Monica :
After The Storm

Release Date: 27 June 2003

Reviewed By: Melisa Tang

1. Intro

2. Get It Off

3. So Gone

4. U Should've known Better

5. Don't Gotta Go home (feat. DMX)

6. Knock Knock

7. Breaks My Heart

8. I Wrote This Song

9. Ain't Gonna Cry No More

10. Go To Bed Mad (feat. Tyrese)

11. Hurts The Most

12. That's My Man

13. Outro

Disc 2:

1. Too Hood (feat. Jermaine Dupri)

2. Down For Whatever

3. What Part Of The Game (feat. Mia X)

4. Searchin'

Monica - After The Storm

She’s been away from the music scene for a while, but now “Miss Thang” is signed to the infamous J Records, home to the likes of Alicia Keys and Mario. Monica’s latest album, ‘After The Storm’, is a reflection of the personal growth that the 22-year-old has experienced since her last release in 1998, the triple platinum ‘The Boy Is Mine’, which spourned the hits ‘First Night’, ‘Angel Of Mine’ and the title track, ‘The Boy Is Mine’, the Grammy-winning duet with Brandy.

As some RnB fans may recall, Monica’s third LP was in fact, released back in November 2002, and was originally called ‘All Eyes On Me’. However, as Monica was not completely happy with all the material, she decided to go back into the studio and record some new tracks, changing the project name from ‘All Eyes On Me’ to ‘I’m Back’, before settling with ‘After The Storm’.

Her new album features beats from some of the hottest producers around, like Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, Jazzy Pha, and her close friend Missy Elliot, who also appears as executive producer. The first track to be released from this double CD is the single ‘So Gone’, written and produced by Missy. The song tells of a cheating boyfriend, and in the video, we see the RnB singer break into her man’s apartment and tear the place apart in anger. The explosive ‘So Gone Remix’ is also included as a hidden track, which features Busta Rhymes. On this single, Monica tries her hand at emceeing, and does a pretty decent job with it, as well as on ‘Get It Off’ and ‘Knock Knock’, both of which are Missy creations. ‘Get It Off’ samples bits from Strafe’s ‘Set It Off’, a beat which was most recently used on Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Feelin’ So Good’. Yet, Monica manages to add a fresh twist to the track, making it sound like a new party joint. Her vocals on ‘Knock Knock’, a cut co-produced by Kanye West, are exceptional, as they are on virtually the whole album.

Beautiful ballads, such as ‘Breaks My Heart’ and ‘Don’t Gotta Go Home’ featuring DMX, are further examples of Monica’s maturing voice, and a sweet slow jam, ‘Go To Bed Mad’, is the result of the collaboration with labelmate Tyrese.

Another standout track on the album is ‘I Wrote This Song’, and from the lyrics, sounds like a dedication to her ex-boyfriend Jarvis Knots, whose tragic suicide was witnessed by the songstress. The depth of this track is astounding, with Monica pouring out her heart on lines like: “I love my baby so, but he’s not here no more…so I wrote this melody, and I’m saying sweet goodbye.”

The second CD doubles up as a CD-Rom with the video for ‘So Gone’, and contains four previously unreleased tracks, including the sexy ‘Searchin’, and the upbeat ‘Too Hood’ featuring Jermaine Dupri.

‘After The Storm’ displays Monica at her best, and is her most personal work to date. With this album, she has proven her staying power, and shown that even after five years away from the business, she can still come back with an album so good, it’s a masterpiece.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Top Three Tracks:
2) Get It Off
7) Breaks My Heart
8) I Wrote This Song

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