Reflections on the Real Aaliyah

— -- Lifetime’s biopic “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B” premiered this weekend, with the film drawing lots of criticism from fans and friends of the music star. The TV movie received a 2.7 rating – out of 10 – on the site IMDb.

Timbaland, a longtime collaborator with Aaliyah, was among the most vocal critics, blasting the film’s casting choices and posting a series of snide videos.

Missy Elliott, meanwhile, admitted that she wasn’t watching.

Despite the negative responses to the movie, the film also drew attention to the life of Aaliyah, an R&B icon who died in 2001 at age 22, as her career was seemingly rising to new heights.

Aaliyah Haughton – her first name means “the exalted one” in Arabic – was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1979, and spent her formative years in Detroit, appearing on “Star Search” and nearly making the cut for the TV series “Family Matters.”

She also performed with Gladys Knight during a five-night stretch in Las Vegas, and her music career took off soon after.

Aaliyah found early success with her debut album, 1994’s “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” She released a second platinum album, “One in a Million” -- which pulled inspiration from classic R&B influences such as the Isley Brothers -- before graduating from high school.

Her early career was also marked by speculation that she had married R. Kelly.

Despite her music success, Aaliyah strived to grow as a performer.

"I want to learn about some things behind the scenes, too," she told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1997. "I'd like to study and see what I love and what I want to do.

"I think I'm always going to want to sing, though. That's my first love. Singing is No. 1 to me. I've always done it, always loved it. It's something I'm not going to let go."

The hit singles piled up. “Back & Forth.” “If Your Girl Only Knew.” “Are You That Somebody?” from the “Dr. Dolittle” soundtrack.

The 1998 video for “Are You That Somebody?” epitomizes her emerging maturity. At the beginning of the video she’s seen in her tomboy-style sporting baggy jeans, her dancing more overtly sexualized. Later, her moves are more subtle and nuanced, dancing the flamenco in the shadows, radiating sultriness and sophistication in a form-fitting skirt.

Her crossover appeal was showcased with the 2000 martial arts action film “Romeo Must Die,” in which she co-starred alongside Jet Li and contributed four songs to the movie’s soundtrack, including the hit “Try Again.”

“Try Again” marked Aaliyah’s only song to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

She was dead the following year, Aug. 25, 2001. She and eight others died in a plane crash after filming the music video for her song “Rock the Boat” in the Bahamas.

Albums and previously unreleased tracks have trickled out since her death, but it all feels incomplete, a depth of influence and accomplishment, triumph and luminosity in 22 short years.