Monica Archives - THE 97 https://the97.net/tag/monica/ Relive the Splendor Sat, 22 Jul 2023 02:59:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://i0.wp.com/the97.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cropped-favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Monica Archives - THE 97 https://the97.net/tag/monica/ 32 32 71991591 97 Words: “The First Night” by Monica https://the97.net/playlists/summer/97-words-the-first-night-by-monica/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 02:59:19 +0000 https://the97.net/?p=13065 This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list. One hallmark of the marriage between R&B and Hip-Hop in the mid ’90s was when R&B women started flipping samples of classics on top of hard, Hip-Hop beats, lacing them with unmatched vocals and unforgettable melodies. Case […]

The post 97 Words: “The First Night” by Monica appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list.

One hallmark of the marriage between R&B and Hip-Hop in the mid ’90s was when R&B women started flipping samples of classics on top of hard, Hip-Hop beats, lacing them with unmatched vocals and unforgettable melodies. Case in point, Monica’s “The First Night,” the second single from her sophomore album. Built on a sample of “Love Hangover” by Diana Ross, “The First Night” is the antithesis to The Boss’ submissive classic. Monica, instead, dominates in a man’s world — she’s found the cure. The remedy is her ability to set boundaries and own her sexuality. Monica doesn’t run.

Watch “The First Night” video, stream it, or purchase the single.


In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.

Check out our full “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist here.

The post 97 Words: “The First Night” by Monica appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
13065
97 Words: “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica https://the97.net/playlists/summer/97-words-the-boy-is-mine-by-brandy-monica/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:10:03 +0000 https://the97.net/?p=12861 This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list here. It’s hard to imagine a classic like “The Boy Is Mine” turning 25 because when you listen to it today, it’s still just as fresh. When it was released, Brandy and Monica were both teen idols […]

The post 97 Words: “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list here.

It’s hard to imagine a classic like “The Boy Is Mine” turning 25 because when you listen to it today, it’s still just as fresh. When it was released, Brandy and Monica were both teen idols on the rise and Rodney Jerkins crafted this song in hopes of putting the rumors about their alleged rivalry to rest. The song was a huge, undeniable hit and remains a staple in R&B and Pop playlists. Brandy and Monica convincingly played dueling divas for this song, serving amazing vocals, plenty of attitude… and igniting a fictional feud that made Summer 1998 sizzle.

Watch the music video below, stream “The Boy is Mine,” or order Brandy’s “Never Say Never” on vinyl.

 

The post 97 Words: “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
12861
Miss Thang: Monica’s hit-filled debut https://the97.net/music/monica-miss-thang-retrospective/ Mon, 20 Jul 2020 15:32:06 +0000 https://the97.net/?p=11425 JULY 18, 1995 When Monica released her debut album in 1995, she was the last of the Teen R&B star trinity to release music. Both Aaliyah and Brandy had come out with their albums, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and Brandy respectively, in 1994. Monica was introduced to the public in 1995, the youngest […]

The post Miss Thang: Monica’s hit-filled debut appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
JULY 18, 1995

When Monica released her debut album in 1995, she was the last of the Teen R&B star trinity to release music. Both Aaliyah and Brandy had come out with their albums, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and Brandy respectively, in 1994. Monica was introduced to the public in 1995, the youngest of the three, with her debut album Miss Thang.

Producer Dallas Austin was captivated by the vocal ability and stage presence of a 12 year old Monica Denise Arnold, after seeing her perform a rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” at a singing contest. She was so talented that Dallas Austin offered her a record deal on his own label Rowdy Records (an imprint on Arista Records, her idol Whitney’s home). Austin became her mentor and the executive producer of Miss Thang.

Miss Thang was designed to showcase Monica’s personality and voice, which was very mature for her age, but also to give her street cred and a youthful, energetic vibe. Unlike Brandy and Aaliyah’s albums, Miss Thang has a more accentuated Hip-Hop flavour that has always set her apart from her peers.

MISS THANG = MISS HIT-SINGLES

The first single released was the peppy and sparse “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days),” which became acclaimed and quickly topped the R&B chart. The two samples used for the track are part of its great appeal. The song is, in fact, built on samples of “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy and “Backseat of My Jeep” by LL Cool J, both of which are Hip-Hop classics.

“Before You Walk out of My Life” followed the success of the first single by also topping the R&B chart and giving Monica the distinction of being the youngest act to ever have consecutive #1 hits, at age fourteen. The R&B ballad was written by Andrea Martin and originally intended for Toni Braxton’s Secrets album, but it was given to Monica instead.

The third single “Like This and Like That” follows the same template as the lead, with Austin using a sample of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Spoonin’ Rap” to create the backbone of the track. It was released as a double A-side with “Before You Walk out of My Life” but received its own music video for promotion.

The final single was another ballad, written and produced by Babyface collaborator Daryl Simmons, who had worked on Toni Braxton’s debut album. “Why I Love You So Much” features the signture Babyface sound, but with a more prominent drumbeat and a passionate and emotive vocal from Monica, who sings it with such passion and confidence to make you forget her age. Whitney Houston’s influence is very audible in her singing, the powerful belting and the inflections.

THE STORY OF MISS THANG

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album, Monica teased the release of a documentary commemorating her entrance into the industry, entitled “The Story of Miss Thang.”

In the end, Miss Thang was a huge success. All four singles it yielded landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and two grabbed the pole position of the Billboard R&B chart. Those hits weren’t flash in the pans, either. Monica’s debut hits continue to endure to this day as R&B classics, and opened the door for many more hits to come. Miss Thang certainly lived up to her name.

The post Miss Thang: Monica’s hit-filled debut appeared first on THE 97.

]]>
11425