Only six new tracks on this first posthumous release from Aaliyah, a pretty thin return compared with afterlife grafters like 2Pac. Perhaps that’s blessing. The bulk of I Care 4 U has been filled out with Aaliyah’s greatest hits, her silvery and subtle reconfigurations of R&B. Winding back to “One In A Million”, “Are You That Somebody” and “Try Again”, it’s clear she’ll be remembered for two things: as an understated antidote to prevailing diva histrionics; and as the first major artist to benefit from the kinetic science of Timbaland. The unreleased, Timbaland-free tunes are decent enough, especially “Don’t Know What To Tell Ya”, although hardly earth-shattering. Still, a nice summation of an unusually graceful, unhappily short career.
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