August 26, 2016

Today marks 15 years since the death of R&B queen Aaliyah.

In recent years, Aaliyah’s influence has become more evident than ever. Frank Ocean paid tribute to her cover of The Isley Brothers with ‘You Are Luhh’ in 2015, which again appeared on his recent visual project Endless. Drake has Aaliyah tattooed on his back and even penned a letter to the late singer back in 2010. Alicia Keys said that her hit single ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ was inspired by her sudden and tragic loss. Beyonce cited Aaliyah as an early supporter of Destiny’s Child, and just shared this throwback footage of the two on the red carpet to commemorate the date:

A video posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Aug 25, 2016 at 9:52am PDT

All three of her albums have been certified multi-platinum in the United States, while her work with Timbaland and Missy Elliot helped re-define the R&B sound with nonchalant yet fierce attitude. Melbourne DJ Yo Mafia says that “Aaliyah left a legacy that remains untouched by any other female R&B singer to this day” – and crafted this 33-minute-mix to honour her legacy:

Outside of music, she was also a fashion trendsetter and trailblazer – wearing baggy jeans and bandanas for relaxed fits that paved the way for tomboy aesthetic. Vogue noted her influence on contemporary style icons like Rihanna, writing that “there doesn’t seem to be a current streetwear trend that Aaliyah didn’t sport first – something to remember the next time you see someone stepping out in Timbs and overalls.” And who could forget that Tommy Hilfiger campaign. You know how many ladies you see in Hilfiger crop tops and bras at festivals? You probably have Babygirl to thank for that: