UB Soul Friday: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Monica

This weeks “UB Soul Friday” spotlights a vocalist who is celebrating their 30th anniversary of their debut album, Monica.

“UB Soul Friday,” spotlighting artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music!

Monica was a teen artist that emerged in the mid-90’s. I remember reading about her in Right On! Magazine and anticipating her release.

The first sighting of Monica was actually in the “Freedom” visual, from the Black Panther soundtrack. The video premiered before her own solo single.

It was clearly evident from her short appearance, that this girls vocals were serious!

Her debut album “miss thang” was released today, 30 years ago on July 18th, 1995.

The albums tracks were those of a seasoned woman who had seen some things, with the vocals that matched.

That officially started my journey of being a Monica fan. Once she started doing press and speaking, her presence and maturity level matched the records she recorded, regardless of her age.

I had the pleasure of being chosen by her then label J Records in 2002 to design and operate her official fan-site, for her “After the Storm” release, originally “All Eyez on Me.”

Although Monica fans who were haters, tarnished that experience.

Regardless of it all, we will always rock with Monica and will always appreciate her talent, authenticness, and determination to remain true to who she is!

We celebrate her on the 30th Anniversary of her debut album release! – AriesUBG

Born and raised in Atlanta’s College Park, Monica‘s musical ambitions have always been supported by her family.

Monica accompanied her mother to church and was singing in the choir at age two.

But it was gospel music that most profoundly affected Monica‘s world, as she endlessly sang “Precious Lord,” “Safe In His Arms,” “Amazing Grace” and other spirituals to herself at home.

By age ten she was the youngest voice in a traveling 12-member choir, Charles Thompson and the Majestics, that performed in different churches each Sunday.

For nearly three years the choir was the focal point of Monica‘s life, and “Safe In His Arms” was her solo spotlight.

She quickly rose from the chorus to a soloist. Word of the child prodigy with phenomenal skills began to filter around Atlanta.

Vocally inspired by the likes of the late greats Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.

She was still in the choir when cousin Melinda Dancil began to encourage the fifth grader to check out the talent shows at Center Stage Auditorium.

Organized by local DJ Ryan Cameron and the West Coast female rapper Yo-Yo, the talent shows were the perfect place to showcase “The Greatest Love Of All,” a consistent winner for Monica over the next two years.

Local A&R; representative Kevin Wales introduced Monica to Dallas Austin, known for his work with Madonna, TLC, Boyz II Men and others.

Noted for his visionary approach to soul and pop, Dallas saw and heard that “certain something” in Monica and immediately offered her a deal with his Arista-distributed Rowdy Records label.

“Working with Dallas was hard work, but he made it fun. He really helped me feel the meaning of the songs and bring my own point of view in,” Monica said of Dallas at the time, who himself claimed, “Monica is the most gifted and innately talented singer I’ve ever worked with. Her phrasing and interpretation came very naturally.”

Monica had the wisdom, the attitude and most of all, the voice to deliver. Monica is a real singer, with serious talent, and “Miss Thang” was just the opening salvo from a young woman that had a lot to say and her own unique way of saying it.

The depth of soulfulness of “Miss Thang” and of Monica‘s powerful vocals, made it hard to believe that she had only turned fourteen that October.

Dallas Austin stated, “Monica has so much character in her voice. I was really impressed with her use of inflections and the overall maturity of her voice at such a young age. It’s so full and deep.”

Monica recorded many of the tracks on “Miss Thang” while only 12 and 13.

With songs written and produced by the incomparable Dallas Austin and his all-star DARP producers Tim & Bob, Colin Wolfe and Arnold Hennings, “Miss Thang” was a is a solid, funky, sassy and knowing collection that represented both Monica and the way young girls were living.

More than just a collection of songs written by a man trying to perpetuate teenage reality, the album was composed with Monica‘s input, and with one particular young lady in mind: Monica herself.

The powerhouse first single, “Don’t Take It Personal.” Straight-ahead funky, both in the beat and in the message, “Don’t Take It Personal” was Monica‘s credo.

Directed to a boyfriend who’s sweating her to spend more time with him, the track is a soulful announcement that Monica can walk the walk, talk the talk, and live her life with pride and confidence.

“Don’t Take It Personal” describes the feelings of a young woman who has achieved independence from romantic relationships for self-confidence.

Monica stated at the time, “It’s a message that says [young women] can have a fulfilling life with or without a man. The album itself is about real-life situations. I want it to be fun and personable, but also responsible.”

Monica had an amazing sense of self, especially for someone her age, and it clearly came across in her music.

The title track take the assuredness of “Don’t Take It Personal” to the next level, as Monica asserts, “It’s all right for me to think it’s all about me…” commenting on Monica‘s confident and sassy personality, Dallas stated, “She’s a young girl with an old soul. She had to have been a jazz or blues singer in a past life.”

The strength of Monica‘s album and attitude caught the attention of Queen Latifah, who happened to hear an advance of “Miss Thang” while visiting Atlanta.

She arranged to meet Monica, and immediately offered to manage her through Flavor Unit Management Company.

Monica stated, “Not only do we have a business relationship, we have a good friendship. She taught me that not everything that’s good to me is good for me.”

“My mother is my backbone, plus, this business grows you up quickly.” Monica said at the time balancing school and her career is her greatest challenge. “Having to live up to the musical tradition that Clive Davis and the Arista family has is a big responsibility, so I work real hard. And they ain’t down for no bad grades either.”

“Don’t Take It Personal” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart in June 1995 and was certified RIAA platinum.

Monica was still fourteen when her second single was released, “Before You Walk Out Of My Life,” which also went to the #1 R&B; spot and took home the Platinum.

This made her the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive #1 hits on the Billboard R&B chart.

Monica is in rare company with the handful of legends whose #1 R&B; debuts also happened while they were in puberty: Frankie Lymon (age 13), “Little” Stevie Wonder (also 13), and “Little” Esther Phillips (14).

Monica commenced her first promotional tours that Summer of 1995 in support of her platinumplus album, “Miss Thang,” which included those first two hits.

By the time the third & forth smash singles came out in mid-1996, “Why I Love You So Much and Ain’t Nobody (same retail single),” Monica was fifteen, traveling with a full-time tutor, a road manager, a band, dancers and a concert itinerary (with the likes of TLC, Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony, Keith Sweat and others) that kept her busy for more than a year.

Touring didn’t stop until sixteen year-old Monica returned home to graduate with her Atlanta Country Day School class on Friday the 13th of June 1997 with a 4.0 GPA.

No one could have predicted how exciting and groundbreaking Monica‘s career would be, or how unanimous the music industry acceptance would be.

The success of “Miss Thang” and her singles track record brought Monica nominations for an American Music Award as “Best New Artist“; a Billboard award as “Artist of the Year“; a Soul Train music award for “Why I Love You So Much” as “Best R&B;/Soul Single, Female” and a Soul Train Lady of Soul award as “Best R&B Female Artist.”

For any average recording artist, achieving chart-topping success during their early to mid-teens is no simple task, but we’re talking about Monica here. “It was the perfect life for me. I wouldn’t say any 12, 14 or 16 year old could handle it, but that was for me because it shaped and molded the person that I am” she recalled.

With her presence on the double-platinum “Space Jam,” soundtrack, Monica had made her fourth appearance on a soundtrack, following “Fled,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”

But this time around, she had bitten off a tasty piece of the project’s success that was her own. Her single, “For You I Will,” was the Billboard Hot Shot Debut on Hot R&B Singles, at #7, with street date violations.

Between soundtrack projects and her sophomore album, “I’m taking a nice little break right now,” Monica stated. “I overworked myself on the first album, doing two and three [appearances] in the same day. I’m just gonna be normal for a minute because, Lord, I feel like I must have missed a good three years over the past year or two.”

But once back in the saddle, Monica said, she clearly knew where she was picking up her groove: “Everyone has the sophomore fear. But at this point in my career, I will do what I know. If it’s meant to happen for me, it will. “You know,” she added, “when I first came around, people said, `She’s young, she looks decent, but she’s not singing.’ I wanted to be respected. Then being out on tour and being able to hold it down live, I think people said, `We can support her now’ It took a little while because of my age. The overall statement I wanted to get out of this track for `Space Jam’ was, `This little girl can sing.’ ”

For her follow-up album Monica was seventeen, and the stage was set for the Arista release of “The Boy Is Mine.”

The songs are built around the hard-won maturity and worldly wise savvy this young woman has accumulated on her successful ride to the top.

This maturity surfaces on the title-tune single sung by Monica and Brandy, “The Boy Is Mine,” which was reminiscent of the sultry-smooth come-on of Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra.

With “The Boy Is Mine,” plus “For You I Will” (Monica’s Platinum single contribution to the 5-million selling Space Jam soundtrack), this was an album that sent the seventeen-year old star’s career orbiting.

Produced and co-written by Rodney Jerkins and Dallas Austin, “The Boy Is Mine” kicks off an album of wall-to-wall gems.

If there’s a conceptual flip-side to “The Boy Is Mine,” it was to be the person who comes into the singer’s life when she needs a friend the most, “Angel Of Mine.”

Rodney Jerkins and Jermaine Dupri were also brought in for the project, who came up with a track whose title addresses the perennial dating issue, “The First Night.”

Daryl Simmons, the production mastermind behind “Why I Love You So Much,” offered another valuable tutorial straight from the heart “I Keep It To Myself.”

The lion’s share of “The Boy Is Mine” belonged to Dallas Austin. From a remake of Dorothy Moore‘s disco-era standard, “Misty Blue,” to the ambitious “Street Symphony.”

Rather than attempt to synthesize background atmosphere in this tale of a street hustler whose girlfriend begs him to change his lifestyle, Dallas utilized the full dynamics of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra inside the studio.

The drama and tension are downright chilling.

“The Boy Is Mine,” garnered Monica pop success when she paired with Brandy to record the first single of the same name.

Spending a record breaking thirteen weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts, the duet earned a Grammy Award to add to Monica’s existing collection of American Music, Soul Train and Billboard Awards. “I was 16 and everything that I dreamed about was in front of me.”

The album boasted two more #1 hits “The First Night” and “Angel of Mine”, while establishing Monica as an undeniable voice of her generation.

Monica starred in television shows Living Single, Felicity, and Beverly Hills 90210, and she made her first film appearance in the MTV film “Love Song.”

The film debuted her song “What My Heart Says.”

In 2003 Monica’s chart-topping success continued when her third album, “After The Storm,” debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart and spawned her sixth #1 single “So Gone.”

Monica’s follow-up album, 2006’s “The Makings Of Me,” entered at #1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and added yet another achievement to the songstress’ extraordinary career.

With her suitably titled series, “Monica: Still Standing,” “I wanted people to get a clear look at why I do some of the things that I do. The show gave me a chance to be me at all times, so now people aren’t expecting something of me, they already know me,” Monica attested of the show’s value.

Monica identified “Still Standing” the album as, “my defining moment. The process of recording this album felt more like the first time where I didn’t think about what was playing on the radio. This album reflects who I am now.”

From the moment you press play on “Still Standing,” songwriter Adonis along with song producer Bryan-Michael Cox nailed the essence of Monica’s confidence while she makes a declarative statement of power on the album’s title track, which features her cousin Ludacris.

With the equally emotional “Believing In Me,” produced by Stargate, Monica elaborates on her survivor instincts by adding, “sometimes you have to understand that your inner strength is the only strength you’ll need and it takes for some things to happen for that to come about.”

During that era, Monica starred in the BET reality show “Monica: Still Standing,” which documented her personal life.

Monica released her seventh studio album, “New Life” in 2012. It spawned the singles “Anything (To Find You),” “Until It’s Gone” and “It All Belongs to Me,” another duet with Brandy.

That same year Monica began working on her eighth studio album, “Code Red,” which was released in 2015.

In between Monica has did another reality show, Verzuz with Brandy and a slew of new singles, including the fan-favorite “Trenches.”

Next up, “The Boy is Mine” tour with legendary Brandy starting this October.

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane with “Miss Thang!”