The majority of music by the late singer Aaliyah has long been unavailable on streaming services, but it looks like that’s finally coming to an end — sort of. The singer’s estate announced on Christmas that they secured control of her official account on YouTube, promising they would drop her music on there at some point in 2021.
Official message from the Estate of Aaliyah Haughton. Thank you for your continued love and support! ?
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.#aaliyah #aaliyahhaughton #aaliyahmusic #aaliyahforever pic.twitter.com/rRDIVaHVfo— Aaliyah (@AaliyahHaughton) August 25, 2020
But this is just the beginning. A few months ago, Aaliyah’s estate announced it was in talks with other streamers. “To our loyal fans: We are excited to announce that communication has commenced between the estate and various record labels about the status of Aaliyah’s music catalogue, as well as its availability on streaming platforms in the near future,” the post read. “Thank you for your continued love and support. More updates to come!”
Aaliyah’s three albums, which have influenced some of today’s biggest names, have long been long been AWAL from online services. However, the fight to get them to digital platforms has been a long and hard one. Blackground Records, which houses the singer’s full-length releases and was founded by her uncle Barry Hankerson, is no longer operational, and it is believed that Hankerson is mostly responsible for blocking her music from streaming services. But it appears things will change in 2021.