*Christmas has come early for Aaliyah fans, as an upcoming book has been announced that will chronicle her life and career.
According to Billboard, “Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah” will drop Aug. 17, 2021, under Simon & Schuster/Atria Books.
Written by journalist and author Kathy Iandoli, the title “will focus on the span of Aaliyah’s life and career — from her earliest beginnings singing in Detroit all the way through to her game-changing musical era with Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and the late Static Major,” revealed in a press release. “The book also includes a deep dive into her tumultuously abusive entanglement with R. Kelly and an intense investigation on the crash that ended her life.”
Says Iandoli: “I wrote this book as an Aaliyah fan. This is for all of us who for the last twenty years can spot her influence everywhere, while wishing she was still here. I left no stone unturned, and I hope I’ve added to her legacy properly.”
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Official message from the Estate of Aaliyah Haughton. Thank you for your continued love and support!
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.#aaliyah #aaliyahhaughton #aaliyahmusic #aaliyahforever pic.twitter.com/rRDIVaHVfo— Aaliyah (@AaliyahHaughton) August 25, 2020
News of the book follows confirmation from Aaliyah’s estate that they are bringing her music to streaming services.
“To our loyal fans: We are excited to announce that communication has commenced between the estate and various record labels about the status of Aaliyah’s music catalogue, as well as its availability on streaming platforms in the near future,” read the announcement from Aaliyah’s Twitter account. “Thank you for your continued love and support. More updates to come!”
Check out the official announcement via the Twitter embed above.
In a 2016 story from Complex on the singer’s uncle, Barry Hankerson, who owns her catalog under his Blackground Records label, writer Stephen Witt said of the absence of Aaliyah’s music on the internet, “Aaliyah’s internet absence is different—there’s no logic to it. It’s not an artistic statement or a play for more money, and there’s no dedicated Aaliyah-only streaming service in the works.”
Witt continued, “Instead, there’s a single, stubborn man, sitting on a catalog that includes almost all of her most famous work. … The situation puts her entire musical legacy at risk of fading from memory. Year by year, streaming accounts for a greater portion of an artist’s visibility and reverence among the next generation of listeners. And he refuses to budge.”
