Music
17 Dec 21

Aaliyah: label drops posthumous single with The Weeknd for first release in over ten years

There is reportedly a posthumous album coming from the singer who died in 2001.

The legacy of Aaliyah has been posthumously – and controversially – added-to, with the release of a new single featuring The Weeknd called ‘Poison’. It is the first release in the late singer’s name in over a decade.

‘Poison’ arrived after much of Aaliyah’s catalogue recently arrived to streaming services for the first time. A posthumous Aaliyah album titled Impossible is slated for release in 2022 via Blackground Records 2.0 and Empire.

In an interview with Billboard, Barry Hankerson — Aaliyah’s uncle and Background founder — said that Drake, Future and others will feature on the record. The move came after a dispute between Hankerson and Aaliyah’s estate.

Aaliyah's estate have condemned the "unauthorised" projects being released via her uncle's label in trenchant terms.

“For 20 years we have battled behind the scenes, enduring shadowy tactics of deception with unauthorized projects targeted to tarnish,” Aaliyah's estate said in a statement. “We have always been confused as to why there is such a tenacity in causing more pain alongside what we already have to cope with for the rest of our lives.

"Ultimately, we desire closure and a modicum of peace so we can facilitate the growth of the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, and other creative projects that embody Aaliyah’s true essence,” the statement continues.

'Poison' is the first single from the forthcoming record and featured input from a number of high profile industry names. DannyBoyStyles and Nick Lamb produced the song, which has writing credits for The Weeknd and Static Major. Legendary hip-hop producer Mike Dean mixed the record.

“I’m so excited to share this new song by Aaliyah and the very talented The Weeknd,” Hankerson said about the new track. “I wanted her adoring fans to get a special gift before the holidays and felt it was the perfect time to release a never-before-heard offering.”

The back-end of 2021 has been a busy period for The Weeknd. The prolific pop artist has featured on a number of tracks recently, including ‘One Right Now’ with Post Malone. The singer also teamed up with Swedish House Mafia for ‘Moth To A Flame’; Nas and Belly for ‘Die For It’; and with Kanye West for ‘Hurricane’ from Donda.

Listen to ‘Poison’ below.