If Your Girl Only Knew
Aaliyah | Artist Essentials
First released: 1996 (year verified)
Original 1996 studio recording
MusicAtlas editorial note: The low keyboard pattern and repeated vocal challenge give the groove a sharp edge.
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Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1996 (year verified)
The original recording is documented in the 1996 release history of One in a Million. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.
Recording: Original 1996 studio recording
Credit: Aaliyah
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original album: One in a Million
One in a Million - original Blackground program
The original 1996 program identifies One in a Million, If Your Girl Only Knew, 4 Page Letter and the original Hot Like Fire. The added named Timbaland's Groove Mix is a separate edition; the inherited date of that bonus does not establish its first release. | Reviewed 2026-10-18
In the yearly lists
These are listening-list appearances, separate from the first-release date.
About Aaliyah
Aaliyah was an American singer and actress born in Brooklyn and raised between Detroit and New York. Her debut, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, introduced Back & Forth and her version of At Your Best (You Are Love). One in a Million developed a rhythmic R&B sound with collaborators including Timbaland and Missy Elliott. Her screen work included Romeo Must Die, whose soundtrack she executive produced. Her final studio album, Aaliyah, includes We Need a Resolution, More Than a Woman and Rock the Boat.
Artist background sources
Aaliyah: official estate biography
Supports upbringing, named albums and collaborators, Romeo Must Die and soundtrack role; inconsistent ages and film dates in the archived account are not repeated. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
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