Customer Reviews

One in a Million

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

From start to finish, the 'One In A Million' album is a priceless slice of R&B history: the original "Timbaland" sound made its debut (the studder/"kut-kut" beats), and introduced Missy Elliott. I personally regard this album as a "sonic portrait" of a young woman who was confident, gentle, elegant, alluring, mysterious, positive, down-to-earth, and fun.

In the summer/fall of 1996 (when this album was released), R&B and Hip Hop music was becoming very exciting. Dr. Dre had just left Death Row records, and Puffy's Bad Boy records was really heating up. Notable acts and their songs included: Blackstreet's "No Diggity", Keith Sweat's "Twisted", the New Edition "Home Again" reunion, 112's "Only You", and LL Cool J's "Loungin (Who do you luv?)" remix featuring Total.

That summer/fall, we also experienced a major tragedy - the passing of the late, great Tupac Shakur. Now in the summer/fall of 2001, we are dealing with the passing of Aaliyah, and the news hit this reviewer hard. I can remember dancing with friends at house parties back in 1994 to "Back & Forth". I also remember later that summer just loving both versions of "At Your Best", her second single - particularly the mysterious sound and video of the remix...

Flash back to 1996: I was a sophomore at the University Of California at Santa Barbara, and I'm listening to "One In A Million" in my friend's car - and we love it. Aaliyah's new sound was undeniable, and I'll try to describe it...

"Beats 4 Da Streets" is a Missy/Timbaland intro that flows right into "Hot Like Fire" - a delicate and mysterious street cut (later remixed into the fifth U.S. single). "One In A Million" comes in next, and this 'percussive ballad' will forever be a classic. "A Girl Like You" (featuring Treach from Naughty By Nature) sounds like a throwback to her 'Age Ain't Nuthin But A Number' days...it's a fresh party starter.

"If Your Girl Only Knew" is the seductive midtempo that set things off for Aaliyah as the album's lead single. I absolutely loved "Choosy Lover", a syrupy 80s flavored Isley's remake that segues into a new-school version that works just as well. Then on "Got To Give It Up", Aaliyah sounds like she's giving Janet Jackson a major run for her money on this playful Marvin Gaye remake featuring rapper Slick Rick. "4 Page Letter" is an amazingly vulnerable 'percussive ballad' that served as the album's third U.S. single in the spring of 1997.

The next few songs serve to fill out the album nicely - particularly "Giving You More", "I Gotcha Back" (with it's West Coast aftershocks), and the ballad "Never Giving Up" - but it's "Heartbroken" that really did it for me. A third 'percussive ballad' in the vein of "One In A Million" and "4 Page Letter", "Heartbroken" easily could have been a single, but for now it will remain a hidden gem...

We continue on with "Never Comin Back" which is GREAT (has a live feel), "Ladies In Da House" with Timbaland and Missy, and her vocally powerful ballad, "The One I Gave My Heart To" (which became the fourth U.S. single). The outro, "Came To Give Love" then ends the 'One In A Million' album perfectly...

Later that fall, Ginuwine made his debut, and by the summer/fall of 1997, the "Superfriends" musical collective of Aaliyah, Timbaland, Missy, Ginuwine and Magoo had been formed, along with R&B group Playa; it was a beautiful thing...

Aaliyah, you will be truly missed...

C.H.R.

Aalyiah's second CD, "One in a Million," displayed her artistic growth and moved her to the forefront of R&B artists. Whereas her first CD was produced completely by R. Kelly, Aaliyah went for a more varied sound on this CD by using a number of producers, notably Timbaland. In addition, Missy Elliot provides "vocal arrangements" and raps on the CD - it's probably the best incorporation of Missy's sound ever. The CD was one of the first big hits produced by Timbaland with Missy Elliot, and it really signaled a change in the sound of R&B music.

"If Your Girl Only Knew" was the first single (#11 on the Top 100) and features Timbaland rapping. It still sounds really contemporary, even though the sound has been copied by innumerable producers and artists. "One in a Million" is perhaps the best song on the CD, with Missy Elliot on background vocals and a great "chirping cricket" sound effect. Although it wasn't released as a single, it went to #25 on the Top 100 Airplay chart. The biggest song off the CD was the ballad, "The One I Gave My Heart To," which went to #9 and was certified for gold sales.

However, nearly every song on the CD is great - several more songs should have been released, particularly "Hot Like Fire" and the remake of Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" (with a rap by Slick Rick). "Choosy Lover" is another one of my favorites; a remake of an old Isley Brothers' song that has a great, laid-back groove that flips part-way through to become more urgent. Even though "One in a Million" was released back in 1996, I still really love listening to this CD. A real breakthrough that still sounds great: a real reminder of Aalyiah's tremendous talent.

I'm A really big aalyah fan and i consider this her best album.
1)Beats 4 da streets intro-THis is the best intro i've heard
2)Hot like fire-good song but they should have put the timbaland remix here.
3.One in a million-Excellent song!Highlight of the album.
4.A girl like you-Great song it grows on you.
5)If your girl only knew-Tight song.Really good beats.
6)Choosey lover(old school/new school)-A bit long and slow But the new school is tight!
7)Got to give it up- One word...WACK!The rest of the songs are good especially No.8-4 page letter,13.heartbroken,16.the one I gave my heart to,17-the outro is really tight! rip Aaliyah!

This album is great! Like I said earlier, WOW!! This is one of my favorite albums because Aaliyah's unique style combining phat hip hop beats with stellar R and B vocals is what makes me keep listening to this CD. I also recommending her first album, "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number" also. Remember, look out for her new album dropping this summer.

SONGS FROM THE ALBUM

2. Hot Like Fire (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)- A single off the Album. *Okay Song*

3. One In A Million (featuring Missy Elliott)- Album's Title Track. *Great Song*

4. A Girl Like You (featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature)- *Great Song*

5. If Your Girl Only Knew (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)- A single off the album. *Great Song*

6. Choosey Lover (Old School/New School)- A little too long! It should have been separated into two tracks. The old school part is boring, but the new school part's beats are great.

7. Got to Give Up (featuring Slick Rick)- *Annoying Song*

8. 4 Page Letter (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)- A single off the album. *One of my favorite songs off the album!*

9. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (featuring Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins)- *Okay Song*

10. Giving You More- *Good Song*

11. I Gotcha Back- *Good Song*

12. Never Givin' Up (featuring Tavarius Polk)- *Great Song*

13. Heartbroken (featuring Missy Elliott)- My favorite song off the album! She should have released this.

14. Never Comin' Back- *Great Song*

15. Ladies in Da House (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)- *Good Song*

16. The One I Gave My Heart To- A single off the album. *Great Song*

This CD is the reason why I'm not too fond of recent releases from Ashanti and Destiny's Child. Neither of those artists can bring on record the realness Aaliyah conveyed on her second album, "One in a Million." Armed with beat-heavy production mainly from Timbaland, "One in a Million" is street-savvy r&b that remains ahead of its time and sets itself apart from many of its peers. The title track, the killer sensual slow jam "4 Page Letter," and the slammin' "Hot Like Fire" show that Aaliyah is most effective when her airy yet soulful vocals are set against the hip hop flavor of Timbaland. Not that she was a producer's puppet, mind you. She also does a formidable re-working of the Isley's "Choosey Lover," one of the CDs stronger cuts. But there are weaknesses. She's not 100% convincing on her cover of Marvin's "Got to Give it Up," and her sappy ballad, the Diane Warren-penned "The One I Gave My Heart To" sounds plain and wonder-bread, even with Daryl Simmons' production. However, they hardly dent the quality of "One in a Million," which holds its own as an above-average r&b record. Though she's no longer with us, we can always turn to this disc to relive the memories of the artist who still remains the Princess of r&b.

I just love Aaliyah's ONE IN A MILLION album. It's so beautiful. My favorite songs are "The One I Gave My Heart To" (my absolute #1 favorite!), "If You're Girl Only Knew", and "One In A Million". The other songs are excellent, too. But those three are the real stand-outs. I can't believe how much I love this album and haven't even bought it yet. Aaliyah has an amazing, soulful voice and the lyrics are strong and solid that do not repeat themselves. Every song is original and unique. Aaliyah is a very positive role model and this album is just so beautiful there is no other way to describe it. I really love "The One I Gave My Heart To" because it's such a beautiful ballad and makes me cry everytime I hear it. This is definitely a must have for all music lovers whether you love R&B or not. Buy this album!

Aaliyah was never one for the ultra catchy upbeat songs. All of her major hits were mid-tempo or slow jams, and even if they were faster (R U That Somebody?)they were still the jam. Yet always the life and vibrancy was never missing from her person, and even after all this time I only think of her in the present tense...I own all of her CDs and One in a Million is just that one-in-a-million. I am always blown away by the maturity of her voice. When she first came out I was experiencing the transition summer between 1st and 2nd grade, and I thought that she was a grown-ass woman even though she was 14. Two years later when she was 16, the body was still rocking, the hair still flowing, the hits still coming, and the voice even MORE mature. I love the fact that she owns her voice, in a way that many others don't. Especially in this age of American Idol, every wants to either always hit that glory note or have a gimmick (i.e. John Stephens, from the 3rd season, gimme a break). Hers was just crisp, strong and flowing. Her songs didn't revolve around the bridge. They were all-encompassing experiences. In One in a Million, we witness the beginning of Aaliyah's and Tim and Missy's relationship. The majority of the tracks are a collaboration between these three. Nearly All the tracks are listenable, including the intro and outro...

Beats 4 Da Streets (Intro): love it, can u spell out ur name with such flava 10/10

Hot Like Fire: mid-tempo bob-yo-head joint, this was the jam in '96, if u don't know u better ask somebody...10/10

One In A Million: the title track, she really killed with slow jams on this one...10/10

A Girl Like You: this one's cool for those smoove hip-hop heads, features Treach...7.5/10

If Your Girl Only Knew: this was that huge single, also mid-tempo, dancing to this one's easy, the drums tell you where the beat is...this song is just sick...10/10

Choosey Lover (Old School/New School): she obviously loves her some Isley brothers (i.e., At Your Best), and her remakes are always on point...this one is also an update...9.7/10

Got To Give It Up: this one is funky and features Slick Rick; it samples an older song...I don't know which one, I was born in 1987...8/10

4 Page Letter: "turn my music up", this song taught me about what sexy was when I was in the third grade, it's just sultry...10/10

Everything's Gonna Be Alright: this is faster cut...definitely not single material, but you can groove to it...7.9/10

Giving You More: more sexy mid-tempo, but ain't on the level of others...7.75/10

I Gotcha' Back: this is another song with a hip-hop feel...7.5/10

Never Givin' Up: this is a duet, it's just perfect and romantic, without being saccharine;you'll be in love too after a listen...9.9/10

Heartbroken: this is my jam, the harmonies in the background set it off...10/10

Never Comin' Back: you gotta hear this one, it was either recorded live or simulated to make it sound that way...it's slammin' either way...it has tons of attitude...10/10

Ladies In Da House: this one'll have you bopping that head again...9/10

The One I Gave My Heart To: this ballad is full of sugar, and I don't care...it's just beautiful and totally different from the rest of the album, listen for the passion in her voice...10/10

Came To Give Love (Outro): again she scores with outro...just groove...10/10

I never before have heard and album this smoove and cool without trying. Man, you can even jam to the duds. I miss her brand of R&B, and her spirit badly. She's just an angel in every way.

This album from aalyiah is blazing and I had this from the day it came out back in 96. The best songs here r: One in a million, If your girl only knew, 4 page letter, One I gave my heart to and the intros and otros are cool too. over all every song is banging in it's own way. She did even better splitting up with R.kelly and so did he. Looking at the way missy and tim are going with all the new cd's and tracks they been dropping from their crew and collaborting with others(Ginuwine,702,missy,magoo,playa,tim,total), Aalyiah's new one should be just blazing when it drops in september. Timbaland used Aalyiah as the first person to experiment with his blazing beats and it more than worked a new style for hip-hop/r+b. Now people are bitting his beats and trying to sound like him without being to obvious. After her album dropped and did so good tim did it again, using aalyaih to sound off another bumping sound. I'm talking about the song, "Are you that somebody". Now poeple are bitting off that song.(Jordan Knight-"Give it to you".) This is why I know her album is going to be hot, cause they just gonna change the game one more time with a whole new sound and use aalyiah once again to do it. Summer is no where close to being done but this is something to look forward to in the fall or late summer maybe.

Don't sleep on this one or her new one coming soon. Any questions on the new album? You can e-mail me.

The year was 1996, Urban R&B and Hip Hop had really gone from being in the backround with Gangsta Rap and New Jack Swing to the top of the mainstream charts with a more commercial sound that appealed for a broader audience. Blackstreet, Mary J Blige, Fugees, R. Kelly and Puff Daddy. Aaliyah was 17 at the time and almost about to graduate from highschool. She already had one album in her bag "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" produced and written by R. Kelly that she also ended up marrying, but since she was underage the marraige was shortly annuled and they both went seperate ways. On Aaliyah's second album titled "One In A Million" she teamed up with a bunch of diffrent producers, which was quite rare at the time. Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins and the completely unknown producer Timothy Mosley, better known as Timbaland. Mosley had previously worked with Missy Elliott's band "Sista" but with limited resources and not much success. He and Missy (who hadn't released her debut album yet) teamed up together and wrote/produced 7 of the songs of Aaliyah's second album. The result would be revolutionary and differ from anything that was on the radio at the time. Timbaland created a unique sound that would take R&B closer to mainstream with "stuttering bass-heavy bounce beats offset resounding high-end synth stabs" and often making cameos on his productions but no sampling, everything was created by himself. All this was known simply as the "Timbaland Sound" and 10 years later he would not only be a super-producer but the greatest procucer of his generation. Aaliyah had also matured, at only 17 she sound much older and experienced and she's was now a complete singer that can stand on her own feet and the overall result is a more satisfying effort then her debut. It's also fulpacked with hits, apart from the wonderful title track produced by Timbaland, he also produced the hits "Hot Like Fire", "If Your Girl Only Knew" and "4 Page Letter". A Diane Warren penned ballad called "The One I Gave My Heart To" reached top 10 on the charts. Other then that, we'll also find some fine remakes, like Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" with old skool rapper Slick Rick and Isley Brothers "Choosey Lover", later used by R.Kelly and Nas for a remix for "Street Dreams" and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkin's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and Dupri's "I Gotcha Back". Intro and Outro included you get 17 songs of class and depth, and that is more then anyone could ask for, especially from someone so young. "One in A Million" is equally good as her third eponymous album and should end up in any music fan's collection. Sadly Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 and the music world lost one of the most talented, beautiful and charismatic singers and I often wonder what she would have amount to in the future, it really looked so bright for her. Looking back 10 years in time I can clearly say that this album was something above the ordinary. R&B came closer to mainstream music, production was starting to have a bigger impact in music and Aaliyah made the best R&B album of the year together with Ginuwine's "The Bachelor" that was produced by...You know who.


Rest in peace Aaliyah.

...Yes... it is the best R&B album ever. With help from virtual unknowns (M. Elliott & Timbaland) this album marked the start of a revolution. Futuristic music that was delivered to us earthlings about 4 years early and was immediately immitated by those who thought they could pull it off and get away with it. The combination of the hard and heavy beats accompanied by a sweet and soft voice is still to this day immitated, but unmatched.

With tracks like: "Heartbroken," "If Your Girl Only Knew," and the masterpeice "One In A Million," how could a music buyer possibly go wrong. This album has the right amount of Hip Hop with guests like Treach, Slick Rick and Missy Elliott herself, and definitely the right amount of slow jams and dance tracks. Just quality stuff.

Best tracks (of which there are many) include:
1. Beats 4 Da Streets (Intro) (The best damn intro I have ever heard in my whole entire life.)
2. Hot Like Fire (nice and sweaty)
3. One In A Million (the best song ever recorded... to me)
5. If Your Girl Only Knew (sassy track with a killer bass line)
6. Choosey Lover (A bit too long, but there is no such thing as too long when the voice belongs to Aaliyah)
8. 4 Page Letter (an overall good track)
9. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (one of the non-Tim tracks, but still very great if you want to get your boogie on)
11. I Gotcha' Back (great beat, great message)
13. Heartbroken (the second best track on this album, the melody and beat is awesome)
17. Came To Give Love (Outro) (the best outro I have ever heard)

Basically, this album restarted R&B.