Monica - New Life

by **preyan** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:21 am

fran_ wrote:Just bought it.

Alittle disappointed. Love her voice. Just alot of slow ballads. Nothing really sticks outs. For the most part is was a snooze fest.

She should have done more songs like 'Stay or Go' off still standing.

I agree. She played it too safe which came across like "been there, heard that" for the fans. I wish she'd worm with Stargate and other commercialized producers. Bangladesh, Sean Garett, etc too.

by **Charmbracelet** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:50 am

I know I posted a scathing review just yesterday but the album has really grown on me since then! :lol:

It is quite solid, but I really would have replaced Amazing with Catch Me from the deluxe, and added in Anything (To Find You) just to give it a bit of a lift, like If You Were My Man did on the last album. I would also have included a solo version of IABTM (like she did on AOL Sessions) to the deluxe.

by **LetMeLoveU** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:40 pm

album is getting really bad reviews....BUT deserved!!!

Seventeen years after the release of her debut Miss Thang, Monica stands tall on her seventh album New Life. Now married with two kids, the R&B veteran stays true to her R&B roots while collaborating with today’s hitmakers including Rico Love, Salaam Remi, and Polow da Don. She reunites with Brandy on the powerful duet “It All Belongs to Me” and explores new territory with Wale on “Take a Chance.” Did she win over the critics? Find out below.

Entertainment Weekly: Her seventh album is a thoroughly last-millennium set of self-help ballads about starting over (“Take a Chance”) and finding strength in tears (“Cry”), set to the kind of cheesy slow-jam beats that were hot back during Monica’s previous life as a ’90s teen phenom. C+

Los Angeles Times: Even heavyweight producers Missy Elliott and Polow da Don seem asleep at the wheel, and it’s only on New Life’s final two tracks—”Cry,” produced by Salaam Remi, and “Time to Move On,” produced by D. Smith—that Monica tackles worthy material, and her seasoned, emotive voice soars. 2/4

The Washington Post: Most of New Life is middle-of-the-road R&B with a few electro flourishes baked in, and though Monica deserves something meatier than these passive done-me-wrong songs, she doesn’t get it until the penultimate track, the Adele-recalling “Time to Move On,” an old-school call that emphasizes her astounding range.

Reuters: It’s admirable that she wants to act her age and not her hip-hop shoe size, eschewing club bangers to focus on balladry that showcases her voice and befits a woman who’s enjoying settling down, which is something she seemed to have started to accomplish with 2010’s Still Standing.

The Associated Press: Vocally, Monica has never disappointed: Her voice is powerful and pure. But the album sounds uneven and underwhelming, perhaps due to the large number of producers, including past collaborators Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Missy Elliott, along with new blood like Salaam Remi and Rico Love. With all that talent behind Monica, it’s surprising this album has such a shortage of standout hits.

NME: New Life has its moments—Missy Elliott collaboration “Anything (To Find You)” is a strapping banger—but overall there are far too many limp ballads to really excite. 4/10

Rap-Up’s Favorite Tracks: “It All Belongs to Me,” “Man Who Has Everything,” “Anything (To Find You)”

by **RapUpPlayer** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:04 pm

I listened to the album in full last night and its actually better than i thought.

It felt too boring before, that i never listened to it all the way through.

Its still a lil "meh".

DGG and MWHE are the only two songs with a lil "groove" to it and they shouldnt have been placed right after each other.
"Big Mistake" should have been deleted.

1. Intro.
2. all belongs
3. daddy
4. Take chance (its kinda boring)
5. Without
6. Until
7. Man
8. Amazing
9. Cry
10.Move
11.Outro

I think, it would have worked so much better and i trie not to change it too much from the original but if i had to, id replace "Chance" with "3D".

My favs. are "Man", "Daddy" and "Amazing".

by **emilhot** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:46 pm

"It All Belongs To Me" live on Good Morning America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu9xCWZ5hbU

They slayed!

by **emilhot** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:51 pm

Eventhough i think the tracklist could have been better, i don't think the album deserves such underwhelming reviews!

by **Frederic** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:47 pm

It's grown a tad on me! I would have liked the intro and outro to be an actual track!

by **MO_FAN95** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:21 pm

The critics were a little to harsh but I understand where they were coming from, SS was flawless and New Life can get boring at times and it is something I wouldn't play a year or two from now like I do SS. In 3D should have been on the final tracklisting for the standard just as Anything should have been. Big Mistake should be elminated, Cry is meh, and the intro and outro are nice but were a waste of space they could've kept those! :roll:

by **RapUpPlayer** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:30 pm

Veteran RCA R&B diva Monica's new album, New Life, is looking at a debut of between 55-65k. Her last album, 2010's Still Standing, did 184k when it was released on March 23 of that year.

Hmmmmm

I hope, she can pass 70k.

by **ThaInfo1** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:45 pm

^^^

This album doesn't deserve the critisim its getting. I personally like it more than Still Standing and is my favorite Monica album. Granted that yes it's a little slow and If they would have put Anything (To Find You) or a new uptempo on there to break up the ballads.

by **GRM** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:50 pm

GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.

Looks like I was right...

by **LetMeLoveU** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:05 pm

GRM wrote:
GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.
Looks like I was right...

yeah...set to sell 55-65k in its debut week and adele could be back on top

monica will not manage to even sell 200k of it

by **firefly_86** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:11 pm

LetMeLoveU wrote:
GRM wrote:
GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.
Looks like I was right...
yeah...set to sell 55-65k in its debut week and adele could be back on top
monica will not manage to even sell 200k of it

The HDD article starts "With no new releases of note...". Ouch.

by **GetBack** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:32 am

firefly_86 wrote:
LetMeLoveU wrote:
GRM wrote:
GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.
Looks like I was right...
yeah...set to sell 55-65k in its debut week and adele could be back on top
monica will not manage to even sell 200k of it
The HDD article starts "With no new releases of note...". Ouch.

So painful! She's back to flopping! :cry:

by **preyan** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:03 am

GetBack wrote:
firefly_86 wrote:
LetMeLoveU wrote:
GRM wrote:
GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.
Looks like I was right...
yeah...set to sell 55-65k in its debut week and adele could be back on top
monica will not manage to even sell 200k of it
The HDD article starts "With no new releases of note...". Ouch.
So painful! She's back to flopping!

Lord have mercy!!! :cry:

My analysis:

Single 1 should have been a buzz single with no video. She released a video for ATFY!!!
Single 2 was released with NO video! Wtf!!! And you call it an official single???
Single 3 was honestly a below average song, moreso beat wise!!! They definitely thought of riding on the "the long awaited follow up duet" boat!!!

Sadly, the writings on the wall. This was coming!!! :cry:

At least she can say she HAD a comeback!!??

by **Pawlu84** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:14 am

preyan wrote:
GetBack wrote:
firefly_86 wrote:
LetMeLoveU wrote:
GRM wrote:
GRM wrote:I think this is going to open with around 55k, I just can't see it breaking the 100k barrier.
Looks like I was right...
yeah...set to sell 55-65k in its debut week and adele could be back on top
monica will not manage to even sell 200k of it
The HDD article starts "With no new releases of note...". Ouch.
So painful! She's back to flopping!
Lord have mercy!!!
My analysis:

Single 1 should have been a buzz single with no video. She released a video for ATFY!!!
Single 2 was released with NO video! Wtf!!! And you call it an official single???
Single 3 was honestly a below average song, moreso beat wise!!! They definitely thought of riding on the "the long awaited follow up duet" boat!!!

Sadly, the writings on the wall. This was coming!!!

At least she can say she HAD a comeback!!??

Until it's gone had a video.

by **biscuits** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 6:29 pm

They should have tried harder with 'Anything (To Find You)'.

I completely forgot 'New Life' had even been released. I must check it out.

by **tada** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:32 pm

they screwed up the whole release and good potential! the album might not be utterly hot and awesome as whole, but it spawns A COUPLE OF ULTA-POTENTIAL AND STRONG SINGLES

ANYTHING (TO FIND YOU) - perfect buzz without video, and if video, something reflecting Biggy

UNTIL IT'S GONE - absolutely amazing and flawless piece of heaven! best song and should have been real first single! video is GOOD, but concept is not finalized, should have worked more on it. A COUPLE OF performances would have worked perfectly either!

IT ALL BELONGS TO ME - surprisingly, it did not live up to its hype
WITHOUT YOU and DADDY'S GOOD GIRL are among best tracks! should be considered...i mean...if the label will not ditch this era right to the garbage immediately after disappointing debut :roll:

by **biscuits** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:10 pm

I'm halfway through the album (on Until It's Gone right now) and so far, every song sounds the same.

by **biscuits** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:51 pm

I'm done listening to the standard edition. It's a pleasant listen, but individually, each track is quite flat and nothing stands out.

by **fran_** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:03 pm

*random rant*I still just wanna know what they were going for with 'it all belongs to me'. Like it is dull and boring. Did they actually think that was going to be a hit? Ugh I had such high hopes for Monica she just messed up this era. This era had a potential to be huge but she just f*cked it up. All the songs sound same. I'm just mad and dissapointed. *rant over*

by **MO_FAN95** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:07 am

Monica stop flopping everyother album girl!!!

Miss.Thang success
The Boy Is Mine success
All Eyez on Me flop
After The Storm success
The makings of me flop
Still standing success
New Life FLOP!!!!
Do everyone see a trend I just can't at this!!!!!

What happened to her being high priority at RCA I think its time for a label switch! Just don't go to capital!

by **Muzikritik** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:45 am

It's definitely a grower of an album and as always, she's on fine form, vocally. I even think the production has some interesting ideas but overall I think the album lacks big singles and fresh ideas despite a solid theme throughout.

Honestly, I think the tracklisting shoulda been:

1. Daddy's Good Girl
2. It All Belongs To Me
3. Man Who Has Everything
4. Big Mistake
5. Anything (To Find You)
6. Take A Chance
7. Without You
8. Until It's Gone
9. Time To Move On
10. Catch Me
11. Amazing

...Maybe put the Intro on it as track 1 and make it 12 songs, but even with Mary J I don't find the intro or outro very interesting.

by **GetBack** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:49 am

She should ditch Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael-Cox! I haven't heard the album yet but I think the problem with her is that she's very predictable in the album process Can't she start on a new slate at least? It's pretty much the same theme and vibe since After the Storm, but The Makings of Me and Still Standing were great efforts.

by **Charmbracelet** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:44 am

GetBack wrote:It's pretty much the same theme and vibe since After the Storm, but The Makings of Me and Still Standing were great efforts.

That's what a lot of reviews picked up on, and something that annoys me. I mean, even from the album titles you can tell the albums all have similar themes and it's wearing a little thin.

The album IS growing on me, but the muddle of themes and ideas is annoying. I would have structured the album like this:

1. Until It's Gone
2. Time To Move On
3. Big Mistake
4. It All Belongs To Me
5. Anything (To Find You)
6. New Life (Interlude)
7. Take A Chance
8. Daddy's Good Girl
9. Catch Me
10.Man Who Has Everything
11.Cry
12.Without You

Just to give it a bit more a feel like it's actually telling a story, and that there is a clear distinction between the 'old life' and Monica's so called 'new life'.