25 Years Later: Aaliyah’s Mother & Brother Pen Special Tributes as Fans, Friends & Peers Celebrate Her Legacy

Today, August 25, marks 25 years since the tragic passing of Aaliyah, the beloved singer, actress and style icon whose influence can still be felt throughout music and pop culture.

Aaliyah died on August 25, 2001, at just 22 years old, when a plane carrying her and members of her team crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas. The group had just finished filming the music video for “Rock the Boat.”

What makes Aaliyah’s loss even more heartbreaking is just how much she had in motion at the time.

Her third studio album, Aaliyah, had been released only weeks earlier and she was still in the middle of the album’s rollout, with “Rock the Boat” positioned as a major follow-up single and additional music, videos, remixes and promotion still ahead.

At the same time, her acting career was taking off in a major way. After starring alongside Jet Li in Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah had completed her role as Queen Akasha in Queen of the Damned, which would be released after her death.

She was also set to appear as Zee in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and had already worked on the project before the role was ultimately recast following her death. Aaliyah was also attached to the long-discussed Sparkle remake, a project connected to Whitney Houston that would eventually be made years later.

In other words, Aaliyah wasn’t simply an established R&B star when we lost her. She appeared to be standing at the beginning of an entirely new level of her career — simultaneously expanding her presence in music, film and fashion.

In only 22 years, Aaliyah gave us timeless records including “One in a Million,” “Are You That Somebody?,” “Try Again,” “More Than a Woman” and “Rock the Boat,” while helping shape the futuristic R&B sound and effortlessly cool aesthetic that generations of artists would follow.

Twenty-five years later, one of the biggest questions surrounding her legacy remains the same:

Just how far would Aaliyah have gone?

Based on everything she already had in motion, it feels safe to say Baby Girl was only getting started.

As the world marks 25 years since her passing, fans, friends and peers took to social media to celebrate Aaliyah, reflect on her legacy and share memories of the late star.

Get into some of the touching tributes and posts below.