The release of Monica's eagerly anticipated second album, THE BOY IS MINE, is a reminder of how much she's accomplished over the last three years. Containing the brand-new, title-tune #1 single sung by Monica and Brandy, "The Boy Is Mine," plus "For You I Will" (Monica's Platinum single contribution to the 5-million selling Space Jam soundtrack), this is an album that will send our seventeen-year old star's career orbiting. It's not supposed to happen this way, of course - recording artists usually graduate from high school before they get to the top of the charts with their first hit singles. In Monica's case, the rules were changed to account for the undeniably unique vocal talent she possesses. Consider the year-by-year unfolding of Monica's career, starting with her "discovery" at age twelve by Rowdy Records exec Dallas Austin at an Atlanta talent showcase. He brought her into New York to play for Arista Records President Clive Davis, signed her to his Arista- distributed label and produced her first recordings at age thirteen. She was fourteen when the first of these, "Don't Take It Personal (just one of dem days)" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart (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. Her youth alone, in fact, puts Monica 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) come immediately to mind.
Monica commenced her first promotional tours that Summer of 1995 in support of her Platinum-plus album, Miss Thang, which included those first two hits. By the time the third smash came out in mid-1996, "Why I Love You So Much/Ain't Nobody," 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. Now Monica is seventeen, and the stage is set for the Arista release of THE BOY IS MINE. The songs are built around the hard-won maturity and worldlywise 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 (as Billboard noted) is reminiscent of the sultry-smooth come-on of Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
Produced and co-written by Rodney Jerkins and Dallas Austin, "The Boy Is Mine" kicks off an album of wall-to-wall gems. For her new album, Executive Producer Clive Davis turned to the hit combination responsible for "For You I Will" and the result is "Inside," a performance, production and copy- right that has "classic" written all over it. Foster also produced Monica's cover of "Right Here Waiting" (with 112), which was the biggest hit of Richard Marx's career back in 1989.
If there's a conceptual flip-side to "The Boy Is Mine," it must be the person who comes into the singer's life when she needs a friend the most, "Angel Of Mine." Davis brought in Rodney Jerkins for this cut and also enlisted Atlanta hitmaker Jermaine Dupri, 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," offers another valuable tutorial straight from the heart - "I Keep It To Myself." The lion's share of THE BOY IS MINE belongs to Dallas Austin. This ranges from a remake of Dorothy Moore's disco-era standard, "Misty Blue," to an ambitious work entitled "Street Symphony." Rather than attempt to synthesize background atmosphere in this tale of a street hustler whose girlfriend begs him to change his lifestyle, Austin utilized the full dynamics of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra inside the studio. The drama and tension are downright chilling. Austin is also responsible for the life lessons that Monica imparts on "Ring Da Bell," "Gone Be Fine" (featuring Outkast) and "Cross The Room."
Confident and sassy, intelligent and "the most innately talented singer I've ever worked with" (as Austin attests), Monica is first and foremost her mother's daughter. A church singer, mom is the wellspring from whence Monica's style totally developed. Born in College Park (outside Atlanta) on October 24, 1980, Monica accompanied her mother to church and was singing in the choir at age two. Much has been written of her pop influences, Whitney Houston (Monica began publicly singing "The Greatest Love Of All" at age nine), Aretha Franklin and, much later on, Rachelle Ferrell.
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 was still in the choir when cousin Melinda Dancil (Monica's manager today) 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, Joi, Grace Jones, Highland Place Mobsters and others. 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." With the release of THE BOY IS MINE, Monica is poised to bring a unique new standard of self-assurance and teen perspective to the pop and soul sweepstakes.
"The most innately talented singer I've ever worked with." -Dallas Austin
"At 17, Monica has unbelievable depth and soul, possessing a truly staggering vocal arsenal." -Clive Davis.
"I definitely think this is going to be Monica's year." -Jermaine Dupri
"What a treat to team up with someone who is so professional, so musical and who always wants to make the most of her special gift. A beautiful voice, a wonderful talent, a gorgeous girl with superstardom just around the corner. Oh, I wish my job was always this easy." -David Foster
"Monica captures the real soul that's been missing in R&B music," -Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.
"She's the most gifted young star that I've seen in a long, long time," -Daryl Simmons.
