To mark 25 years since the release of her self-titled masterpiece and 30 years since One in a Million rewrote the entire R&B blueprint, Essence Festival of Culture went all out for our forever Baby Girl, Aaliyah.
Curated by none other than her longtime musical soulmate and sister-in-creative-arms, Missy Elliott. Singer Mya set the tone, sliding onto the stage with effortless veteran grace to deliver a flawless medley of “Back & Forth,” “At Your Best,” and the snake-charming rhythm of “We Need A Resolution.”
Ryan Destiny then stepped into the smoke, dripping in pure attitude and bringing that signature low-register sultry energy to “If Your Girl Only Knew,” making it crystal clear why she has always been the internet’s favorite choice to play Baby Girl. Then came the heavy hitters of performance choreography. Normani tore up the stage during “Try Again” and winding down into a hypnotic, smooth execution of “Rock The Boat” that had the entire dome singing along. Chloe Bailey kept the momentum high. effortlessly tackling the intricate, high-energy vibes of “More Than A Woman” before pulling out the ultimate stop with “Are You That Somebody.
Sevyn Streeter performed “4 Page Letter” and “I Care 4 U,” letting those soaring notes remind us just how much soul Aaliyah packed into her catalog.
For the grand finale, every single performer walked back out under the flashing lights, joined hand-in-hand as the beat dropped for “One In A Million.” Clearly Essence did not come to play this year and did what needed to be done to honor the late legend.