In honor of what would have been Aaliyah ‘s 45th birthday on January 16th, Blackground Records 2.0 has provided eager fans with a tantalizing update on her posthumous album, Unstoppable. The revered singer’s label commemorated the day with a promise: “It’s coming,” accompanied by an invitation to a dedicated website for exclusive insights into Aaliyah’s awaited project.
Unstoppable, which initially had a projected release in January 2022, remains a work in progress. The album’s lead single “Poison,” featuring The Weeknd, released in December 2021, peaked at No. 21 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, marking a successful 22-week run.
Barry Hankerson, founder of Blackground Records and Aaliyah’s uncle, expressed his enthusiasm in earlier conversations. Speaking to Geno Star of 99.7, Hankerson hinted at a January release, while a Billboard interview with Gail Mitchell revealed an impressive roster of contributing artists like Drake, Future, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, and more. “The body of work is pure hip-hop and R&B… Some of the people that Aaliyah liked are on the album,” Hankerson noted, emphasizing the album’s alignment with Aaliyah’s artistic preferences.
Fans also anticipate a Timbaland-produced track featuring Chris Brown, promising to deliver “vintage R&B with strong vocals,” as per Hankerson’s anticipation. Despite these insights and a high stream count for “Poison” on Spotify, the album’s release faced delays with no official updates until now.
Unstoppable is set to be Aaliyah’s first original album release since her self-titled third album in July 2001, just a month before her untimely passing.
The album’s conception aligns with Aaliyah’s artistic evolution, as revealed in a conversation with singer and songwriter Tank. In a 2020 interview with Rated R&B, Tank shared insights into Aaliyah’s mindset during the creation of “Can Be,” a track from the Aaliyah album. Aaliyah’s directive to Tank was clear: “I need that edge, Tank. I’m a woman and people need to understand that.” This ethos seems to permeate the upcoming Unstoppable album, further enhancing her legacy.
While specific details about the album’s content and the inclusion of its previously announced collaborators remain unconfirmed, fans can stay connected via Blackground Records’ teaser and the dedicated website for the latest updates on Unstoppable.
