Aaliyah fans may have once been excited at news the music video for her new song ‘Gone‘ would hit digital shelves on Friday (August 1), but that elation turned to disappointment once they took a listen to the tune.
Surprisingly, chief among the naysaying critics is the cut’s official guest star: 5-time GRAMMY nominee Tank.
After failing to keep its promise of delivering the late R&B princess’s first official posthumous album in 2024, Blackground Records kicked off 2025 by assuring her fans they were putting the final touches on the project.
Titled ‘Unstoppable,’ the serially delayed LP is believed to be a star-studded affair featuring contributions from the likes of The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Drake, Future, Ne-Yo, Timbaland, and more.
The first taste from the revamped effort, ‘Gone,’ hit the net earlier this year and quickly garnered mixed reviews for what some believe are AI-enhanced vocals of Aaliyah’s. At the time, Tank (born Durrell Babbs) defended it by assuring listeners it contained “original vocals.”
Hours after the tune’s music video arrival on August 1, however, Babbs took to social media to render a stinging review.
“The Aaliyah song you are hearing featuring myself, I did out of love for her. I had concerns and I expressed them. From the track to the vocals to the mix and to the visual,” he told his 2.1 million followers on Instagram (as seen above). “I still went forward knowing I would at least be able to approve the final products. I haven’t approved one thing you’ve heard or seen.”
While avoiding calling her label out by name, Babbs did assert he believes “Aaliyah deserves better” and that the song released did not live up to the expectation of being “something good to preserve and continue the legacy of the amazing [songstress].”
At writing, the label has not issued an official response to Tank’s statement.
Hear the new song in full below.
In the early days of his career, Tank served as a background singer for Aaliyah and even featured on a fan favorite track of hers: the 2002-released ‘Come Over.’
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Had no idea this was coming out, played the video and my God it is every bit as awful as Tank said. Aaliyah’s vocals mixing is terrible and they made Tank look like GTA on 480 pixels. Plus the setting is basically a broke version of the Miss You video. Barry Henkerson you are going to hell for doing your own kin like that over some extra coins
All of this!!!
Zzzz..who cares?
They should have just let Drake and Chris Brown do the album 12 years ago, Enough Said and Don’t Think They Know were bops. I don’t know who the f*** is singing this song and Poison was the worst mixed song I’ve ever heard in my life. Background needs to be defunct again at this rate, the new album coming out in year 3000
It’s her uncle, he’s the worst, he even sued Aaliyah’s Mom
This sounds off……I wouldn’t put it past Barry Hankerson to use AI to create “unreleased” songs. The mix on her vocals is SO bad. If these are her vocals, at least let a professional, someone popular / contemporary handle the mixing. ‘Enough Said’ beats this hands down SMH
….and why is it only men featuring….CB, The Weeknd, Tank. Wasted opportunity. Such a let down
Right! So many talented girls in R&B and Pop openly revere Aaliyah, where are they? Aside from Tank who worked closely with her and would seek to do her work justice, we don’t need this bunch of mumbling abusers tainting her legacy