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."
Until It's Gone
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave my love and you took the shit for granted, hey
And it was me those nights that you didn't come home
Crying to my mama, blowing up your phone
Just wait a little while, baby you gon' see
That this gon' hurt you more than it hurt me
Cause one thing that I know for sure
And it's gon' hurt babe
When you're all alone
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
What you have until it's gone
You can never say I didn't try, hey
Gave my all but I couldn't make you fight, hey
And it was me those nights that you didn't come home
Crying to my mama, blowing up your phone
Just wait a little while, baby you gon' see
That this gon' hurt you more than it hurt me
Cause one thing that I know for sure
Is you gon' miss me when I go
And it's gon' hurt babe
When you're all alone
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
What you have until it's gone
And I can't say enough that it's gon' be me you'll miss, no
And I can't say enough that it ain't gon' get no better than this
I'm tryna make you realize
I cried and I cried so many times
But one thing I know
It's gon' hurt when you go
But one thing that I know babe
One thing that I know for sure
Is you gon' miss me when I go
And it's gon' hurt babe
You're all alone
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
What you have until it's gone
Monica’s “Until It’s Gone” is a song about a love that was not appreciated until it was gone. In the first verse, Monica sings about how her partner did not value her love when they had it. She gave her all but they took it for granted. The partner’s absence and abandonment were felt so much that Monica cried to her mother and blew up the partner’s phone. However, she believes that her partner will come to realize what they had and it will hurt them more when they finally understand how much they lost. This is reiterated in the chorus: “One thing that I know for sure, is you gon' miss me when I go, and it's gon' hurt babe when you're all alone. I guess it's true what people say, you never know, what you have until it's gone.”
In the second verse, Monica talks about how she gave her best shot to make the relationship work, but the efforts were not reciprocated. She believes that soon, her partner will understand that they lost more than they could ever imagine. She emphasizes that they will miss her when she’s gone, and that the pain will be more than what she experienced. This is echoed in the last verse, where Monica sings about how she is trying to make her partner realize that they will miss her, and it won't get any better than their relationship. Her partner will regret their actions but it will be too late. Ultimately, the song talks about a love that was not valued until it was gone and how much pain it brought to the one who lost that love.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a shame you ain't wanted when you had it, hey
It is unfortunate that you did not appreciate me while you had me in your life.
Gave my love and you took the shit for granted, hey
I shared my love with you but you did not value it.
And it was me those nights that you didn't come home
Crying to my mama, blowing up your phone
During the nights you were absent, I was so worried that I cried and tried to reach out to you.
Just wait a little while, baby you gon' see
That this gon' hurt you more than it hurt me
You will soon realize that losing me causes you more pain than it causes me.
Cause one thing that I know for sure
Is you gon' miss me when I go
And it's gon' hurt babe
When you're all alone
I am certain that you will miss me and feel lonely once I am gone.
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
What you have until it's gone
It is accurate what people say, that one cannot understand the true value of something until it is gone.
You can never say I didn't try, hey
Gave my all but I couldn't make you fight, hey
Although I can always say that I tried my best, I failed to make you fight for our relationship.
And I can't say enough that it's gon' be me you'll miss, no
And I can't say enough that it ain't gon' get no better than this
I'm tryna make you realize
I cried and I cried so many times
But one thing I know
It's gon' hurt when you go
But one thing that I know babe
I cannot stress enough that you will miss me, and there is no better partner out there. I cried multiple times trying to convince you of this. Although it will hurt when you leave, one thing is for sure.
One thing that I know for sure
Is you gon' miss me when I go
And it's gon' hurt babe
You're all alone
I guess it's true what people say
You never know
One thing is for certain, you will miss me and feel lonely once I am gone. It is true what people say, that we underestimate what we have until it's lost.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAINON LAMB, THOMAS BELL, MISSY ELLIOTT, LINDA EPSTEIN, LAWRENCE PARKER, ANTHONY RANDOLPH, SCOTT STERLING, JAZMINE SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mimilabellabruja653
pain from a broken heart actually hurts...like, you can physically feel that shit in your chest smh
@zuri957
Soblessed Maxwell So true... 😞
@zuri957
TheLookatit God is going to send you someone who is better fit for you. Keep your head up & be strong for your baby. Things will get better. Believe me I know.
@tiffanypierson3740
I know that shit feeling like a heart attack 100 times over and over till u ur heart don't love no more
@krystalcollura4162
Omg yes what I’m currently going through
@itsyagirljay9762
Ok
@wahaywgr
You just can't force a love that's just not there. Sometimes it's best to find the strength to walk away. Either you're the person who's doing the hurting or your the person who's getting hurt.
@rickmack5045
amen
@bonitataylor2309
That's right
@enveedone8940
stated perfectly...