(May 12, 2025) In the early 2000s, few performers were burning up the R&B airwaves as consistently as Tank and Aaliyah. The “Force of Nature” and “Baby Girl” were nearly inescapable, his earnest croon and her street, yet sweet persona dominating the charts with hits like “Maybe I Deserve,” “Please Don’t Go,” “We Need a Resolution” and “More Than a Woman,” respectively.
Thanks to Ginuwine, Durrell Babbs met and connected with Aaliyah Haughton and became one of her background singers, heard most prominently on her posthumous release, I Care For U. Tank’s career has experienced turbulence in the last few years, thanks to his struggle with hearing loss, and the accidental plane crash that claimed the young life of Aaliyah left her fans devastated and bereft. That’s why fans of both will welcome and enjoy this newly-recovered gem of a duet featuring the two, “Gone.”
Giving hints of the sophisticated direction Aaliyah was taking her style towards, the slow-burner of a ballad features Tank pleading his case after fumbling their relationship (from cheating, seems like) where he vows to fight for her renewed love and trust, while Aaliyah declares that the devotion was real, but is no longer in the mix and she’s packing her bags. “There’s more than two sides to the story,” she vows, but with the resolve of a woman on a mission, she might be done listening to his……maybe.
In a spoken intro preceding the track, Tank expresses his gratitude for their musical alliance and friendship, proud to share this duet with the rest of the world and giving fans another glimpse into an alternative timeline: one where two of our favorite performers are present and free of life’s afflictions, able to sing about the love trials and joys we still muddle through decades after they hit our playlists. Until that’s possible, “Gone” reminds us of the bittersweet possibilities.
By Melody Charles
