Age Ain't Nothing but a Number
| Aaliyah
Age Ain't Nothing but a Number
Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number is the debut studio album by American singer Aaliyah. It was released under Jive and Blackground Records on May 24, 1994, in the United States. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Billboard
A quasi-classic, opening salvo from an artist whose influence has only grown in the nearly 13-years since her death. Everyone from Drake to the xx love her, and this is the record that kick-started the infatuation.
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Slant Magazine
The album deftly blended Kelly’s new jack swing with Aaliyah’s sultry voice, helping to define the laid back vibe of mid-‘90s R&B.
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The Source
The edgy beats produced by R. Kelly, accompanied by Aaliyah’s silky vocals made her one of the most favored and influential female artists to date.
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All Music
Kelly wraps Aaliyah's voice in layers of lush synths and deep grooves, while adding songs that are frequently better than the ones on his own album, 12 Play. Age may have its share of filler, but its singles are slyly seductive.
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Vibe
Aaliyah wasn’t the strongest vocalist. Some consider that heresy and because of her untimely death, she’s often sainted by millennials (see: Drake). But the fact that she wasn’t a belter with strong pipes doesn’t take away from her contributions to the music scene and her ultimate legacy.
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Soul Raxx
The many funk-based loops, pounding beats, along with Aaliyah’s carefully stunning voice is the only thing that saves the album from utter failure, disappointment, and demise.
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Soul Bounce
While pondering the what ifs are enough to make the hurt of her loss sting even more, we luckily have albums like Age Ain't Nothing But A Number to remember just how brilliantly that star shined while we had Baby Girl here on earth.
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Stumblings and Rumblings
Looking back at this album, it was the launching point for Aaliyah’s short lived career. I still enjoy listening to this album but when she released One In A Million and the self titled, Aaliyah, that’s when she really came into herself as an artist.
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Prince.org
We give ‘Age’ its due praise for the gem and catalyst of a career that it was.
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The 405
One of the best R&B records of the nineties appears tainted beyond redemption.
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Entertainment Weekly
Aaliyah exudes street attitude a bit too self-consciously-nonetheless, a promising start.
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New York Times
She was a digital diva who wove a spell with ones and zeroes.
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Diggin in tha Crates
One would be right in believing that her best days were ahead of her and would come about only if she were paired with a more adventurous producer (Timbaland). Still this is a satisfactory album that anyone who appreciates vintage R&B sounds should check out.
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The Rap Fest
Even though she was before my time (releasing her first album two years before I was born), hearing her musical content makes me truly believe that if her life wasn’t cut short tragically, she would have been considered amongst the R&B greats when it was all said and done.
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Adrian's Album Reviews
Overall this is an album that does little wrong, although the lack of distinctiveness is too overbearing for the album to be anything other than a pleasant diversion.
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Hot New Hip Hop
Aaliyah's music has always been the first focus, and controversies of her personal life secondary.
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Let's Face the Music Blog
I’d happily have this album on rotation just as long as I don’t think too hard about what was actually going on because in a way whilst I do enjoy the vibe, the vocals and the production I feel in some way I am facilitating this bizarre illicit relationship.
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Define A Revolution
Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was extremely dope.
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Idolator
It’s clear the album’s deft combination of electronic and R&B set a precedent for the music of this decade, sitting comfortably on a shelf alongside recent releases.
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Aroundtable
Does this album hold up after all these years? I think that it does. Although it was released in the mid 90s, the rhythms still hold up to today. The songs do have that 90's sound but it would fit in well with any current chart topper today.
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