Editing Aaliyah (section)

===2001: ''Aaliyah'' and ''Queen of the Damned''===
{{Main|Aaliyah (album)}}
After completing ''[[Romeo Must Die]]'', Aaliyah began to work on her second film, ''[[Queen of the Damned]]''. She played the role of an ancient [[vampire]], Queen Akasha, which she described as a "manipulative, crazy, sexual being".<ref name="Telegraph" /> Filming both Romeo Must Die and ''Queen of the Damned'' delayed the release of the album. Aaliyah had not intended for her albums to have such a gap between them. "I wanted to take a break after ''One in a Million'' to just relax, think about how I wanted to approach the next album. Then, when I was ready to start back up, "Romeo" happened, and so I had to take another break and do that film and then do the soundtrack, then promote it. The break turned into a longer break than I anticipated."<ref name=mtvrapfix>{{cite web|url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/08/25/aaliyah-final-mtv-interview/ |title=Remembering Aaliyah Ten Years Later: The Final MTV Interview|work=[[MTV]]|date=August 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103000526/http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/08/25/aaliyah-final-mtv-interview/|archive-date=November 3, 2014}}</ref> Ultimately, she filmed ''Queen of the Damned'' and recorded her third album at the same time so that it could be released in 2001.<ref name=mtvrapfix/> Aaliyah enjoyed balancing her singing and acting careers. Though she called music a "first" for her, she also had been acting since she was young and had wanted to begin acting "at some point in my career", but "wanted it to be the right time and the right vehicle" and felt ''Romeo Must Die'' "was it".<ref name=USSales/> Connie Johnson of the ''Los Angeles Times'' argued that Aaliyah having to focus on her film career may have caused her to not give the album "the attention it merited."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-29-ca-27750-story.html |title=A Coasting Aaliyah Steers Clear of Depth |date=July 29, 2001 |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Connie |last=Johnson |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026025424/https://articles.latimes.com/2001/jul/29/entertainment/ca-27750 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 }}</ref>

During the recording stages for the album, Aaliyah's publicist disclosed that the album's release date was most likely in October 2000.<ref name=MTVMarch2000>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/669913/aaliyah-back-in-recording-studio/|title=Aaliyah Back In Recording Studio|date=March 9, 2000|publisher=MTV|access-date=July 27, 2014|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629091655/http://www.mtv.com/news/669913/aaliyah-back-in-recording-studio/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Eventually, she finished recording the album in March 2001; after a year of recording tracks that began in March of the previous year.<ref name=MTVMarch2001>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1441665/aaliyah-finishes-new-album-during-break-from-movies/|date=March 14, 2001|title=Aaliyah Finishes New Album During Break From Movies|publisher=MTV|access-date=July 27, 2014|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016164103/http://www.mtv.com/news/1441665/aaliyah-finishes-new-album-during-break-from-movies/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
''Aaliyah'' was released five years after ''One in a Million'' on July 17, 2001,<ref name="Allmusic" /> and it debuted at number two on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], selling 187,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78998/keys-wards-off-aaliyah-foxy-at-no-1|title=Keys Wards Off Aaliyah, Foxy at No. 1|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=July 26, 2001|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 23, 2009|archive-date=May 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524085547/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78998/keys-wards-off-aaliyah-foxy-at-no-1|url-status=live}}</ref> The first single from the album, "[[We Need a Resolution]]", peaked at number 59 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="Billboard 2001" /> The week after Aaliyah's death, her third album rose from number 19 to number 1 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78474/aaliyah-posthumously-tops-album-chart|title=Aaliyah Posthumously Tops Album Chart|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=September 6, 2001|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 23, 2009|archive-date=May 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524165906/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78474/aaliyah-posthumously-tops-album-chart|url-status=live}}</ref> "[[Rock the Boat (Aaliyah song)|Rock the Boat]]" was released as a posthumous single. The music video premiered on [[BET]]'s ''[[Access Granted]]'', and it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/25/complexs-wifey-hall-of-fame-aaliyah/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828041059/http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/25/complexs-wifey-hall-of-fame-aaliyah/ |archive-date=August 28, 2009 |title=Complex's Wifey Hall of Fame: Aaliyah |date=August 25, 2009 |work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |publisher=Complex Media Network |access-date=August 28, 2009 }}</ref> The song peaked at number 14 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name=BBCharts>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/aaliyah/chart-history/hsi/|title=Aaliyah Chart History (Hot 100)|publisher=[[Billboard Magazine|Billboard]]|access-date=May 14, 2022|archive-date=May 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525143539/https://www.billboard.com/artist/aaliyah/chart-history/hsi/|url-status=live}}</ref> Promotional posters for ''Aaliyah'' that had been put up in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles became makeshift memorials for grieving fans.<ref>{{harvnb|Farley|2002|p=182|Ref=Farley}}</ref> In February 2002, the album was certified double Platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref name="RIAA" />

"[[More than a Woman (Aaliyah song)|More than a Woman]]" and "[[I Care 4 U (song)|I Care 4 U]]" were released as posthumous singles and peaked within the top 25 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name=BBCharts/> "More than a Woman" reached number one on the UK singles chart making Aaliyah the first female deceased artist to reach number one on the UK singles chart.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1758494.stm|title=Posthumous number one for Aaliyah|work=BBC News|date=January 13, 2001|access-date=April 7, 2011|archive-date=August 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801135249/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1758494.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Justin |last=Myers |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/more-than-a-woman-aaliyah-remembered-on-her-birthday__16126/ |title=More Than A Woman: Aaliyah remembered on her birthday |website=[[Official Charts Company]] |date=January 16, 2018 |access-date=May 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117133106/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/more-than-a-woman-aaliyah-remembered-on-her-birthday__16126/ |archive-date=January 17, 2018 }}</ref> "More than a Woman" was replaced by [[George Harrison]]'s "[[My Sweet Lord]]" which is the only time in the UK singles chart's history when a dead artist has replaced another dead artist at number one.<ref>{{cite web |first=Justin |last=Myers |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/remembering-aaliyah-on-the-15th-anniversary-of-her-death__16126/ |title=Remembering Aaliyah on the 15th anniversary of her death |website=[[Official Charts Company]] |date=August 25, 2016 |access-date=May 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826201459/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/remembering-aaliyah-on-the-15th-anniversary-of-her-death__16126/ |archive-date=August 26, 2016 }}</ref>

Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including a romantic film titled ''Some Kind of Blue'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dotmusic.com/news/May2001/news20073.asp |title=Aaliyah Bites! |date=May 28, 2001 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=[[Dotmusic]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010811153013/http://www.dotmusic.com/news/May2001/news20073.asp |archive-date=August 11, 2001 }}</ref> and a [[Whitney Houston]]–produced remake of the 1976 film ''[[Sparkle (1976 film)|Sparkle]]''.<ref name="CNN" /> Houston recalled Aaliyah being "so enthusiastic" about the film; the project was shelved after she died.<ref>{{harvnb|Iandoli|2021|p=196}}</ref> Before her death, Aaliyah filmed some scenes for the sequels of ''[[The Matrix]]'' as the character [[Zee (The Matrix)|Zee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453366/20020411/gaye_nona.jhtml|title=Aaliyah's 'Matrix' Role to Be Given to Nona Gaye|last=Goodman|first=Abbey|date=April 11, 2002|publisher=[[MTV News]]|access-date=April 14, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090331112845/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453366/20020411/gaye_nona.jhtml| archive-date= March 31, 2009 | url-status= dead}}</ref> A portion of her role in ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' was filmed; these unused scenes were included in the tribute section of the ''Matrix Ultimate Collection'' series.<ref>''Ultimate Matrix Collection'' disc 9: "The Burly Man Chronicles"; Follow the White Rabbit – Australia Shoot – Tribute. {{harvnb|Sutherland|2005|p=101}}</ref>