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 Monicaโs 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 โ 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."
Hurts The Most
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like nothing changed since we been together
I must admit that I feel crazy about you
And I can see it in your eyes
That there something you want to say to me
Cause usually right now you would be holding onto me
But instead you're telling me that things
Have changed they're not the same
Decided to dedicate your whole life to
And what we had has to be through
And baby what hurts the most is letting go
I just want you to know that I love so
And I know things are different now
You've gone and settled down
I thought for sure you'd always wait for me
I tell you what hurts the most
Is that should have took the chance
Boy when you came to me and offered me your hand
Silly of me I thought I would always have your heart
I had the chance to have all the love Oh how I'm missing you now
I hate that there's someone new coming in and taking my place
Doing the things we used to do and making love to you no
What am I supposed to do it's killing me that I want you'
And you should have known my love was true
And there no one else in this world for me but you
Things have changes they're not the same
That recently you found someone
That you decided to dedicate your whole life to
And what we had has to be through
And baby what hurts the most is letting go
I just want you to know that I love so
And I know things are different now
You've gone and settled down
I thought for sure you'd always wait for me
I tell you what hurts the most
Is that should have took the chance
Boy when you came to me and offered me your hand
Silly of me I thought I would always have your heart
I had the chance to have all the love
Oh how I'm missing you now
I know I'm the one to blame for losing you
I really really wish that I could be happy for you
There's just one thing I need you to do
Don't you touch her like you used to touch me
Don't you love her like you really needed me
Don't you love her like you used to love me
And baby what hurts the most is letting go
I just want you to know that I love so
And I know things are different now
You've gone and settled down
I thought for sure you'd always wait for me
I tell you what hurts the most
Is that should have took the chance
Boy when you came to me and offered me your hand
Silly of me I thought I would always have your heart
I had the chance to have all the love
Oh how I'm missing you now
What hurts the most is letting go
I just want you to know that I love so
In Monica's song "Hurts The Most," the lyrics reflect the feeling of regret, remorse, and intense longing for someone who was once loved. The opening lines create a picture of two people who have matured over a long period of time, and the confusion that comes with an unexpected update in their relationship. The singer senses a change in the relationship and the person they love, but they still love them dearly. However, the love between them now seems impossible, as he confesses to his change in heart and having found someone else to dedicate his whole life to, successfully ending their love relationship.
The singer expresses that what hurts the most is the reality of having to let go of somebody they have loved for such a long time. The singer's perspective appears to be a complicated one because on the one hand, they seem to be urging their partner to choose her, while on the other hand, they admit that they are the ones to blame for having let the love of their life get away. The chorus provides a powerful message about lost love and unfulfilled desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy it's been a long time since the last time I saw you
It has been a significant amount of time since we last met.
Feels like nothing changed since we been together
I feel like our relationship has been stagnant.
I must admit that I feel crazy about you
I have strong feelings of love for you.
And I can see it in your eyes that there something you want to say to me
You have something to tell me based on how you are looking at me.
Cause usually right now you would be holding onto me
Normally, you would be physically close to me.
But instead you're telling me that things have changed they're not the same
You are informing me that our relationship has transformed.
And recently you found someone that you decided to dedicate your whole life to
You have found someone to commit your future to.
And what we had has to be through
Our past relationship is now over.
And baby what hurts the most is letting go
The hardest part is saying goodbye and moving on.
I just want you to know that I love so
I need you to understand how deeply I love you.
And I know things are different now
I realize our situation has changed.
You've gone and settled down
You have decided to commit to someone else.
I thought for sure you'd always wait for me
I had hoped you would remain faithful to me.
I tell you what hurts the most
The most painful part is knowing that I missed an opportunity.
Is that should have took the chance
I regret not taking a risk earlier on in our relationship.
Boy when you came to me and offered me your hand
When you showed me affection and made a commitment, I should have accepted.
Silly of me I thought I would always have your heart
I foolishly believed that you would always love only me.
I had the chance to have all the love Oh how I'm missing you now
I missed out on the opportunity to be loved by you and it hurts me now.
I hate that there's someone new coming in and taking my place
I despise that someone else is replacing me in your life.
Doing the things we used to do and making love to you no
They are now doing the things that we used to do together, including being intimate with you.
What am I supposed to do it's killing me that I want you'
I am struggling to cope with my feelings for you and the fact that we cannot be together.
And you should have known my love was true
You should have recognized how genuine my love for you was.
And there no one else in this world for me but you
I know without a doubt that you are the only one I want to be with.
I know I'm the one to blame for losing you
I accept responsibility for our relationship ending.
I really really wish that I could be happy for you
I wish I could be genuinely happy for your happiness.
There's just one thing I need you to do
I have a request that I need you to fulfill.
Don't you touch her like you used to touch me
Please do not show her the same affection as you did to me.
Don't you love her like you really needed me
Do not love her with the same intensity as you loved me.
And baby what hurts the most is letting go
The most painful aspect of our breakup is the act of saying goodbye.
I just want you to know that I love so
You need to know that I truly and deeply love you.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CRAWFORD, KARLIN, SHACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind