The Main Idea:
In 1994, fifteen-year-old R&B starlet Aaliyah released her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. Produced by R. Kelly, the record shows off Aaliyah's vocal abilities over some smooth, but still street-wise, production. Of all of Aaliyah's albums to date, this one is definitely the most soulful, though that can become trying at times. Most of the songs on Age Ain't Nothing But A Number sound too much like each other, and, though that can be a good thing under some circumstances, it isn't under these. The overall sound is very old-school and mature, but it isn't anything we've heard in R&B before. In my opinion, this is Aaliyah's worst effort. Though it does show a lot of promise and talent, there just isn't anything to set it apart from the crowd.

Song-By-Song Breakdown:
1. INTRO - This is just a simple little interlude with some acapella vocals from Aaliyah and her background singers that warn you to "be careful with the volume please" when "bumping this album in your jeeps." There's also some muffled background music from the following track near the end, but, overall, this intro is pretty pointless. Artists really need to stop putting intros and interludes and whatnot on their records - 1/5

2. THROW YOUR HANDS UP - The old school beat and production on this dance track really compliment Aaliyah's soulful crooning well, but the rapping from Tia Hawkins can definitely get on your last nerve. Hawkins also sings the hook, and the background vocals are very well-arranged, though this track isn't very remarkable. It's an obvious attempt at hip-hop, and a pretty good one, but it really sounds too much like the other songs on the record. It's still a nice song, though - 3/5

3. BACK & FORTH - This is one of my favorite Aaliyah songs of all time, and it's easy to see why. The production is pure R&B and doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of most of the other songs on the album, and the lyrics are catchy as hell: "It's Friday and I'm ready to swing/Pick up my girls and hit the party scene/Tonight, oh oh oh it's alright/So get up and let this funky mellow groove/Get you in the mood/'Cause you know it's alright." The vocals are awesome and really show off Aaliyah's skills, though I don't like the mini-rap part from R. Kelly - 5/5

4. AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER - Another smooth, classy R&B gem. Aaliyah gives one of her best and most convincing deliveries ever on this hit. Lyrically, this song isn't very special, but Aaliyah is able to accentuate each word and syllable and make it sound genius. I don't like the piano-accompanied speaking part at the beginning, but it doesn't take away from the song. Overall, an excellent track with fairly simple production that compliments the theme of the song very well - 4/5

5. DOWN WITH THE CLIQUE - I often find it hard to tell the difference between this track and #2, as they have similar street-flavored sounds. R. Kelly sings this song's simple hook, which is accompanied by some background crooning from Aaliyah herself. I don't like the lyrics on this song, though; they don't make sense and try too hard to be hip-hop and don't suit Aaliyah's voice. A fairly good song nonetheless, excluding R. Kelly's rapping at the end - 3/5

6. AT YOUR BEST (YOU ARE LOVE) - This Isley Brothers cover tune is excellent. I'm not a big fan of this song, actually, but I still admire it's artistry and the elegance of it. The hook is sweet and simple - "But at your best you are love/You're a positive motivating force within my life/Should you ever feel the need to wonder why/Let me know, let me know" - and the production is classic and an obvious throwback to the good old days of R&B. Aaliyah really demonstrates what she can do with her voice on this track, particularly in the acapella part at the beginning - 4/5

7. NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO LOVE ME QUITE LIKE YOU DO - Aside from having one of the longest names in recent history, this track is a light, summery song with great background vocals. An awkward speaking bit opens the tune, and future husband R. Kelly's constant murmurings of "Liyah, you're the only one for me" are a little creepy, given the circumstances, but, other than that, the song is great. It's well-arranged, upbeat, danceable, and extremely catchy. One of my favorites on the album, mostly because it sounds different from all the other songs - 5/5

8. I'M SO INTO YOU - This is yet another R&B/hip-hop hybrid that features still more rhymes from Tia Hawkins. Instrumentally, this is one of the best songs on the record, as it has a well-defined bassline and great keyboards. The simple chorus ("I'm so into yooooouuuuu!"), mildly sexual lyrics ("It's just the little things you do that turns me on"), and little "Na na na"'s at the end give this tune some personality. This track is actually fairly laid back - 4/5

9. STREET THING - The title of this song is very cliché and some of the lyrics are quite corny, but I still like it. It kind of has a TLC or early Destiny's Child sound to it, and the gospel-sounding background vocals are great. Aaliyah's does some very good ad-libbing on the sugary sweet bridge at the end: "You can climb the highest mountain/You can swim the deepest sea/But boy I gotta let you know/My love will always be." This tune is pretty mid-tempo with some dramatic production and, though it's good, it's really nothing special - 3/5

10. YOUNG NATION - Yet another corny song that sounds a bit contrived but is still good. Aaliyah doesn't get to show off her vocal abilities that much on this tune, and, as a result, the song ends up sounding kind of disposable. I like the smooth, jazzy production, though, which compliments the lyrics very well. I don't know what else to say about this mid-tempo track. It's very ho hum with nothing that really jumps out at you and sets it apart from the rest of the record - 2/5

11. OLD SCHOOL - The album gets back on track with this cut, which has a very appropriate title. The beats are great and give this track a danceable feel, and the choric background vocals really bring the lyrics to the forefront. But why does R. Kelly have to jump in with his stupid rapping again and steal the spotlight away from Aaliyah? Yo R., stick to singing and producing, dude. The whole rapping thing just does not work for you. Anywho, this song is still pretty good and a great old school throwback - 4/5

12. I'M DOWN - I don't care for this track's lyrics, in which Aaliyah says she's down with whatever her man wants her to do or be: "Boy there's no need to look no further/'Cause everything you want is right here/And I don't mind giving you what you want/Just as long as you stay near me." Now that can't be healthy. Once again, this track blends in with the others on this album and is easily forgettable. There's just nothing unique about it - 2/5

13. BACK AND FORTH (MR. LEE AND R. KELLY'S REMIX) (bonus track) - I don't know why they had to go and screw up a great song with a poor remix such as this. Everything about this new mix is the same as the original, except now there's more bells and whistles going on in the background, therefore making it altogether very overproduced. This new production doesn't suit the vocal or lyrics at all, as it's far too complicated. I don't get why they even added this bonus cut o the record because it's very out of place (and who is this Mr. Lee guy anyway?) - 1/5

The Big Picture:
The biggest issue I have with Age Ain't Nothing But A Number is its lack of variety. Nearly all of the songs blend together and have very similar production and vocal arrangements, which is why it's sometimes hard to differentiate among the tracks (this is what made this review so hard for me to write). As I mentioned in my Amerie review, the problem with working with just one producer on an entire record, in this case R. Kelly, is that, once that person produces every song, every song sounds identical to the one before it. This album really doesn't have much personality. It seems like Aaliyah was just doing what R. Kelly told her to do (in more ways than one...) and lost any sense of herself and of originality. Maybe if Aaliyah had cut the puppet strings, this record would have turned out much better.

However, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number is a very mature and soulful effort that does show off some of Aaliyah's vocal capabilities. I find it hard to believe that Aaliyah was my age when she recorded this album because she demonstrates such skill and poise that is rarely heard in artists twice her age. That old-beyond-her-years quality is very refreshing, but not enough to save Age Ain't Nothing But A Number from its drown in the pallid R&B pool. There are scores of soulful female R&B songstresses out there who can sing just as good as, if not better than, Aaliyah, and her debut record proves it. I expected a lot more from this album, vocally, lyrically, and production-wise. What I got was an old-school-inspired R. Kelly-control-freak record. Thank goodness this sound only lasted one album and thank goodness R. Kelly has moved on to other underage little girls - I mean, other soulful female singers, because he was really spoiling Aaliyah's talent in the beginning of her career.

Final Notes:
Average Song Rating: 3.154
Best Song(s): "Back & Forth," "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number," and "No One Knows How To Love Me Quite Like You Do"
Worst Song(s): "Intro" and "Back & Forth (Mr. Lee and R. Kelly's Remix)"

How Would I Rate This Record's...
Vocals? 4 stars
Lyrics? 3 stars
Production? 3 stars
Timelessness? 3 1/2 stars
Artistry? 2 1/2 stars

Also Recommended:
Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton
TLC - CrazySexyCool
Destiny's Child - Destiny's Child

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving