Best known for big R&B hits like Angel of Mine, For You I Will, and Just One Of Dem Days, Monica returns to form with her sixth album Still Standing. Collectively, this project is ballad-heavy, bursting at the seams with soulful big notes and a more mature sound that leans on the same production elements that made Monica a leader of the pack in the mid-90s. With contributions from Missy, Polow Da Don, Jermaine Dupri, Jim Jonsin and B. Cox among others, this album pays close attention to showcasing Monica’s powerhouse vocals, disregarding popular trends to create an album of music that is felt as strongly as it sounds.
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Nearly two summers ago, the title track Still Standing hit the airwaves with a thumping bass line and a verse from Ludacris, followed up by the latest single Everything To Me, an endearing and personal love song that meshes Monica’s modern sound with a bit of old soul flavor via a sample of Deniece Williams’ Silly. Similarly, the album’s most up-tempo record If You Were My Man modernizes 80’s smash Betcha She Don’t Love You (Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King) with a thumping hip-hop interpretative beat produced by longtime collaborator Missy Elliott; the song gives more “modern disco” flavor rather than the stereotypical “club banger” sound. The album takes an introspective turn on Mirror, the most personal of all the records bearing a slightly dark and futuristic feel; it explores Monica’s growth and issues with self-image. The big notes continue on ballads like the Ne-yo penned Stay or Go and another personal favorite Love All Over Me, both noted for their strong emotional lyrics and soaring vocals. Monica’s more sensual side is showcased on tracks like Here I Am and Superman, both of which are compassionate without being overtly sexual. Given her recent split from former fiancée Rocko, the album’s closer Believing In Me is both personal and slightly prophetic with its message of finding oneself after heartbreak.
