was drawing from soul, gospel, r&b. And the unique aspects came from the strange, unique harmonies and vocal production and melodic choices on top of beats that were a little more sparse or repetitive. Often the sound was more about belting, layering, very direct/forward songs where the vocal performance is centerstage (with small curiosities occurring in the background). And visually it was all about a group of Black teen girls/young women who were playing with country-glamour and southern bell aesthetics.
In contrast Aaliyah was all about the mystique and effortlessness in her voice, whether she was singing sultry and low or angelic and high. She was drawing from some of the same references, but as opposed to the Southern influences and Gospel-hiphop delivery it was more about the sound that she crafted together with Timbaland and Missy. The production was futuristic and there was an ease and airiness that allowed for the production to be just as centerstage as the voice. And then in terms of genre you could hear her love for the dark, heavy, industrial, gothic, and metal influences. It's really the sort of thing you didn't get to hear from Black r&b/pop artists with the exception of a few Janet Jackson tracks. Visually, the choices reflected the song selection. And so overall Aaliyah originally started off being compared a bit to Brandy and Monica, just because of their ages and identities, by One in a million she was kind off uniquely on her own in the same way Missy and Timbaland were.
_ I think a big thing that people overlook, is the harm from the actual adult men in her circle and how unprotected she was since childhood. And additionally, it has been revealed over time how the CEO of Blackground Records (her uncle), had shady dealings that went on to directly affect all the artists and collaborators. Almost everyone who has worked with them had bad things to say, and I feel like Aaliyah was the exception because she was the star of Blackground and related via family. But between the management mishaps, the drama that was occurring internally because of Blackground, I easily could have seen a future where Aaliyah records started to underperform until she got new management, or perhaps she would have focused on acting until the music business dealings became more secure.
Anyway this is super long now, but this is to say this video is such a needed balm because I feel like I haven't been able to enjoy the communal aspects of listening to Aaliyah, because of the gross misogynoir on display.
Yes ppl are annoying as hell. They comparisons and conspiracy theories will never end. You can lift someone up without putting another person down
Love this, love her, love you. Thank you for sharing your views and ideas 💖
Tried watching this morning getting my 5yr old ready for school… obviously couldn’t concentrate enough… so here I am watching it again!!! And holy shit, what a great video ❤️🔥 I came back to rehear and hear again and again, 18:47
you capture all my frustrations that i have whenever I see these comparisons. And let me tell you, you are not overracting. I know youre not on twitter and that's where you see these comparisons the most. There is not a viral Aaliyah tweet out there where someone isn't bringing up Beyonce. I remember when Aaliyah's death anniversary happened, and it was also arround the time that Renaissance Tour was the talk of social media (still is) and the amount of people that kept bringing up Beyonce was so damn infuriating. People were making stupid discourse about them instead of just celebrating this young woman that they claim to love so much. it's honestly kinda sad
When Yhara Zayd drops a video, you know its going to be high quality!!
People even get weird to blame Beyoncé for Aaliyahs death like it's sick. This is a much-needed video maybe these people will seek help.
I don’t understand the Aaliyah Beyoncé comparison cuz Beyoncé wasn’t even a solo artist when Aaliyah was still alive
Thank you sooooooooooooooo much for making this. You literally said everything I've been feeling about the comparison. And especially that stupid conspiracy. I'm a new subbie! 👍🏾👍🏾
On the music not being sonically or stylistically similar.... Surprised you didn't mention the Amerie comparisons too😅 they say Bey jacked her sound as if 1 thing wasn't produced by Rich Harrison who produced Crazy in love (which came first) and Green light... But funny enough Ameries own discography doesn't feature much of the go-go sound she apparently owns
To be fair tho Rich Harrison also produced different sound that wasn’t always go-go and more traditional R&B. Like he produced Beyoncé’s be with you from DIL. It always gets me tho that they only say Bey stole that sound, because Mary J bilge and Toni Braxton also had songs produced by Rich with the go-go sound before Crazy In Love even dropped
Dude I was waiting on someone to make a video about this!!!
This was an amazing video! Thank you for this
this is such a wonderful tribute to Aaliyah's legacy, which is so often used & abused & misaligned ❤ also I really think you could do a whole video just on the OBSESSION with "beyonce is overrated" rhetoric. I have loved beyonce since middle school and literally every time I bring her up, somebody has to go on and on about how overrated she is. 🤢🤢
Some people are apparently very concerned with how accurately an artist is rated. They should get together and form a rating board that will advise the public on how highly to speak of artists. This will give them a purpose!
Thanks for introducing me to Aaliyah! I'm not up on pop music in almost any decade, so it's nice to learn about musicians of which I'd been previously unaware.
they have compared Beyoncé to every popular artist in this world!
I never would have though to compare Aaliyah to Beyonce. Is anyone who does this old enough to have actually heard Aaliyah before she died?
Yes. That's where the comparisons started only to become more common as Beyoncé continued to be successful.
Right aaliyah was like the girl next door with a DRAMATIC edge. Beyonce was a Tina Turner/diva but sweet with a country/boho look. They are not the same at all. Not one bit. They were cool in the 90s. Beyonce was so far away from aaliyah. The comparison np makes NO SENSE💀💀
I grew up listening to both artists and I definitely remember posts on music forums appreciating Aaliyah career 5 years after she passed. Aaliyah Fans were basically posting how much they missed her music. There were Brandy/Monica fans would posted that Aaliyah couldn’t sing in comparison to Brandy. Then the Beyoncé fans started posting Beyoncé the Queen of all. Thus the fans wars began.
The scorpion show had a few videos literally about this fan war years ago.
@@MissAlmostFineit’s Gen Z that are too young to understand the depth of musical styles.
@@dejstoney I think it's more that casual music fans, regardless of generation, make superficial comparisons often. If you really pull back these comparisons there's often no real deeper musical similarities outside of the race and gender of the artists, sometimes the genre.
this has GOT to be my favorite video of yours, I’ve been saying this forever! And I just could never figure out what to call it “Weaponizing Aaliyah” is just PERFECT
You did an amazing job with this video!!!
Thank you so much for this video! Well said 💖
Fantastic video on such an important topic. So sad to see what's being done to Aaliyah's memory when she is no longer around to voice her own opinion.
LOVE how you captured my comment in the screenshot lol. I had my shady tendencies. But I'm over it. I now believe a lot of people online are just trolls and agents to keep the Stan wars going just because.
Tony Turner discussed this at length. ❤
People love shouting ILLUMINATI as soon as a black person gets famous I feel
But they also said that about Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, Christina Aguilera and even Britney
That's because they are sexual and "weird" for example... adele NEVER EVER had a conspiracy theory. Taylor swift has some but it because she had an edgy look/era called "reputation". Black woman are accused alot of being witches and being evil.
Thank you for this video! It was very informative!
My one (1) criticism is that Betty and Joan started as a manufactured rivalry that turned into a real rivalry. [my main source is from Be Kind Rewind's video on their fued so I understand I could be wrong]
Omg unrelated but related to @17:14. I was recently watching the Fatty Koo (2000s musical group) show & there is a segment where the singer we kno of today, Miguel, auditions to be in the group & hes a bit over the top, so the members of Fatty Koo laugh at him (albeit rudely) & then dont let him join. & all of the comments r like "thats what all of those Fatty Koo members get for making fun of Miguel !" & other things that uplift Miguel & put down Fatty Koo. And i always felt like it was weird for ppl to act like them being mean & moreso insecure that they would lose their opportunity to a man they didnt kno (miguel) is the SOLE reason why their group didnt last longer. As if the group Fatty Koo wasnt fighting predatory record labels (that put them in a tense situation to begin with). Longwinded LOL but ur comment in the vid just reminded me of that issue of ppl pretending that just cuz they LIKE a celeb means that celeb is always in the right & everyone else is wronging them, even if its just a normal interaction. & that ppl can blatantly ignore the outside predators of the situation (in this case the record label that sent miguel to audition as a way to threaten the group members secuirty in the band). Cuz if the tables were turned and miguel wasnt famous but Fatty Koo still was, everyone would probably clown on miguel just like they did without thinking twice about it. Ppl can be so flip floppy. Anyway, love the vid & topic ! U always discuss unique things that r still very relevant to the times !
Edit: heres the vid - th-cam.com/video/0cH5xcVJ67Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=AieGJXmEVsC4ElK3
Great video by the way 💕
what you said is true,
Honestly Im happy aaliyah was famous in the time she was, because anytime before(80s-) or after(2002+) would've been even worse for her, i can only think about how badly people would've treated her and regarded her nowadays too; these manosphere podcasts, these toxic blogs(tsr,the neighborhood talk etc), and the beefs people would try to create with her and someone else online, bodyshaming her etc.
Thank you for this video!
I love the way you think and word things
The original Destiny’s Child dancing to Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody at the end, was a perfect touch. This video is soothing
Aaliyah’s goth side was one of my favourite things about her, especially when she did Queen of the Damned
The ‘there can only be one’ mentality when it comes to BW entertainment even affects sisters, it’s like a sickness or something. The token Black girl obsession must stop!
I wanted to say I love this video, I needed to hear a different opinion, very interesting, thank you for making this and rest in peace to Aaliyah ❤
Dope video.
I think forced manufactured women rivalries within music industry was a lot during the 90s early 00s
that’s why I liked how Meg, Cardi & Rapsody push back against the highlander there can only be one women rapper.
We can have more then one great artist on top.
Thank you for making this video