Aaliyah's Catalog Is Finally Coming To Streaming Services

For years, the only way to stream the bulk of Aaliyah's music online was unofficial, as most of the late R&B visionary's albums had been largely absent from streaming giants. That's all changing very soon.


Spotify reported Thursday (August 5) that Aaliyah's catalog is hitting the platform starting on August 20 with her 1996 album One in a Million. Other releases will follow chronologically: September 3 sees the 2000 Romeo Must Die soundtrack, on which Aaliyah appears; September 10 sees her 2001 self-titled release; and October 8 sees the compilations I Care 4 U and Ultimate Aaliyah, both released immediately after her death in August 2001.


This development comes soon after years of speculation, along with much wishing and hoping from fans. Those beyond Aaliyah's estate shared in August 2020 that "communication had commenced" between them and "various record labels" about bringing the catalog to streaming providers.


Right now, per year later, Aaliyah's label Blackground Records is the one in back of her music coming to Spotify, according to various outlets. Blackground's new iteration is led by the late singer's uncle and former manager Barry Hankerson, he confirmed.


Aaliyah's catalog coming to streaming is thanks to a partnership between the label and music business Empire, Billboard reports. Blackground's entire 17-album collection will hit streaming for the initial time, including other albums by JoJo, Timbaland & Magoo, Toni Braxton, and more.


Yet Aaliyah's estate released a statement on Wednesday calling the news a "unscrupulous task to undertake to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate."


"Although we plan to continue to defend ourselves and her legacy lawfully and justly," the statement continued, "we wish to preempt the inevitable attacks on our character by all of the individuals who have emerged from the shadows to leech off of Aaliyah’s life's work."


"Ultimately, we desire closure along with a modicum of peace so we can facilitate the growth of the Aaliyah Memorial Fund and other creative assignments that embody Aaliyah's true essence, which is to inspire strength and positivity for people of all creeds, races and cultures around the world," it concluded.


For more on the long, exceedingly winding 20-year road from Aaliyah's death to her albums hitting streaming services, this Billboard piece is a good place to start.