Latest album has soul

Talent was one thing R&B chanteuse Aaliyah Haughton found early on. \nUnfortunately, a plane crash Saturday ended the 22-year-old's life before her prime, as her career in both music and film was taking off.\nIn July, Aaliyah's self-titled third album was released, debuting at No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.\nThe first track of Aaliyah, "We Need A Resolution," features Timbaland and Aaliyah's sultry sound, exhibiting her range. One of the album's best tracks is "Loose Rap," featuring Aaliyah's sexy vocals and Static from Playa adding more of a hip-hop feel to the piece.\nAnother standout, "Rock The Boat" lets Aaliyah groove in the songs smooth, flowing chorus. The quiet, subtle beat exhibited throughout the track backs Aaliyah's soft, yet strong and soulful vocals. According to Aaliyah's official Web site, it was the video for "Rock The Boat" that she had just completed filming before the crash.\nIn "More Than A Woman" Aaliyah promises to be more than a lover, coming off sweet, her thick voice carrying the chorus and background vocals. \nIn "Extra Smooth," Aaliyah sings about a man who thinks he's all that. "I wish you'd quit trying to be extra smooth," she sings. Aaliyah uses her lower register in this track, almost in a chant, warning this man that he's really nothing special.\n"I Refuse" shows off Aaliyah's vocal strength and passion in her work. Starting off quiet with subtle keyboard backing her vocals, Aaliyah's intensity grows steadily, telling the story of a woman refusing to let a man control her life.\nThe album is strung with beautiful songs full of soul and a special energy embodied in the young singer. "I Care 4 U" and "Read Between The Lines," like the other tracks, display the seemingly delicate, fragile sound backed by a powerful strength. \nAaliyah combined strength, soul and a sultry sound unusual for someone so young, first proven when she appeared on the long-running television talent show "Star Search" and on her 1994 debut, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number.\nThe second album, One In A Million, released in 1996 and boosted Aaliyah's career further up into the clouds, yielding the title track and the sexy "If Your Girl Only Knew."\nAaliyah sang on the soundtrack of the animated film "Anastasia," "Dr. Doolittle" and "Romeo Must Die," receiving two Grammy nominations. Her first acting performance in "Romeo Must Die" caught the attention of Hollywood. Aaliyah recently completed filming on the follow-up to Ann Rice's "Interview With The Vampire," "Queen of the Damned," starring as the title role. \nNext up for the singer and actress was a role in two upcoming sequels to the hit movie "The Matrix."\nAaliyah was to be a presenter on this year's MTV Video Music Awards, and was nominated for best R&B/soul or rap song of the year for the Seventh Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards to be aired starting Sept. 1.