Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5Įdd said: After her previous release was met with a very lukewarm reception, Monica was determined to rebound strong. Most of the better tracks here were retooled to create the vastly superior After the Storm, so it wasn’t a total loss.įorgotten favorites: “Too Hood,” “All Eyez on Me,” “I’m Back” The album itself is pretty solid, filled with lots of familiar samples and loaded with promise. release – it was bootlegged into oblivion and shelved. Production screeched to a halt when Monica’s boyfriend committed suicide the album’s release date was constantly moved around and by the time it was released in Japan – ahead of the U.S. Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5Įdd said: This album seemed doomed from the start. Monica’s voice was as impressive as ever, but everything here was painfully forgettable.įorgotten favorites: “Anything (To Find You),” “Time to Move On” Loaded with well-sung but sleepy ballads and failed attempts to recapture lightning in a bottle (that infamous Brandy duet), New Life just doesn’t go anywhere. Unfortunately, it’s just woefully unmemorable. In case y’all forgot, let me remind you why Monica is one of the best vocalists in the game.Įdd said: Let me preface this by saying that I don’t think that New Life is a BAD album per se. As always, this list will be determined by album quality, consistency and impact on the genre. In celebration of Monica’s career, we’re looking back at her discography, ranking her albums from bottom to top, including her infamously jinxed third album that was shelved in 2002. Since 1995, Monica has been the voice behind some of modern R&B’s most memorable hits, racking up an impressive catalog of ballads, midtempo burners, radio hits and even feisty rap verses that go harder than most of what clogs up radio airwaves today. In modern times, you’ll hear names like Keke Wyatt, Lalah Hathaway and Ledisi thrown in to the conversation.īut we too often overlook Monica Brown, one of the most consistently spectacular vocalists of the past 20 years.
Name some of the best female vocalists in R&B history and you’ll undoubtedly turn to the icons – Whitney, Mariah, Gladys, Patti, etc.