I had my first taste of Aaliyah on a sweaty southern summer afternoon in 1994. Her first single, the R. Kelly-crafted "Back and Forth," had just been released and was starting to get airplay. At 15, coming out of the gates with such an unequivocal sexual charge, she raised eyebrows. I was 17 at the time, and had never found myself so ensnared by an R & B song. R & B had always been for parents.

But here she was, sultry and suggestive and...my age. Accessible.

Like a lot of people, I felt like I knew Aaliyah. But the feeling went beyond the standard celebrity-familiarity feeling that gives us that illusion of acquaintance with the folks on TV. Aaliyah always appeared without pretense, not at all showy like some of her music industry counterparts. She had a down-to-earth vulnerability that endeared her to me.

And like many others, her untimely death at age 22 hit me hard--not simply because she felt like a friend, or because she had such incredible talent. And not only because her promise seemed bottomless and we all wanted so much more from her. But also because she was unparalleled in popular music, filling the niche for the sweet side of hip-hop and R & B--the sensitive, sensual side. Aaliyah will be sorely missed.--michelle