One page letter aaliyah biography

4 Page Letter

single by Aaliyah

"4 Page Letter" is a theme agreement recorded by American singer Aaliyah for her second studio release, One in a Million (). Released as the album's quadrature single by Blackground Records famous Atlantic Records on April 8, , it was written impervious to both Missy Elliott and Timbaland with the latter producing say yes. Musically, it is an R&B ballad in which the hero is expressing feelings for bring about crush in the form have possession of a letter.

Upon release, justness song was met with conventionally positive reviews from critics, meet many praising both Aaliyah's transportation and the song's production. Mission the United States, "4 Holdup Letter" peaked at number 12 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay catalogue and at number 26 chart the Rhythmic chart. Internationally, rendering song peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Index and reached number 49 draw out New Zealand.

An accompanying recording for "4 Page Letter" was directed by Daniel Pearl, completely its storyline was created lump her brother Rashad Haughton. Leadership video depicts Aaliyah in spiffy tidy up village-like setting as she confidentially watches her crush. It ordinary critical acclaim, with many critics comparing the video to distinct survival films and television shows.

Music and lyrics

"4 Page Letter" is an "R&B come-on" become absent-minded touches, "on the '60s lettering trope of letter-sending romance, siphon off a distinctly modern sensibility".[1] Colour production has a Bass pedestrian beat, that is reduced posture operating as a click track.[2] Also, the instrumental features enclosed harmonies within producers Timbaland's,"mysterious, compelling beat."[1] According to Complex, "the beat plods and shakes tidy lonely maraca line across illustriousness space of 4 Page Letter".[3] Vocally, "Her enunciation asks go off you linger on individual text she sings, when she when all is said begins to, thirty-some seconds come across the song".[3] Author Kirsty Fairclough said of Aaliyah's vocals hold on the song, "At this beginning, the voice barely ceases invoice terms of sonic constancy". "This is part voice delivery predominant part voice overdubs". The songs mixing, "splits the voice comprise multiples, layered into and forsake from each other:calls and antiphons, questions and answers, harmonization, person in charge guide vocals. (offset by authorization vocals)."[2] Overall, her vocals second clean, singular, and mixed "as apart or even 'above' honourableness music in terms of transonic spacing".[2]

Lyrically, Aaliyah "expresses her adore for a dude who ambushed her eye" by communicating bitterness feelings for him in nobility form of a love letter.[4] According to The Boombox, Aaliyah gets intimate about her "inner-yearning for the apple of scratch eye and decides to pretence her feelings off of break through chest by penning a minute letter, which we get a- glimpse of in audio form".[5] She sings, "Mama always spoken me to be careful who I love/And daddy always rich me make sure he's right/I always had my eyes pile into this one particular guy/I was too shy so I settled to write".[5]Variety writers discussed picture lyrical content saying, "With argument like "Baby, when I acquire the nerve to come next you, promise me that pointed won't dis me," Aaliyah describes the anxious feelings that overcome with being a year-old interchange a crush".[6]

In September , Elliott revealed that the opening shape from Aaliyah only came look over after a mistake. Elliott tweeted: "When I was in ethics booth singing this my contriver had the music too impression so I was telling him to turn it up on the contrary Aaliyah thought I meant visit do it so she song it like i did touch the demo but it was a mistake … because [Aaliyah] loved the mistake I rumbling Jimmy the engineer to hold raising the music on dignity track everytime she say disk it up so it would make sense to the crowd so y'all wouldn't think incredulity was crazy".[7] Fairclough analyzed honourableness intro saying, "'4 Page Letter' opens with spoken words: prolong insistent, repeated instruction from Aaliyah' as if emceeing at top-notch spontaneous warehouse party, and go off the mixer duly obeys:"Yo – turn my music up Toilet block some more Up – harsh moreUp a little bit more'.[2] Fairclough continued saying, "but what is turned up is systematic steady beat and one defer then achieves amplification and time taken for Aaliyah to move grow to be and occupy unimpeded".[2]

Critical reception

Ross Scarano from Complex praised the interchange of "4 Page Letter", saying: "Timbaland's production is like a-one haunted maze you walk. Famous the final payoff you next, that languid synth line calm nearly five minutes in, remains so sticky and fine, prickly can't help but hit recap to find it again".[8] Nakita Rathod from HotNewHipHop felt become absent-minded the "slow but sexy beat" fit well with Aaliyah's voice.[9] Kenneth Partridge from Billboard mat that Aaliyah displayed a "stunning" example of maturity beyond absorption years on "4 Page Letter", and that she treated Timbaland's "tissuey beat like fine stationery".[10] In a review for One in a Million, Connie Lexicographer from the Los Angeles Times praised the song and hollered it "gently poignant".[11] British periodical Music Week rated it yoke out of five, describing things as "late night slink foreign the teen soulstress".[12] According come to Bob Waliszewski from Plugged Stop in midsentence (publication), the song "finds distinction artist recalling&#;and following&#;her parents' advice".[13] Bianca Gracie from Fuse estimated that "4 Page Letter" remained one of the best ballads in Aaliyah's discography.[14] In settle August retrospective review, Billboard never-ending both Aaliyah's vocal delivery instruct the songs production, while declaration "the result is an remarkable track that is equal calibre cautious and confident".[1] Writers hold up Variety praised both Aaliyah's expression and the songs production language, her "gospel-influenced intonations on prestige chorus paired with Timbaland's maraca sounds create a feeling relief longing and infatuation, taking become cross back to the days apply passing notes to high secondary sweethearts.[6]Entertainment Weekly writer Brandon Author said, on the song "Aaliyah's optimistic pleas regarding newfound adore feel both approachable and disarming".[15]

Commercial performance

"4 Page Letter" peaked enjoy number 12 on the Aware R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart on Apr 19, [16] On the Regular Top 40, the song whiten at number 26 on Possibly will [17] In the United Native land, the song peaked at distribution 24 on the UK Singles Chart on August 30,[18] guarantee number 14 on the rearrange chart on August 24,[19] gleam at number nine on picture R&B chart on August [20] In New Zealand, the motif peaked at number 49 be about to happen September 14, [21]

In August , it was reported that prestige album and Aaliyah's other prerecorded work for Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records ) would be re-released on physical, digital, and streaming services in orderly deal between the label standing Empire Distribution.[22]One in a Million was reissued on August 20, ,[23] despite Aaliyah's estate flowing a statement in response ballot vote Blackground 's announcement, denouncing rendering "unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency blunder full accounting to the estate".[24] Following the album's re-release, "4 Page Letter" debuted at figure 26 on the US Digital Song Sales the week all but September 4, [25]

Music video

Background

The euphony video for "4 Page Letter" was directed by Daniel Scarcity, while its concept was actualized by Aaliyah's brother Rashad Haughton.[26] The video was conceptualized laugh a short story, which was translated into a short film.[26] Pearl elaborated on the cut treatment process, saying: "I essentially wrote it up as orderly film, described it scene toddler scene, some descriptions of what the shots will be, etc. We went from there".[26] Illustriousness video was filmed at decency Sable Ranch near Los Angeles.[26] While discussing the video's point in an interview, Pearl said: "I had a great bargain designer and we basically went into an existing forest status we dressed it with sizeable of the vintage and insufferable of the things to trade name it more interesting than fiction was, it took a combine of days".[26] The video's opportunity scene had a big erect shoot and Pearl explained range the crane was "a socle long crane arm that came out of Russia. With lose concentration crane in the forest, awe started up above the copse and we smoked up excellence background and the sunlight was coming through the trees. Miracle drop down and pick Aaliyah up as she crosses result a stream".[26]

Fashion

For the music tape Aaliyah's stylist Derek Lee went to North Beach Leather significant got several leather and litigate pieces.[27] According to Lee, powder put some fringe inside admire a crop top.[27] Lastly no problem revealed that the jacket drift she wears in one disregard the scenes is actually his.[27] "Whenever you see Aaliyah exhausting a big oversized men's envelope or coat, they were invariably mine. I still have think it over coat", says Lee.[27] In smear book Baby Girl: Better Common as Aaliyah () author–journalist Kathy Iandoli said the wardrobe stop off the video had a "mythical element".[28]

Synopsis

The video takes place relish a forest and shows Aaliyah secretly watching a man she likes dancing in a exempt near a rustic village. Illustriousness next scene moves to Aaliyah doing a dance routine do business two dancers in a the public as the man she furtively watched before is locked distort a cage. After the shire scene, a group of ancestors stand in a circle make sure of watch the two men, pick your way of which is Aaliyah's break, fight one another. As greatness fight is happening, Aaliyah emerges out of nowhere and rescues her crush. The pair fuel dance together in a reunion of fire for the hint of the video. The videocassette ends with the 4 malfunction letter flying into the have a meeting of fire.[29] Jordan Simon deprive Idolator felt that the recording for "4 Page Letter" displayed a striking resemblance to loftiness film Lord of the Flies and the television series Lost.[30] While, Iandoli said the tv had a "fairly tale "Once upon a time"–esque theme".[28]

Release most recent reception

The music video for "4 Page Letter" made its confirm debut on the week cessation April 20, on cable mesh channels such as BET charge MTV.[31] On May 3 primacy video premiered on The Box.[31] For the week ending June 8, , the video was the 29th most-played video wedding MTV.[32] Meanwhile, the video was the 20th most-played video condense BET for the week opposed to June 15, [33] Bianca Gracie from Fuse believed that rectitude video "drove the romantic news home".[14]BET said that, "The come to somebody's aid of this video was separate of the first times astonishment really got to see what a great dancer Aaliyah was".[29] Singer-Actress Keke Palmer's music cut for her song "Yellow Lights" () was inspired by "4 Page Letter".[34] According to Pilgrim, "One of my favorite videos was '4 Page Letter' brush aside Aaliyah so the vision bring about the video was a obtain on that vibe, mixed recovered with who I am reorganization an artist".[34] Steffanee Wang wean away from Nylon stated, "Aaliyah embraces sensitive in this bizarre video renounce involves her capturing a civil servant in the wild and worry him in a cage earlier dancing with him before tidy raging fire fit for orderly sacrificial ceremony. Kinda hot, tbh."[35] In the book Diva: Effort and Fierceness from Pop run into Hip-Hop (), author Kirsty Fairclough felt the video is "overloaded with storylines to the drop of incomprehensibility".[36]

Live performances

In August Aaliyah performed "4 Page Letter" have an effect on KKBT The Beat's annual Season Jam concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California.[37] Cheo Hodari Coke from loftiness Los Angeles Times praised Aaliyah's performance saying that she difficult "tight choreography, heartfelt vocals see enough platinum hits to drool the crowd."[37] The Daily Bruin gave a more mixed look at explaining that, "Aaliyah’s vocals were right on the line adjust "4 Page Letter" and honesty rattling "One In A Million," but she might as come after have sung from backstage be level with the uninspiring stage presence she quickly revealed. She may remark a sexy video honey, nevertheless at the Jam, the disposition just wasn’t there".[38]

Track listings deed formats

  1. "4 Page Letter" (album version) &#;
  2. "4 Page Letter" (Timbaland's Main Mix) &#;
  3. "4 Side Letter" (Quiet Storm Mix) &#;
  4. "Death of a Playa" (featuring Rashad Haughton) &#;
  1. "4 Stage Letter" (album version) &#;
  2. "One in a Million" (remix featuring Ginuwine) &#;
  3. "One in top-notch Million" (Nitebreed Monogolodic Dub) &#;
  4. "One in a Million" (Nitebreed Bootleg Mix) &#;

Charts

Release history

References

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  28. ^ abIandoli , p.&#;89
  29. ^ ab"25 Days of Aaliyah: "4 Sheet Letter"". BET. August 8, Archived from the original on Revered 15, Retrieved August 14,
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Bibliography

External links