Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
It’s Monica‘s birthday and we couldn’t let the day go by without showing some love to our fave.
Now an R&B icon, it was pretty clear Mo was one-of-a-kind from the start — she signed with Rowdy Records before many of you were even thought of and went on to release a classic debut album right off the bat. That project, appropriately titled Miss Thang, produced three top ten singles and went on to become certified triple platinum, thanks to hit records like “Don’t Take It Personal (One Of Dem Days)” and “Before You Walk Out Of My LIfe.” Monica went on to solidify her mainstream success with her Space Jam ballad offering “For You I Will,” before adding her and Brandy’s infamous hit “The Boy Is Mine” to her discography in 1998. At just 18 years old, she was already a household name with a recognizable sound R&B lovers cherished all over the nation. But we all know, she was far from finished.
Mo dropped fire album after fire album, including two of our personal favorites, After The Storm and The Makings of Me, flooding fans with unforgettable tracks like “Getaway,” “Sideline Ho,” “U Should’ve Known Better,” “Knock Knock,” and more.
One hit single, “So Gone,” was the inspiration behind a recent social media challenge. After the challenge took over Monica hit fans with that real sh*t she’s known for, revealing she recorded the track when she’d hit rock bottom.
“The storm had passed, I was focused, faith renewed & back to being me… I lost family & host of friends , Witnessed a suicide, lost my grandmother & cousin, naturally I became very sick. Yet I still gave to everyone. Even the ones selling stories about me. Nothing was ever enough , I was lied on and drug thru the mud but never lost my ability to love.. After the Storm I sang all about it.. So Gone was the first single .. So for a different generation to be introduced to it now my heart is overwhelmed…,” the beauty wrote in part.
It’s been three decades of Miss Thang laying it all out on the line to help herself, and her fans, heal. We’d say we’re grateful for her contributions to music and pop culture, at large, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Happy Birthday, Mo!
More photos of the Queen below.
