Editor Reviews:

Amazon.com:
Pop history teaches that posthumous releases generally fall into one of two categories. There's the creep-out, with eerie lyrics that appear to foreshadow the artist's demise (see Michael Hutchence's solo disc). And there's the cash-in: the label or management scrapes the barrel to turn a buck. Luckily, Aaliyah's I Care 4 U is neither. Serving as both a greatest hits collection and a summary of stuff she'd been working on before her death in August 2001, the disc is a keen reminder of just how talented the 22-year-old was as a singer and song stylist. Sure, it's easy to have rhythm aplenty when R. Kelly and Timbaland are guiding you, but Aaliyah's silken phrasings are her own, and her ability to unearth tenderness in even the funkiest jam is a testament to her vision of R&B as musical comfort food. Songs from her three studio albums are well represented. Among them are "I Care 4 U" and "More Than a Woman" from Aaliyah; the title track and "Got to Give It Up" from One in a Million; and "Back and Forth" and "At Your Best" from Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. Of course, the universally praiseworthy brand-new tracks--"Come Over," "All I Need," "Miss You," and "Don't Worry"--are the real goods. An accompanying DVD featuring a handful of videos and behind-the-scenes footage makes I Care 4 U crucial for fans. --Kim Hughes

Rating : - We sure do miss this amazing talent, here's something to help us remember her well...
One of the greatest travesties to ever hot the music industry as a whole was the untimely death of its young star Aaliyah, a beautifully talented rising star who will never be replaced. `I Care 4 U' helps further prove that very fact, giving us some of her greatest hits coupled with some previously unreleased tracks to remind us of all she had left to offer. This album is a beautiful compilation. Sure it's missing some standout tracks, but that's mainly because all of her music was so exceptional. It's not your conventional `Greatest Hits' record since almost half of the tracks here are previously unreleased. Throughout Aaliyah's voice transcends and fills the listener's ears with pure pleasure.

Listening to `Back and Forth' brings back memories of the first time I heard this amazing artist. I was young; in fact she was the new thing my older sisters were so enthralled with. They would dance together in our basement to `Age Ain't Nothing but a Number' and I would sit and grove to the music. Aaliyah keeps up the energy on recognizable tracks like the ever popular `Are you that Somebody' and `Try Again', two tracks that really made her a household name. Listening to `Try Again' also reminds the listener that she was so much more than a one trick pony. Her acting career was just beginning to ignite and I'm confident that she would have exploded on the film scene. `More than a Woman' is that great mix of beat and voice that just delivers on every level. This was probably her most recent single at the time of her passing and so it really holds that much more meaning. She really was more than a woman, she was an icon.

I'll always prefer my Aaliyah sultry and seductive and she is just that on tracks like `One in a Million' and the title track `I Care 4 U'. `One in a Million' is actually my favorite Aaliyah track period. It just reminds me of all there is to love about this singer. The lyrics, the beat the vocals, it's all just so perfect. Delivers a mood and that makes a song worth more in my opinion. Aaliyah's voice is just so crystal clear in `At Your Best', but to me it's not an outstanding track. It sounds a little too dated for my taste.

Of her new tracks `Come Over' is the real standout. It's just a beautifully done track and really has every element that makes Aaliyah's music so wonderful. `Don't Know What to Tell Ya' is also a great track, a little long but great none-the-less. `Don't Worry' and `All I Need' are a little more bouncy than the other tracks here while `Miss You' slows things down again. `Erica Kane' is an interesting track (and it took my sister to fill me in on the Soap Opera comparison). It never really grew on me. The chorus is a bit too repetitive and obnoxious for my taste. The album closes with the remix version of `Got to Give it Up' and it succeeds in delivering a great dance track.

Sure, I would have made some changes in the track listing (`4 Page Letter' anyone???) but I really can't complain to much with this album. It's a great addition to your Aaliyah library.