Monica - New Life

[preyan]

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.

Oh mi Lord!!!! Even as a hardcore stan, I didn't know it had a video!!??
Now THAT tells you what a disaster things are!!!

[preyan]

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!

In the eyes of all labels, she is "yesterday's talent". Doesn't matter where she goes, she will not get the priority or attention! I think Brandy will prove my point again with her upcoming release. They had their days shining on the charts. They make good music, to me, but they will never get the budget or promo or marketing like they did at their peak!!!

Just the way life s son!

[Pawlu84]

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!

In the eyes of all labels, she is "yesterday's talent". Doesn't matter where she goes, she will not get the priority or attention! I think Brandy will prove my point again with her upcoming release. They had their days shining on the charts. They make good music, to me, but they will never get the budget or promo or marketing like they did at their peak!!!

Just the way life s son!

I'm not a huge fan but I like her songs, still my favourite is the Makings of me maybe beacuse it's quite uptempo. Haven't listened to the new one yet but from what i'm hearing it's too slow (not my style) I do like Anything alot though (lil kim version).

[biscuits]

I mean, even from the album titles you can tell the albums all have similar themes and it's wearing a little thin.

I hate her album titles. They sound so clichéd and embarrassing.

After The Storm
The Makings of Me (!)
Still Standing
New Life (!)

It's like some amateur writing a self help book.

[biscuits]

After listening to the full album, the only song I truly like is 'Anything (To Find You)' which is one of my fave Monica songs ever.

[preyan]

My albums in order of liking:

Makings Of Me
The Boy Is Mine
After The Storm
Still Standing
Miss Thang (classic album, love the singles but too many fillers)
All Eyez On Me
New Life

[RapUpPlayer]

Adele (XL/Columbia) 85-95k
Nicki Minaj (YM/CM/Universal Republic) 80-90k
One Direction (Syco/Columbia) 67-72k
*Monica (RCA) 57-62k
Lionel Richie (Mercury Nashville) 50-55k
*Bonnie Raitt (Slipstream) 45-50k
Rascal Flatts (Big Machine) 40-45k
*Hoodie Allen (Hoodie Allen) 35-40k
Gotye (Fairfax/Universal Republic) 28-32k
The Hunger Games (Universal Republic) 27-30k

#4 debut as of right now

[ThaInfo1]

My Ordering

Still Standin/New Life (I feel like I'm the only stan for this album )
The Makings Of Me
After The Storm
The Boy is Mine
Miss Thang

I haven't heard All Eyez On Me but I know that it only has like 6 different songs from After The Storm.

[preyan]

My Ordering

Still Standin/New Life (I feel like I'm the only stan for this album )
The Makings Of Me
After The Storm
The Boy is Mine
Miss Thang

I haven't heard All Eyez On Me but I know that it only has like 6 different songs from After The Storm.

Yeah...and ATS is a much better upgrade! 6 songs on AEOM is average at best!! She even sampled Biggies "Hypnotized" on the opening track!

[crazycool]

1. Still Standing
2. The Makings Of Me
3. The Boy Is Mine
4. After The Storm
5. New Life
6. Miss Thang

[naughtynae]

Finally listened to this album. It is very bland and uninspiring. Loved The makings of me and Still standing but this is very poor I also made the mistake of listening to Melanie Fiona's The MF life straight after which made this seem even worse.

[Freedom]

All Eyez On Me and After The Storm are the same albums, only with some different additional songs...

#1 After The Storm/All Eyez On Me
#2 Still Standing
#3 The Boy Is Mine
#4 The Makings Of Me
#5 Miss Thang
#6 New Life

[GetBack]

I just listened to this for the first time. What the hell was she thinking with featuring Mary J. Blige in that phone call intro? One thing came to my mind, which is comparing it to Mary J's My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1). Even having the same whole intro phone call is like a direct imitation of that album. And of course, the word "Life" in the title does give room to compare both efforts.

When I heard all the songs, nothing stood out, it felt like most of the songs can be put in her other earlier albums in the 2000s, there were no beats and melodies that stuck in my mind. The only song I like so far is "Until It's Gone". Her vocals are on point, I think she improved with every album.

Also, "It All Belongs to Me" doesn't fit well in the album. It sounds like a song that twenty-something women will sing, the whole "give me back all the stuff I bought you" is so not for grown women like Monica and Brandy today.

She needs a fresh drawing board, as a fan since "For You I Will", it seems like she's peaking in artistry, like there's nothing new to look forward to in her music. I think she should work with a variety of producers for the album, the production seems so bland in about 5-6 songs into the album.

My ranking so far:

1. The Makings of Me
2. The Boy is Mine
3. Still Standing
4. All Eyez on Me/After the Storm
5. Miss Thang
6. New Life

[preyan]

I just listened to this for the first time. What the hell was she thinking with featuring Mary J. Blige in that phone call intro? One thing came to my mind, which is comparing it to Mary J's My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1). Even having the same whole intro phone call is like a direct imitation of that album. And of course, the word "Life" in the title does give room to compare both efforts.

When I heard all the songs, nothing stood out, it felt like most of the songs can be put in her other earlier albums in the 2000s, there were no beats and melodies that stuck in my mind. The only song I like so far is "Until It's Gone". Her vocals are on point, I think she improved with every album.

Also, "It All Belongs to Me" doesn't fit well in the album. It sounds like a song that twenty-something women will sing, the whole "give me back all the stuff I bought you" is so not for grown women like Monica and Brandy today.

She needs a fresh drawing board, as a fan since "For You I Will", it seems like she's peaking in artistry, like there's nothing new to look forward to in her music. I think she should work with a variety of producers for the album, the production seems so bland in about 5-6 songs into the album.

My ranking so far:

1. The Makings of Me
2. The Boy is Mine
3. Still Standing
4. All Eyez on Me/After the Storm
5. Miss Thang
6. New Life

THIS!!! Amen!!!!

[Pawlu84]

I just listened to this for the first time. What the hell was she thinking with featuring Mary J. Blige in that phone call intro? One thing came to my mind, which is comparing it to Mary J's My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1). Even having the same whole intro phone call is like a direct imitation of that album. And of course, the word "Life" in the title does give room to compare both efforts.

When I heard all the songs, nothing stood out, it felt like most of the songs can be put in her other earlier albums in the 2000s, there were no beats and melodies that stuck in my mind. The only song I like so far is "Until It's Gone". Her vocals are on point, I think she improved with every album.

Also, "It All Belongs to Me" doesn't fit well in the album. It sounds like a song that twenty-something women will sing, the whole "give me back all the stuff I bought you" is so not for grown women like Monica and Brandy today.

She needs a fresh drawing board, as a fan since "For You I Will", it seems like she's peaking in artistry, like there's nothing new to look forward to in her music. I think she should work with a variety of producers for the album, the production seems so bland in about 5-6 songs into the album.

My ranking so far:

1. The Makings of Me
2. The Boy is Mine
3. Still Standing
4. All Eyez on Me/After the Storm
5. Miss Thang
6. New Life

Are there any uptempos on the new album worth checking? besides Anything which I like.

[GetBack]

I just listened to this for the first time. What the hell was she thinking with featuring Mary J. Blige in that phone call intro? One thing came to my mind, which is comparing it to Mary J's My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1). Even having the same whole intro phone call is like a direct imitation of that album. And of course, the word "Life" in the title does give room to compare both efforts.

When I heard all the songs, nothing stood out, it felt like most of the songs can be put in her other earlier albums in the 2000s, there were no beats and melodies that stuck in my mind. The only song I like so far is "Until It's Gone". Her vocals are on point, I think she improved with every album.

Also, "It All Belongs to Me" doesn't fit well in the album. It sounds like a song that twenty-something women will sing, the whole "give me back all the stuff I bought you" is so not for grown women like Monica and Brandy today.

She needs a fresh drawing board, as a fan since "For You I Will", it seems like she's peaking in artistry, like there's nothing new to look forward to in her music. I think she should work with a variety of producers for the album, the production seems so bland in about 5-6 songs into the album.

My ranking so far:

1. The Makings of Me
2. The Boy is Mine
3. Still Standing
4. All Eyez on Me/After the Storm
5. Miss Thang
6. New Life

Are there any uptempos on the new album worth checking? besides Anything which I like.

You might want to listen to "Daddy's Good Girl" (which reminds me a bit of "Still Standing" from the previous album) and "Man Who Has Everything", which I think fall as mid-tempo songs. The whole album is ballad and mid-tempo heavy, by the way. I'm still going to give this some more spins, I think there are some tracks that I dismissed that I am starting to like.

[fran_]

Big Mistake, Without You, & Man Who Has Everything have grown on me alot!

[GetBack]

"Man Who Has Everything" is growing for me!

[Mike_54]

I felt there was hype for Monica for this era, especially with Brandy duet, shame it got wasted because of material...

[Muzikritik]

Have been listening to this a lot over the past week. Yes, it's below-par when it comes to stand-out tracks and hit singles but as an R&B album it's very listenable.

Loved the first 2 singles, the duet is cool (enough) and there are some good mid-tempos (MWHE, DDG) but it's the type of thing 30-year urban music lovers could throw on in the background on a lowkey wine and cheese evening and appreciate.

Which, to be fair, is not even where Monica's at right now. I appreciate her acting her age but a bit more bite woulda been good.

That said, "Catch Me" is one of the sweetest damn songs I've heard in a long time, and now one of my favourite ballads of hers. It's short, has a great theme, has amazing vocals and the bassline sounds like retro 80's R&B.

[UKMusicLova]

I've made an EP of the album for myself

1. It All Belongs To Me
2. Daddy's Good Girl
3. Without You
4. Until It's Gone
5. Cry
6. 3D
7. Catch Me
8. Anything (To Find You)

[emilhot]

Debuts at #4 on the Billboard 200 with 69k after all

[biscuits]

Have been listening to this a lot over the past week. Yes, it's below-par when it comes to stand-out tracks and hit singles but as an R&B album it's very listenable.

it's the type of thing 30-year urban music lovers could throw on in the background on a lowkey wine and cheese evening and appreciate.

Which, to be fair, is not even where Monica's at right now. I appreciate her acting her age but a bit more bite woulda been good.

That said, "Catch Me" is one of the sweetest damn songs I've heard in a long time, and now one of my favourite ballads of hers. It's short, has a great theme, has amazing vocals and the bassline sounds like retro 80's R&B.

Agree with all this!

[PosziMC2]

Monica, girl you will definitely start a New Life... behind the cashier's desk in McDonald's if you release an album like this again.

[pollei]

I still haven't given this a listen, but from your comments I think it's not really a good album! It's great though that it surpassed the HDD predictions and nearly hit 70k although it's still a disappointment compared to her previous album.