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."
My Everything
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And Can't Believe A Girl Done Made A Come Up Like This
Ain't Never Been In Love Like This Before
I Ain't Never Seen A Ring Shine Like This
I Ain't Never Had Nobody Fit Me Like This
I Can't Believe That All Of This Is Happenin To Me
If I'm Dreamin Let Me Sleep
Boy You
You Got That Lovin That I Would Die For
Boy I've Been Waitin All This Time
And Livin With Nothing
But Now I Got
Now I Got Everything
I Got A Good Man
I'm Makin Weddin Plans Yeah
The One I Took Home To Mom And Dad
He Stole My Heart
Now I Got Everything
Someone Who Dont Cheat
Somebody Who Won't Leave Me Lonely
Even Though It Took A Lifetime To Get Here
Now I Finally
I Got Everything Its You
Never Had No One Go Half On A Baby
Someone To Do It Like I Like, Can Serve Me Daily
No One Ever Love Me Like This Before
I Never Had A House Feel Like A Home
I Never Had A Man That Was Full Grown (Like You)
Baby What'd I Do To Deserve You
I May Never Know
But I Know I Got You
You Got My Back And Baby I Got Yours, You
You Got That Lovin That I Would Die For
Boy I've Been Waitin All This Time
And Livin With Nothing
But Now I Got You
Now I Got Everything
I Got A Good Man
I'm Makin Weddin Plans Yeah
The One I Took Home To Mom And Dad
He Stole My Heart
Now I Got Everything
Someone Who Dont Cheat
Somebody Who Won't Leave Me Lonely
Even Though It Took A Lifetime To Get Here
Now I Finally See
I Got Everything Its You
Now That I Got You
I Never Wnana Lose You
I Love Everything You Do
Don't Wanna Live Without You
Just What I've Been Missin
All This Love I'm Givin
I Wouldnt Trade It For Nothin
My Everything Is You
Now I Got Everything
I Got A Good Man
I'm Makin Weddin Plans Yeah
The One I Took Home To Mom And Dad
He Stole My Heart
Now I Got Everything
Someone Who Dont Cheat
Somebody Who Won't Leave Me Lonely
Even Though It Took A Lifetime To Get Here
Now I Finally
I Got Everything Its You
In the song "My Everything" by Monica, the singer expresses her joy and gratitude for finding the love of her life. She reflects on never having experienced the kind of love she has now, from a partner who has her back and loves her unconditionally. Monica is amazed at how much her life has changed for the better and is grateful for the goodness that has come to her through her lover. She talks about having gone through life without a real home or someone committed to her, but now, she has found her everything.
Furthermore, Monica reflects on the rareness of her kind of love, and how grateful she is to have landed it. She talks about having waited long for someone like her partner and lists some of the unique qualities he possesses, like his ability to love her the way she loves him. Finally, in the chorus, Monica reiterates that her partner is her everything and expresses how she doesn't want to ever lose him.
Overall, the lyrics of "My Everything" paint a beautiful and touching picture of a woman grateful for the love she has found. It shows that even though it may have taken a long time for her to find the real deal, it was all worth it because she now knows what true love is.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't never had nothing quite like this
I have never experienced anything as amazing as this
And can't believe a girl done made a come up like this
I can't believe that an ordinary girl like me has something so wonderful
Ain't never been in love like this before
I have never felt this kind of love before
I ain't never seen a ring shine like this
I have never seen a ring as beautiful as this
I ain't never had nobody fit me like this
I have never had anyone who complements me so perfectly
I can't believe that all of this is happenin' to me
I can't believe that all of these wonderful things are happening to me
If I'm dreamin' let me sleep
If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up
Boy you
Hey, you. Boy.
You got my back and baby I got yours, you
I know I can count on you, and I hope you feel the same way about me
You got that lovin' that I would die for
Your love is so important to me that I would do anything for it
Boy I've been waitin' all this time
I have been waiting for someone like you for a long time
And livin' with nothing
Until I met you, my life was missing something important
But now I got
But now I have something special
Now I got everything
Now I have everything I need in life
I got a good man
I have a wonderful man in my life
I'm makin' weddin' plans yeah
I am planning to marry this man
The one I took home to mom and dad
You are the man I introduced to my parents
He stole my heart
I fell in love with you
Someone who don't cheat
I am with someone who is faithful to me
Somebody who won't leave me lonely
I don't have to be alone anymore because I have you by my side
Even though it took a lifetime to get here
Even though it took me a long time to find you
Now I finally
Now, at last
I got everything its you
You are the missing piece of my life that makes everything complete
Never had no one go half on a baby
I have never had someone who was willing to share the responsibility of raising a child with me
Someone to do it like I like, can serve me daily
I have never had someone who knows exactly how to take care of me, the way you do every day
No one ever love me like this before
No one has ever loved me as deeply and fully as you do
I never had a house feel like a home
I have never had a place where I truly felt at home until I met you
I never had a man that was full grown (like you)
I have never had a mature and responsible man in my life like you
Baby what'd I do to deserve you
I feel so lucky to have someone like you in my life, I wonder what I did to deserve you
I may never know
I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I am just grateful that I have you
Now that I got you
Now that I have you in my life
I never wanna lose you
I don't want to lose you, I want you to always be by my side
I love everything you do
I love everything about you
Don't wanna live without you
I cannot imagine living without you
Just what I've been missin'
You are the one thing in my life that was missing
All this love I'm givin'
I am giving all my love to you
I wouldn't trade it for nothin'
I would never want to give up what we have for anything
My everything is you
You are everything to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Duke Ellington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind