Song · Aaliyah
“Are You That Somebody” by Aaliyah
From the album Aaliyah (2001)
“Are You That Somebody” by Aaliyah appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2021 and 2025. It was first released in 2001 on the album Aaliyah. Its best result is #210 on the WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s.
"Are You That Somebody?" came off the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack in 1998 sounding like it had beamed in from another planet. Timbaland, who wrote it with Static Major, built the track out of choppy staccato guitars, beatboxing and skittering drum-and-bass rhythms, then dropped in a guest rap of his own, while Aaliyah glides over the clatter, ice-cool, singing about a love affair she has to keep quiet because everybody knows her face.
Critics went for its off-kilter production, and it put her up for a Grammy, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Radio-only at first, it couldn't enter the Hot 100 until Billboard changed its rules that December, then climbed to number 21; in New Zealand it went all the way to the top. Mark Gerard's video, a dance number set in a cave that ends in a flamenco routine, drew two MTV Video Music Award nominations.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 761 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2023 | 682 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
| 2025 | 210 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s | 500 |
Also listed as: Are You That Somebody?.
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