It is the L-I-Y-A-H, Gone but Not Forgotten

Growing up in the 90’s, I was always a fan of the R&B and hip-hop during that decade. My absolute favorite singer was (and still is) the very beautiful and talented Aaliyah. This month, the 25^th, marks the 12^th anniversary of her death. Aaliyah was killed in a fatal plane crash back in 2001. As you can imagine, I was devastated. I still remember that day, I cried. I don’t want to discuss the tragedy here though because Aaliyah’s   memory is still very alive. 

There are plenty of fan pages dedicated to Aaliyah on the social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I find that whenever I post a photo of her on my Instagram page, I always get a lot of likes. Most recently, you may have heard her sweet, angelic voice on the radio in a new song. Singer Chris Brown featured unreleased Aaliyah vocals in the second single “Don’t Think They Know,” from his upcoming album. The video featured a hologram of Aaliyah and was created to bring attention to gun violence. This song gave fans the chance to hear new music from Aaliyah while keeping her memory alive. It also further introduced her to newer generations of music listeners. 

Aaliyah had many hit songs that people still listen to today like “One in a Million,” “Rock the Boat,” "4 Page Letter," and my favorite, “Are You That Somebody.” I loved everything about her from her hair and style, to her voice and dance moves. She always seemed like a very down-to-earth and sweet soul. There was never much bad press about her. She was transitioning her career to include acting under her belt (triple-threat) before her untimely passing. I am and will always be a big fan of Aaliyah and I want to dedicate this post to her memory.

You’re one in a million, baby girl, may you rest in heaven!

Would YOU Like a Tour?

Drake performing during Club Paradise tour at Ohio State University

So many artists are on tour right now, including Justin Timberlake, T.I. and Lil Wayne, and Rihanna who recently wrapped up hers.  A show that I am particularly looking forward to is Drake’s tour titled, Would You Like a Tour? The 41-date North American tour also features R&B artist Miguel and rapper Future. The tour starts in September in Portland, OR and will close in Los Angeles, CA at the end of November (schedule posted below).

Drake is also working on his third album, with an anticipated release date of September 24^th of this year.  The album titled, Nothing Was the Same, features hit single “Started From the Bottom” and recently released single, “Hold on We’re Going Home” featuring Majid Jordan. In an interview with the magazine Rolling Stone Drake said, “This album is about growth.” He described one of his songs, “Connect” as being the one “that hits you in the heart. It’s painful and beautiful at the same time.” I am highly anticipating this album. Drake told us all in his song “The Ride” from his sophomore album, Take Care, that his “junior and senior [albums] will only get meaner.” I can’t wait to see if he kept his word.

Would You Like a Tour? follows his Club Paradise Tour that took place in 2012 following the release of Take Care. I was able to attend this concert in Columbus, OH at Ohio State University. I didn’t know what to expect from him as far as live performances go, but he put on a great show, incorporating his fans as part of the show. I felt like I was in the presence of greatness. There was a moment where he had all lights shining on the audience and shouted out many of his fans individually by saying things like, “I see you baby girl in the orange dress.” It was really a special moment for his fans, especially the many who were singled out (unfortunately, I was not one). If Would You Like a Tour is as entertaining and engaging as Club Paradise, I can’t wait to see it!  For more information about tickets, visit Ticketmaster.

Would You Like a Tour? Dates:

09-25 Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena
09-26 Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
09-27 Vancouver, BC - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
09-29 Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
09-30 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
10-02 Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
10-03 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
10-05 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
10-06 Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
10-08 Saint Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
10-09 Chicago, IL - United Center
10-11 Indianapolis, IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10-12 Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
10-13 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
10-15 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
10-16 Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center
10-18 Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
10-19 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
10-21 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
10-22 Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
10-26 Hartford, CT - XL Center
10-27 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
10-28 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
10-30 Boston, MA - TD Garden
10-31 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
11-02 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
11-03 Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena
11-05 Miami, FL - AmericanAirlines Arena
11-06 Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum
11-07 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
11-09 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
11-10 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
11-12 San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
11-13 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
11-16 Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
11-18 Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Arena
11-19 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
11-21 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
11-22 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
11-24 San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena
11-25 Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center