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."
get down
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But every now and then I'm gonna let you know, oh
There's gotta be something givin' to me
All you need to know is that I'm a fly young lady
So do what you got to do if it's me you chose
But I got the ooh's baby, yeah hear oh
I'm gonna give up some time if it's worth my while
[Chorus]
You gotta get down
With the way I'm runnin' things
Or you won't be around
You gotta get down with me, me
You gotta get down
With the way it's gotta be
Turn your frown to a smile
You gotta get down with me, me
You gotta get down
Ooh baby, oh you gotta get down with me
Down
Hey,
Down
Down, umm yeah
You gotta get down with me, me
I've heard your kinda nice
(what's yours now it's that slow?)
Take the time, learn the ways then we can roll
Have you ever met a girl that knows her thang
Lookin' kinda fly but baby can you swang
So do what you got to do if it's me you chose
But I got the ooh's baby, I got the oohs baby
I'm gonna give up some time if it's worth my while
Cause it's my world, I'm playin' my game
[Chorus: x2]
You gotta get
Down
You gotta get
Down
You gotta get
Down
[Chorus: x2]
The song "Get Down" by Monica is a catchy, upbeat tune about a confident and self-assured woman who knows what she wants in a relationship. In the first verse, Monica proclaims that she's not going to sugarcoat her feelings and intends to be honest about what she expects from her partner. She demands that she receives something in return for what she gives in the relationship, but at the same time, she acknowledges that she is a "fly young lady." Monica's confidence is evident in these lines, and it emphasizes the importance of self-respect in a relationship.
In the chorus, Monica tells her partner that if they want to be with her, they need to accept her for who she is and "get down" with her ways. She emphasizes that it's her world, and she's playing her game, indicating that she's not going to change who she is for someone else. Monica's message is clear and straightforward, and she doesn't have any qualms about being assertive about what she wants in a relationship.
In the second verse, Monica goes on to praise her partner's qualities, acknowledging that he's kind and patient. She suggests that if he takes the time to learn what she wants and how she operates in the relationship, they can work things out. However, she doesn't allow herself to become submissive and reiterates that she's a confident woman who knows what she wants.
Overall, "Get Down" is an anthem for women who know their worth and aren't afraid to demand respect and equality in their relationships. Monica's lyrics emphasize the importance of self-respect, honesty, and assertiveness in a relationship, sending a strong message to her listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to make this sound so cold
I don't want to come across as insensitive or harsh
But every now and then I'm gonna let you know, oh
Occasionally, I will express what I want or need from you
There's gotta be something givin' to me
I expect to receive something in return for my efforts
All you need to know is that I'm a fly young lady
I am a fashionable and confident woman
So do what you got to do if it's me you chose
If you choose me, then you need to do what is necessary
But I got the ooh's baby, yeah hear oh
I have what it takes to make you say 'ooh'
I'm gonna give up some time if it's worth my while
I will invest my time if it is worthwhile for me
Cause it's my world, I'm playin' my game
I am in control of my life and making my own decisions
You gotta get down
You need to understand and comply with my expectations
With the way I'm runnin' things
I am in charge and you need to follow my lead
Or you won't be around
If you don't agree with me, you won't be a part of my life
You gotta get down with me, me
You need to join me and support me
With the way it's gotta be
This is the way things are and you need to accept it
Turn your frown to a smile
You need to be positive and happy around me
Ooh baby, oh you gotta get down with me
You need to be on the same page as me
I've heard your kinda nice
I have heard good things about you
(what's yours now it's that slow?)
(What's your response now that you've heard what I want?)
Take the time, learn the ways then we can roll
If you take the time to understand me, we can be together
Have you ever met a girl that knows her thang
Have you ever met a woman who is confident and knowledgeable?
Lookin' kinda fly but baby can you swang
I look good, but can you keep up with me?
[Chorus x2]
Repeats the theme of needing to understand and follow Monica's lead
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOB ROBINSON, TIM KELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind