Nobody Can Do it Like Aaliyah...but BANKS Came Close

Every time an artist covers a famous Aaliyah track I get an immediate urge to go back and cycle through my favorites from her. It all began with Back & Forth and then she hooked up with Timbaland to make tracks like We Need a Resolution and Are You That Somebody?. She will always be tightly associated with my mental model of what 1990s R&B sounded like. If you need a refresher, check the original video for Are You That Somebody? (below)...

Since Aaliyah had such a distinct style, artists have been reluctant to cover her music over the years. This week, BANKS took on the tall task of tackling one of her most well know tracks. The smartest decision she made was choosing to go the acoustic route with the cover. It proves that in order to equal great, you have to be great in your own right. That's exactly what BANKS showed as she went toe to toe with the original vocally. Especially if you were an Aaliyah fan, give this one a listen because BANKS in the real deal Holyfield...#BANKS

BANKS - Are You That Somebody (Acoustic Aaliyah cover)