Monica
Sep 26, 2011
The musical part of Monica, the Georgia native's story is filled with a track record of history making accomplishments. 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. With "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" and "Before You Walk Out Of My Life," Monica became the youngest female ever to have two #1 back-to-back hits on Billboard's R&B chart from her 1995 debut album Miss Thang. By 1998, her next album The Boy Is Mine, garnered Monica pop success when she paired with Brandy to record the Rodney Jerkins produced 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. The album boasted two more #1 hits ("The First Night" and "Angel of Mine") while establishing Monica as an undeniable voice of her generation. 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.
After a four year music hiatus, Monica came back with her suitably titled series, Monica: Still Standing which was released in March 2010. The album debuted atop on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 184,000 copies, becoming the singer's second highest-charting debut since 2003's After the Storm. The leading single "Everything to Me" scored Monica her biggest chart success since 2003's "So Gone", reaching the top position of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks charts for seven weeks. The album was certified gold by the RIAA with domestic shipments of 500,000 copies within a single month. With it success, the album and "Everything to Me" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, presented at the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011.
The singer is currently working on her seventh studio album New Life, due on November 29, 2011. The album's lead single, "Anything (To Find You)", premiered in July 2011 and features rapper Rick Ross. Since its release, the song has reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
