As an Aaliyah fan, I’m at the point where I’m so frustrated by the runaround in regards to the availability of her music catalog that I want to write a “4 Page Letter” to whoever is in charge. It will not be enclosed with a kiss, by the way, just filled with complaints and frustrations.
Just like when any Aaliyah anniversary rolls around (whether that’s her birthday or the day she tragically died), her fans immediately think about the fact that they can’t even honor her properly because the complete catalog of her music isn’t available to stream. Well, on Tuesday, which marked 19 years since we lost the beloved singer-actress, that very thing was addressed by the Estate of Aaliyah Haughton.
“We are excited to announce that communication has commenced between the estate and various record labels about the status of Aaliyah’s music [catalog], as well as its availability on streaming platforms in the near future,” the statement read on Aaliyah’s official Twitter account. “Thank you for your continued love and support. More updates to come!”
Is it wrong for me to feel completely cynical about this teaser? No, it’s not because we’ve been through this with Aaliyah’s uncle, Barry Hankerson (whose Twitter account hasn’t been reignited since he announced in December 2019 that the catalog would be released on Aaliyah’s birthday in 2020.) In fact, he said—and I quote—“this is not a drill.” When in reality, it was not only a drill, but a complete tease and a farce.
But, on her birthday this year, fans rushed to streaming platforms worldwide and saw...nothing. Which is pretty damn apt for 2020, if you ask me. In fact, I just now remembered that happened this year when I went looking for the blog to reference and I still don’t believe it, even as I look at “1/17/2020” right there in the link above. This has been a year.
Anyway, as Aaliyah once crooned in a song on her I Care 4 U album, “I Don’t Know What to Tell Ya.”
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