Monica Denise Arnold (born October 24, 1980), professionally known as Monic… Read Full Bio ↴Monica Denise Arnold (born October 24, 1980), professionally known as Monica, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Arnold was a member of Charles Thompson and the Majestics, a traveling 12-piece gospel choir prior to signing a solo recording contract with Arista Records in 1995.
In 1991, at the age of eleven, Monica was discovered by music producer Dallas Austin at the Center Stage auditorium in Atlanta performing Whitney Houston 1986's Greatest Love of All. Amazed by her voice, Dallas offered her a record deal with his Arista Records-distributed label Rowdy Records and consulted rapper Queen Latifah to work as Monica's first manager. Shortly afterwards Dallas and then staff producers Tim & Bob entered the studio with Monica to start writing and producing her debut Miss Thang which was eventually released in July 1995 and scored number thirty-six on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number seven on the Top R&B Albums chart. It was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for more than three million store-shipped copies and produced three top ten singles, including debut single Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days) and Before You Walk out of My Life both of which made Monica the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive chart-topping hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. Miss Thang subsequently won Monica a Billboard Music Award and garnered her an American Music Award nomination in the Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist category.
After a label change to Clive Davis's Arista Records, Monica mainstream success was boosted, when Diane Warren-written For You I Will, from the Space Jam soundtrack, became her next top ten pop hit. The following year she was asked to team up with singer Brandy and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to record The Boy Is Mine, the first single from both of their second albums. Released in May 1998, surrounding highly publicized rumors about a real-life catfight between both singers, the duet became both the biggest hit of the summer and the biggest hit of 1998 in general in America, spending record-breaking thirteen weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It earned the pair a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and garnered multi-platinum sales (to date, it remains as one of the top twenty most successful American singles in history based on Billboard chart success).
Jermaine Dupri, David Foster and Austin consulted on the album The Boy Is Mine, which was released later that year and eventually became Monica’s biggest-selling album, becoming certified triple platinum by the RIAA for more than three million store-shipped copies. It yielded another two U.S. number-one hits with The First Night and Angel of Mine, a cover of Eternal's 1997 single, as well as a remake of Richard Marx' Right Here Waiting. Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed it as "closer to soul's source... hearking back past hip-hop songbirds like Mary J. Blige and adult-contemporary sirens like Toni Braxton," while Allmusic called the album an "irresistible sounding [and] immaculately crafted musical backdrop [...] as good as mainstream urban R&B gets in 1998."
In 2000, Monica contributed chorus vocals for I've Got to Have It, a collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and rapper Nas. Released as the Big Momma's House theme song, the song saw minor success in the United States only. The following year, she released the Ric Wake production track Just Another Girl, recorded for the Down to Earth soundtrack, as a single.
A year later, Arnold channeled much of her heavily media-discussed experiences into the production of her third studio album, All Eyez on Me, her first release on mentor Clive Davis newly-founded J Records label. "I just wanted to give the people back something that had personal passion, instead of just, 'Oh, let's dance to this record'," she said about the issues worked into the tracks. The first single All Eyez on Me a Rodney Jerkins-produced R&B-dance track, saw minor to moderate success on the international charts but failed to enter the higher half of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. A follow-up song, Too Hood, also got a lukewarm response and as a result, the album's tentative release was pushed back several times. "I don't think people wanted to hear a big fun record from me, after knowing all the things that I had personally experienced," Monica second-guessed her new material which saw both early and heavy bootlegging via internet at that time.
After the Japan-wide release of All Eyez on Me Monica was asked to substantially reconstruct the record with a host of new producers, and as a result the singer re-entered recording studios to start work with songwriters Kanye West, Jazze Pha, Andre "mrDEYO" Deyo, Bam & Ryan and Dupri-replacing executive producer Missy Elliott. Finally released in June 2003, After the Storm debuted at number one on Billboard`s Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and on top of the official Billboard 200, with sales of 186,000 copies emerging as Monica's first and only number-one album to date. It eventually received a gold certification, and has sold over one million copies domestically. Media reception of the CD was generally enthusiastic, with the Allmusic saying the album "has all the assuredness and smart developments that should keep Monica's younger longtime followers behind her — all the while holding the ability to appeal to a wider spectrum of R&B and hip-hop fans." The album's lead single, Elliott-penned So Gone, was one of Monica's biggest commercial successes in years, becoming her first top ten single since 1999's Angel of Mine. In addition, it reached the top position of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks and Hot Dance Club Play charts. Subsequently, After the Storm spawned another three singles, with final single U Should've Known Better reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2005, Monica appeared on the Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman soundtrack. The track was one of Monica's last production by Dallas Austin.
Returning from yet another musical hiatus, Arnold's fourth studio album The Makings of Me was released in October 2006. Titled after Curtis Mayfield's 1970 recording The Makings of You, the album saw her particularly reuniting with producers Elliott, Dupri, and Bryan Michael Cox, all of whom had previously contributed to After the Storm (2003). The Makings of Me received a positive reception from most professional music critics, with Allmusic calling it a "concise and mostly sweet set of songs," and Entertainment Weekly declaring it "a solid addition" to Monica's discography. While it debuted at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and at number eight on the official Billboard 200, it received a domestic sales total of 328,000 copies, it widely failed to revive the success of its predecessors and became the singer's lowest-selling effort to date. Singles such as snap-influenced Everytime Tha Beat Drop featuring Atlanta hip hop group Dem Franchize Boyz and Elliott-produced A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me) failed to reach the top forty of the regular pop charts.
In 2009, Arnold lent her voice to the ballad Trust a duet with Keyshia Cole, that peaked in the top five on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The recording of Arnold's sixth studio album Still Standing was chronicled by her BET reality series of the same name. Featuring production by Stargate, Ne-Yo, and Polow da Don, it was released in March 2010 and garnered a generally positive response by critics, who perceived its sound as "a return to the mid-'1990s heyday" of contemporary R&B, 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. In August 2010, Arnold joined Trey Songz on his Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour, her first North American concert tour in ten years.
The New Life (Intro) Songfacts reports that New Life was Monica's debut release with RCA, following the disbandment of her former label, J Records in October 2011. The album was dropped on April 10, 2012 in the US. She explained the meaning of its title on Twitter: "A good word goes a long way. Life is hard enough. Me and my followers believe in God, love, strength, family, unity and growth [...] Don't be afraid of new things, new people, new opportunities or new love. It just may give you a New Life."
In 1991, at the age of eleven, Monica was discovered by music producer Dallas Austin at the Center Stage auditorium in Atlanta performing Whitney Houston 1986's Greatest Love of All. Amazed by her voice, Dallas offered her a record deal with his Arista Records-distributed label Rowdy Records and consulted rapper Queen Latifah to work as Monica's first manager. Shortly afterwards Dallas and then staff producers Tim & Bob entered the studio with Monica to start writing and producing her debut Miss Thang which was eventually released in July 1995 and scored number thirty-six on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number seven on the Top R&B Albums chart. It was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for more than three million store-shipped copies and produced three top ten singles, including debut single Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days) and Before You Walk out of My Life both of which made Monica the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive chart-topping hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. Miss Thang subsequently won Monica a Billboard Music Award and garnered her an American Music Award nomination in the Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist category.
After a label change to Clive Davis's Arista Records, Monica mainstream success was boosted, when Diane Warren-written For You I Will, from the Space Jam soundtrack, became her next top ten pop hit. The following year she was asked to team up with singer Brandy and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to record The Boy Is Mine, the first single from both of their second albums. Released in May 1998, surrounding highly publicized rumors about a real-life catfight between both singers, the duet became both the biggest hit of the summer and the biggest hit of 1998 in general in America, spending record-breaking thirteen weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It earned the pair a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and garnered multi-platinum sales (to date, it remains as one of the top twenty most successful American singles in history based on Billboard chart success).
Jermaine Dupri, David Foster and Austin consulted on the album The Boy Is Mine, which was released later that year and eventually became Monica’s biggest-selling album, becoming certified triple platinum by the RIAA for more than three million store-shipped copies. It yielded another two U.S. number-one hits with The First Night and Angel of Mine, a cover of Eternal's 1997 single, as well as a remake of Richard Marx' Right Here Waiting. Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed it as "closer to soul's source... hearking back past hip-hop songbirds like Mary J. Blige and adult-contemporary sirens like Toni Braxton," while Allmusic called the album an "irresistible sounding [and] immaculately crafted musical backdrop [...] as good as mainstream urban R&B gets in 1998."
In 2000, Monica contributed chorus vocals for I've Got to Have It, a collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and rapper Nas. Released as the Big Momma's House theme song, the song saw minor success in the United States only. The following year, she released the Ric Wake production track Just Another Girl, recorded for the Down to Earth soundtrack, as a single.
A year later, Arnold channeled much of her heavily media-discussed experiences into the production of her third studio album, All Eyez on Me, her first release on mentor Clive Davis newly-founded J Records label. "I just wanted to give the people back something that had personal passion, instead of just, 'Oh, let's dance to this record'," she said about the issues worked into the tracks. The first single All Eyez on Me a Rodney Jerkins-produced R&B-dance track, saw minor to moderate success on the international charts but failed to enter the higher half of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. A follow-up song, Too Hood, also got a lukewarm response and as a result, the album's tentative release was pushed back several times. "I don't think people wanted to hear a big fun record from me, after knowing all the things that I had personally experienced," Monica second-guessed her new material which saw both early and heavy bootlegging via internet at that time.
After the Japan-wide release of All Eyez on Me Monica was asked to substantially reconstruct the record with a host of new producers, and as a result the singer re-entered recording studios to start work with songwriters Kanye West, Jazze Pha, Andre "mrDEYO" Deyo, Bam & Ryan and Dupri-replacing executive producer Missy Elliott. Finally released in June 2003, After the Storm debuted at number one on Billboard`s Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and on top of the official Billboard 200, with sales of 186,000 copies emerging as Monica's first and only number-one album to date. It eventually received a gold certification, and has sold over one million copies domestically. Media reception of the CD was generally enthusiastic, with the Allmusic saying the album "has all the assuredness and smart developments that should keep Monica's younger longtime followers behind her — all the while holding the ability to appeal to a wider spectrum of R&B and hip-hop fans." The album's lead single, Elliott-penned So Gone, was one of Monica's biggest commercial successes in years, becoming her first top ten single since 1999's Angel of Mine. In addition, it reached the top position of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks and Hot Dance Club Play charts. Subsequently, After the Storm spawned another three singles, with final single U Should've Known Better reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2005, Monica appeared on the Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman soundtrack. The track was one of Monica's last production by Dallas Austin.
Returning from yet another musical hiatus, Arnold's fourth studio album The Makings of Me was released in October 2006. Titled after Curtis Mayfield's 1970 recording The Makings of You, the album saw her particularly reuniting with producers Elliott, Dupri, and Bryan Michael Cox, all of whom had previously contributed to After the Storm (2003). The Makings of Me received a positive reception from most professional music critics, with Allmusic calling it a "concise and mostly sweet set of songs," and Entertainment Weekly declaring it "a solid addition" to Monica's discography. While it debuted at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and at number eight on the official Billboard 200, it received a domestic sales total of 328,000 copies, it widely failed to revive the success of its predecessors and became the singer's lowest-selling effort to date. Singles such as snap-influenced Everytime Tha Beat Drop featuring Atlanta hip hop group Dem Franchize Boyz and Elliott-produced A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me) failed to reach the top forty of the regular pop charts.
In 2009, Arnold lent her voice to the ballad Trust a duet with Keyshia Cole, that peaked in the top five on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The recording of Arnold's sixth studio album Still Standing was chronicled by her BET reality series of the same name. Featuring production by Stargate, Ne-Yo, and Polow da Don, it was released in March 2010 and garnered a generally positive response by critics, who perceived its sound as "a return to the mid-'1990s heyday" of contemporary R&B, 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. In August 2010, Arnold joined Trey Songz on his Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour, her first North American concert tour in ten years.
The New Life (Intro) Songfacts reports that New Life was Monica's debut release with RCA, following the disbandment of her former label, J Records in October 2011. The album was dropped on April 10, 2012 in the US. She explained the meaning of its title on Twitter: "A good word goes a long way. Life is hard enough. Me and my followers believe in God, love, strength, family, unity and growth [...] Don't be afraid of new things, new people, new opportunities or new love. It just may give you a New Life."
Don't Take It Personal
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just one of them days, when I wanna be all alone
It's just one of them days, when I gotta be all alone
It's just one of them days, don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone, and you think I treat you wrong
I wanna take some time out to think things through
I know it always feels like I'm doing you wrong
But I'm so in love with you
So understand that I'm only in love your the only one I need
So have no thought that I want to leave and baby trust me please
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal
Baby baby baby baby, don't take it personal
I see and I think about every thing we do
And I find myself in misery and that ain't cool
Hey now, I really want to be with you the whole way through
But the way you make me feel inside keeps me confused
As I swing back from mood to mood it's not because of you
I never want you to be insecure
So won't you understand that I'm only in love, your the only one I need
I'll be there for you when you need me boy, so baby don't you leave
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal
Baby baby baby baby, don't take it personal
Don't take it personal (just one of them days), yeah, don't take it personal
Just one of them days (just one of them days)
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal baby (just one of them days)
Personal baby, personal baby, (when I'm angry inside) personal baby
Personal baby, (just one of them days), personal baby
Personal baby, (I just wanna be all alone), personal baby
(And you think I treat you wrong) personal baby, yeah
Just one of them days
It's just one of them days, when I gotta be all alone
It's just one of them days, don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone, and you think I treat you wrong
I wanna take some time out to think things through
I know it always feels like I'm doing you wrong
But I'm so in love with you
So have no thought that I want to leave and baby trust me please
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal
Baby baby baby baby, don't take it personal
I see and I think about every thing we do
And I find myself in misery and that ain't cool
Hey now, I really want to be with you the whole way through
But the way you make me feel inside keeps me confused
As I swing back from mood to mood it's not because of you
I never want you to be insecure
So won't you understand that I'm only in love, your the only one I need
I'll be there for you when you need me boy, so baby don't you leave
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Just one of them days
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal
Baby baby baby baby, don't take it personal
Don't take it personal (just one of them days), yeah, don't take it personal
Just one of them days (just one of them days)
That a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside
Don't want to take it out on you
Just one of them days
Don't take it personal
I just wanna be all alone
And you think I treat you wrong
Don't take it personal baby (just one of them days)
Personal baby, personal baby, (when I'm angry inside) personal baby
Personal baby, (just one of them days), personal baby
Personal baby, (I just wanna be all alone), personal baby
(And you think I treat you wrong) personal baby, yeah
Just one of them days
Monica’s “Don’t Take It Personal” is a song about needing alone time in a relationship. It’s about communicating to the significant other that it’s just one of those days, when she has to be alone and it has nothing to do with how she truly feels about them. The lyrics try to convey that the singer is not angry with the other person and that they should not take it personally. It suggests that everyone needs to understand that sometimes people need to be alone, even when they are in a relationship. The lyrics indicate that it’s not about how the significant other reacts when the singer needs alone time, but more about understanding and respecting their wishes. It’s about recognizing that sometimes relationships are not just about being together all the time, but about respecting each other's personal space and individual needs.
The overall sound of “Don't Take It Personal” is upbeat, with a slight R&B and hip hop vibe. The song was written by Dallas Austin and produced by Austin, Colin Wolfe, and Dave Way. It was released in 1995 as the lead single from Monica's debut studio album, “Miss Thang.” The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top ten hit in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Line by Line Meaning
It's just one of them days, when I wanna be all alone
I need some time to myself and don't want to be bothered
It's just one of them days, when I gotta be all alone
I have a strong desire to spend time by myself today
It's just one of them days, don't take it personal
This is nothing personal against you, I just need some space
I just wanna be all alone, and you think I treat you wrong
I need space but I still care about you
I wanna take some time out to think things through
I need time to reflect on my thoughts and feelings
I know it always feels like I'm doing you wrong
I realize it might appear like I'm treating you badly
But I'm so in love with you
I care deeply about you
So understand that I'm only in love your the only one I need
You are the only person I want to be with, I am committed to you
So have no thought that I want to leave and baby trust me please
I have no intention of leaving you, please trust me
That a girl goes through
This is a common experience for many women
When I'm angry inside
I am feeling angry but I don't want to take it out on you
Don't want to take it out on you
I don't want to direct my anger towards you
But the way you make me feel inside keeps me confused
I feel confused sometimes because of the emotions you evoke in me
I never want you to be insecure
I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or uncertain about our relationship
So won't you understand that I'm only in love, your the only one I need
Please know that I love you and I am devoted to you
I'll be there for you when you need me boy, so baby don't you leave
I will always be here for you when you need me, so please don't leave
Don't take it personal baby
This isn't a personal attack on you, I just need some time alone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Todd Smith, Derek Simmons, Dallas Austin, Quincy Jones, Willie Baker, Jerry Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@AriesGirlMagic
F*ck it! I'm going to build a time machine to go back to the 1990s. Screw the Millennium! Who wants to come along? lmao
@dfree1442
I'm down! Lol
@gatineausparks
Digital Art Diva Yes please!!! I am stuck in the 90's anyway I would be the first person down for that! As long as we can take our modern cell phones.. oh and keep high speed internet lol
@cameron6741
ME ! 🏃🙌🙌
@queendelegacy09
Digital Art Diva Heyyy Count Me In And While You're At It Make It A One Way Trip....Who Wants To Come Back To This Sh*t...
@nicolarae82
I'm in! Just need to pack my white jeans, check shirt, bandanna.....what am I forgetting? Calvin Klein underwear?! Haha good times :-)
@misheemishee2773
1. That boy is fine 😍😍😍
2. Monica still looks exactly like this today.
@pjmoneybags587
She actually looks better!
@trosharrahchapman2558
Can't believe she's turning 40 this year.
@talktometv9393
She sure do😍😍