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."
The Boy Is Mine
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boy is mine, the boy is mine
The boy is mine
Excuse me can I please talk to you for a minute?
Uh huh sure, you know you look kinda familiar
Yeah you do to, but I just wanted to know do you know somebody named?
You know his name
Well I just want to let you that he's mine
Huh no, no he's mine
You need to give it up
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Think it's time we got this straight
Sit and talk face to face
There is no way you could mistake
Him for your man, are you insane?
You see I know that you may be
Just a bit jealous of me
But you're blind if you can't see
That his love is all in me
See I tried to hesitate
I didn't want to say what he told me
He said without me he couldn't make it
Through the day, ain't that a shame?
But maybe you misunderstood
'Cause I can't see how he could
Wanna change something that's so good
All my love was all it took (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (confused, ohh)
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Must you do the things you do?
You keep on acting like a fool
You need to know it's me not you
And if you didn't know it, girl it's true
I think that you should realize
And try to understand why
He is a part of my life
I know it's killing you inside
You can say what you wanna say
What we have you can't take
From the truth you can't escape
I can tell the real from the fake
When will you get the picture
You're the past, I'm the future
Get away, it's my time to shine
If you didn't know, the boy is mine, ohh
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see (to see)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (ooh)
Had about enough (had about enough)
It's not hard to see (he's mine, he's mine, he's mine, he's mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry you seem to be confused)
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine
You can't destroy this love I found
Your silly games I won't allow
The boy is mine without a doubt
You might as well throw in the towel
What makes you think that he wants you
When I'm the one that brought him to
The special place that's in my heart?
He was my love right from the start
You need to give it up (give it on up)
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine, oh)
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (no, no)
You need to give it up (you need to give it up)
Had about enough ('bout enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (mine, ohh)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (not yours, but mine)
Had about enough (not yours, but mine)
It's not hard to see (not yours, but mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
The lyrics of Monica and Brandy's "The boy is mine" revolve around the story of two women who are fighting over a man. The song starts with one of the women asking the other if she knows the man in question, and then asserting her ownership of him. The other woman disagrees, insisting that the man is hers. They both make their cases, with the first woman pointing out that the man has said that he needs her in his life, while the second woman maintains that the man belongs to her. They encourage each other to back off, but neither is willing to give up the fight, leading to a heated argument.
The song is largely about jealousy, possession, and entitlement, portraying the idea that the man should belong to one of the women and not the other. The two women insist upon their respective rights to the man, with neither willing to give in to the other. The song also shows the two women trying to assert dominance over each other, with each trying to prove that they are more important to the man than the other.
Overall, "The boy is mine" speaks to the issues of emotional ownership, territoriality, and the entitlement that people feel when they are in relationships. It also highlights the mistrust and misunderstandings that can arise when people are fighting for the same man or woman.
Line by Line Meaning
The boy is mine, the boy is mine
The singer asserts that the boy belongs to her.
Excuse me, can I please talk to you for a minute?
The singer initiates a conversation with another woman.
Uh huh sure, you know you look kinda familiar
The other woman recognizes the singer.
Well, I just want to let you know that he's mine
The artist informs the other woman that the boy in question belongs to her.
Huh no, no he's mine
The other woman disputes the artist's claim.
You need to give it up
The singer advises the other woman to stop pursuing the boy.
Had about enough
The singer has reached her limit.
It's not hard to see, The boy is mine
The artist reiterates that the boy belongs to her.
I'm sorry that you seem to be confused, He belongs to me
The artist expresses pity for the other woman's confusion and asserts that the boy is hers.
Think it's time we got this straight, Sit and talk face to face
The artist suggests resolving the conflict through a face-to-face conversation.
There is no way you could mistake, Him for your man, are you insane?
The singer questions the other woman's sanity for thinking that the boy is hers.
You see I know that you may be, Just a bit jealous of me
The artist acknowledges the other woman's jealousy towards her.
But you're blind if you can't see, That his love is all in me
The singer asserts that the boy's love is directed towards her.
See I tried to hesitate, I didn't want to say what he told me
The singer hesitated to reveal what the boy said to her.
He said without me he couldn't make it, Through the day, ain't that a shame?
The boy confessed his dependency on the singer to get through the day.
But maybe you misunderstood, 'Cause I can't see how he could, Wanna change something that's so good, All my love was all it took
The artist questions the other woman's interpretation and praises her own love for the boy.
Must you do the things you do?, You keep on acting like a fool, You need to know it's me not you, And if you didn't know it, girl, it's true
The artist admonishes the other woman for her foolish behavior and reinforces that the boy is hers.
I think that you should realize, And try to understand why, He is a part of my life, I know it's killing you inside
The singer advises the other woman to accept that the boy is important in her life and understands that she is upset.
You can say what you wanna say, What we have you can't take, From the truth you can't escape, I can tell the real from the fake
The singer asserts that what she has with the boy is unbreakable and that she can differentiate between true and false.
When will you get the picture?, You're the past, I'm the future, Get away, it's my time to shine, If you didn't know, the boy is mine
The artist tells the other woman to move on, as the boy belongs to her now.
You can't destroy this love I found, Your silly games I won't allow, The boy is mine without a doubt, You might as well throw in the towel
The artist asserts that her love for the boy is indestructible and will not tolerate the other woman's attempts to win him over.
What makes you think that he wants you, When I'm the one that brought him to, The special place that's in my heart?, He was my love right from the start
The artist questions the other woman's presumption that the boy wants her and asserts that she brought him into her life, as he was always meant to be hers.
Not yours, but mine
The singer reiterates that the boy belongs to her and not the other woman.
I'm sorry that you seem to be confused, He belongs to me
The artist expresses empathy towards the other woman's confusion and asserts that the boy is hers.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Jerkins III, Lashawn Ameen Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Japhe Tejada, Brandy Norwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@starfishhh_
LYRICS!!
You need to give it up
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Think it's time we got this straight
Sit and talk face to face
There is no way you could mistake
Him for your man, are you insane?
You see I know that you may be
Just a bit jealous of me
But you're blind if you can't see
That his love is all in me
See I tried to hesitate
I didn't want to say what he told me
He said without me he couldn't make it
Through the day, ain't that a shame?
But maybe you misunderstood
'Cause I can't see how he could
Wanna change something that's so good
All my love was all it took (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (confused, ohh)
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Must you do the things you do?
You keep on acting like a fool
You need to know it's me not you
And if you didn't know it, girl it's true
I think that you should realize
And try to understand why
He is a part of my life
I know it's killing you inside
You can say what you wanna say
What we have you can't take
From the truth you can't escape
I can tell the real from the fake
When will you get the picture
You're the past, I'm the future
Get away, it's my time to shine
If you didn't know, the boy is mine, ohh
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see (to see)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (ooh)
Had about enough (had about enough)
It's not hard to see (he's mine, he's mine, he's mine, he's mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry you seem to be confused)
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine
You can't destroy this love I found
Your silly games I won't allow
The boy is mine without a doubt
You might as well throw in the towel
What makes you think that he wants you
When I'm the one that brought him to
The special place that's in my heart?
He was my love right from the start
You need to give it up (give it on up)
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine, oh)
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (no, no)
You need to give it up (you need to give it up)
Had about enough ('bout enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (mine, ohh)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (not yours, but mine)
Had about enough (not yours, but mine)
It's not hard to see (not yours, but mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
@ssungielover
Lyrics:
You need to give it up
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Think it's time we got this straight
Sit and talk face to face
There is no way you could mistake
Him for your man, are you insane?
You see I know that you may be
Just a bit jealous of me
But you're blind if you can't see
That his love is all in me
See I tried to hesitate
I didn't want to say what he told me
He said without me he couldn't make it
Through the day, ain't that a shame?
But maybe you misunderstood
'Cause I can't see how he could
Wanna change something that's so good
All my love was all it took (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (confused, ohh)
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Must you do the things you do?
You keep on acting like a fool
You need to know it's me not you
And if you didn't know it, girl it's true
I think that you should realize
And try to understand why
He is a part of my life
I know it's killing you inside
You can say what you wanna say
What we have you can't take
From the truth you can't escape
I can tell the real from the fake
When will you get the picture
You're the past, I'm the future
Get away, it's my time to shine
If you didn't know, the boy is mine, ohh
You need to give it up
Had about enough (enough)
It's not hard to see (to see)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (ooh)
Had about enough (had about enough)
It's not hard to see (he's mine, he's mine, he's mine, he's mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry you seem to be confused)
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine
You can't destroy this love I found
Your silly games I won't allow
The boy is mine without a doubt
You might as well throw in the towel
What makes you think that he wants you
When I'm the one that brought him to
The special place that's in my heart?
He was my love right from the start
You need to give it up (give it on up)
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine, oh)
I'm sorry that you (I'm so sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (no, no)
You need to give it up (you need to give it up)
Had about enough ('bout enough)
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (mine, ohh)
Seem to be confused (seem to be confused)
He belongs to me (he belongs to me)
The boy is mine (the boy is mine)
You need to give it up (not yours, but mine)
Had about enough (not yours, but mine)
It's not hard to see (not yours, but mine)
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
Seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
@lacey9943
i’m so jealous of all the people that grew up in the same time period as Brandy. the ACTUAL privilege
@dalmamatos4403
Best time ever completely different
@sharifmansour9678
The music of the late 90s was spectacular because we actually thought the world would end in the year 2000.
@DeathRowMakaveli
faacts.. I remember that time cause I lived it but shii I wish I was old enough to go out and party.. what a great time the music was something else the people were different
@annisaarthur-castro6227
It really was!
As a black girl in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean we didn't have any local teen stars to look up to. Brandy and Monica were it for us. Monica was more mainstream here but I always loved Brandy. I remember a boyfriend asking me why I always had to be so contrary; everyone liked Monica so I had to like Brandy. But that wasn't it. I always loved Brandy's music because it was unique and her voice is low for a female like mine.
I bought a poster of her in the mall and it was up in my room even when I became an adult. My mom asked me if I didn't want to take it down now that I was grown. I said what for? It only came down when I repainted.
This generation has a young soca (our local blend of calypso, classical Indian music, pop and afro beats) diva called Nailah Blackman to look up to and enjoy. I had Brandy and it was indeed a privilege to be her peer, even though she's a bit older than me. I also admired Tia and Tamera.
@lacey9943
@@annisaarthur-castro6227 SAME HERE. i always preferred Brandy more than Monica. even tho i’m only 17 now, so my Brandy obsession started when they added Moesha to netflix, but i’m so glad i discovered her. i love her music so much.
I even watched Sister Sister when they added it to netflix, so i love Tia and Tamera too!!
@joannaalday
11 year old me really felt this song. 32 year old me thinks “you can keep him.”
@jamfaya31974
1998 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿
@jamfaya31974
https://youtu.be/WDh_FdnLXhI club version 😎
@greggutierrez6339
87 in the House