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."
Time To Move On
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it wasn’t good enough
But I did everything for you baby
The pleasure was all mine
But I know things are different
The proof is in your eyes
Cuz I don’t see the fire
You’re hurt
It’s time (time to move on)
Time to move on
When the love is gone oh yea
I tell you it’s time
Time to move on
When the love is gone oh oh oh
Now when we used to argue
At least you used to look at me oh oh
But see, now we lay next to each other
And we don’t even speak
Boy, I cry
Arguing like nothing’s wrong
And you know it’s wrong
But there’s no need in pulling fingers
Love has let us both both both both
It’s time (time to move on)
Time to move on
When the love is gone oh yea
Gotta tell you it’s time
Time to move on
When the love is gone oh yea yea
God knows I tried (yes, I tried)
Tried to make it last
God knows I tried (yes, I tried)
Tried my very best
And I’m not you know
You know no no no
I say it’s time (time to move on)
It’s time to move on oh oh oh
When the love is gone
Oh, I had to let him go
And I’m happy about it now
I tell you it’s time
Time to move on
When the love is gone oh oh oh
Said it’s time to move on
When the love is gone
Monica's song "Time To Move On" is a song about a woman who has come to the realization that her relationship has run its course and it's time to move on. The lyrics reflect the woman's feelings of disappointment and sadness in herself that despite all her efforts, the relationship still failed. The first verse speaks to her struggles of trying to be a good woman for her partner by doing everything she could for him, but her efforts were not enough. The second verse speaks to the current state of their relationship where they no longer speak to each other, and even when they argue, arguing doesn't seem to make any difference.
The chorus of the song reinforces the theme of moving on by emphasizing that when love is gone, it's time to move on. The repetition of the phrase "time to move on" highlights the importance of letting go and moving forward.
The bridge of the song expresses the woman's efforts to make the relationship work and how she tried her very best, but at this point, it's time to move on. The song ends with a declaration of freedom as the woman expresses her newfound happiness since letting go of the relationship.
Overall, "Time To Move On" is a poignant song reflecting on the emotions that come with realizing when it's time to put an end to a relationship that is no longer working.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to be a good woman
I made every effort to be a good partner in our relationship
But it wasn’t good enough
Despite my efforts, it seems like my behavior or actions were not enough to maintain the relationship
But I did everything for you baby
I went out of my way to do things for you and make you happy
The pleasure was all mine
I got satisfaction from doing these things for you
But I know things are different
I have noticed that things have changed between us
The proof is in your eyes
I can tell from looking at you that the feelings are not the same anymore
Cuz I don’t see the fire
I don't see the same passion and excitement in your eyes that used to be there
You’re hurt
It seems like you are also experiencing negative feelings in the relationship
It’s time (time to move on)
I have come to the decision that it's time to end the relationship
When the love is gone oh yea
The love that we once had between us has fizzled out
I tell you it’s time
I am being open and honest with you that it's time to end things
Now when we used to argue
When we had disagreements in the past
At least you used to look at me oh oh
You would give me your attention and engage with me during those arguments
But see, now we lay next to each other
Now we are physically close to each other, but emotionally distant
And we don’t even speak
We have stopped communicating with each other altogether
Boy, I cry
This situation hurts me emotionally and brings me to tears
Arguing like nothing’s wrong
Even when we do disagree, it seems like we are just going through the motions and not addressing the real issues
And you know it’s wrong
We both know that this kind of arguing is not healthy or productive
But there’s no need in pulling fingers
There's no point in playing the blame game or pointing fingers at each other
Love has let us both both both both
Our love has run its course and it's time to let go
God knows I tried (yes, I tried)
I really did my best to make the relationship work
Tried to make it last
I wanted our love to continue and last a long time
Tried my very best
I put all my effort and energy into trying to save the relationship
And I’m not you know
I am not the type of person to give up easily on a relationship
I say it’s time (time to move on)
I am confident and sure that it's the right time to move on
It’s time to move on oh oh oh
We need to accept the reality that our love has ended and move forward
Oh, I had to let him go
I made the difficult decision to end the relationship and let go of the person I love
And I’m happy about it now
I have found peace and contentment in accepting the end of our relationship
When the love is gone
This phrase serves as a reminder that our love has ended and it's time to move on
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DRESHAN NIKEL SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind