Monica & Brandy
Mar 12, 2012

"It All Belongs to Me" is a duet by American recording artists Monica and Brandy. Written and produced by Rico Love, Earl Hood, and Eric Goudy II, the track was presented to both singers, who expressed their wishes to record a duet. After Clive Davis authorized it, they went to a recording studio located in Miami, Florida to record the track. Three different versions were made, with one being released as the third single from Monica's seventh studio album New Life and first single from Brandy's sixth studio album Two Eleven on February 10, 2012, through RCA Records. The accompanying music video was directed by Chris Robinson. It premiered on VH1 on March 5, 2012. The video was inspired by the films Thelma & Louise (1991) and Waiting to Exhale (1995), and portrays the singers in dysfunctional relationships and helping in both situations.
Musically, "It All Belongs to Me" is a midtempo R&B ballad that draws influences from pop music. Lyrically, the song is a female empowerment anthem in which both singers claims their belongings as they leave their abusive boyfriends behind. The chorus has references to MacBook and Facebook. "It All Belongs to Me" also received several comparisons to Beyoncé Knowles' single "Irreplaceable" (2006). It is the first time Monica and Brandy work together since they collaborated on "The Boy Is Mine" (1998).
Following the release of the single, Brandy revealed that she expected female listeners to love the song. "It All Belongs to Me" was well received by the public. However, it received mixed reviews from contemporary critics. Most critics were disappointed with the track, commenting that the hype behind it was big, but also noting that the track wouldn't be as successful as "The Boy Is Mine". "It All Belongs to Me" peaked at number 41 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.