20 Rare Aaliyah Photos To Remember The R&B Princess We Lost 20 Years Ago

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Aug. 25, 2021, marked two complete decades since the world lost a true trailblazer in music, Hollywood and the fashion world alike when 22-year-old R&B singer/actress Aaliyah Dana Haughton was killed in an unfortunate plane crash.

The 20 years since her untimely passing have been filled with countless tributes from peers, predecessors and successors in the music industry, in addition to special projects made to give her loyal fanbase something to keep their idol’s memory alive and burning bright. Keep reading to find 20 rare photos of Aaliyah to remember the R&B princess we lost 20 years ago.

MORE: Here Is The Story Of The Night Aaliyah Died

Alliyah left behind a body of work that made an undeniable impact on R&B music and remains a testament to her many talents. Her debut album in 1994, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number,” was a hit due to her debut single, “Back and Forth.” However, it was her collaboration with a then-unknown Missy Elliott and Timbaland for the album, “One in A Million,” that blew her career up.

Before her death, she also had an up-and-coming acting career in films like “Romeo Must Die” and a role in the “Matrix” sequel. Aaliyah once told VIBE, “Of course, I would love to get into acting and I am talking to a few producers now. That would be really exciting to be a jack of all trades and do music, movies and TV. I love drama and I think I could be a good dramatic actress. I have to ‘act out’ emotions in my videos a lot and I try to seem as realistic as possible.”

One surprising factor that’s also kept Aaliyah on the minds of many over the years are photographers who have randomly shared never-before-seen photos they took of her in the past and fans that reveal rare candid shots they took with the Princess of R&B simply as she was being her signature street-but-sweet persona.

To celebrate the life and legacy of a musician that NME Magazine referred to in a July 2001 cover story as “The Next Queen Of Pop,” we decided to take a moment today to round up some of the most beautiful, breathtaking images caught of Aaliyah that capture her ethereal spirit both inside and out.

From those who handled photography on her final two albums like Marc Baptiste (“One In A Million”) to Jonathan Mannion (“Aaliyah”), all the way to fan groups that are pulling rares from out the archives, we hope you enjoy this photographic memory of a star whose light will continue to shine on for another 20 years and counting.

R.I.P. forever, Aaliyah! Keep scrolling to check out 20 rare pictures of Baby Girl to commemorate the anniversary of a fateful day 20 years ago that many will surely never forget.