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That Grape Juice caught up with Grammy award winning R&B star Monica this week. In our candid interview with the mother-of-two, she spoke on everything from finding her place in the industry again, to whether her hit BET reality show will be returning, exclusive details on her new album ‘Still Standing’, marriage, kids, Rihanna, and much more.
As ever, we ask the questions you really want answers to. A great read, I must say….Enjoy!
{Transcription by Bisi Kadejoh}
Monica Shouts Out That Grape Juice
Sam: Hi Monica, how are you?
Monica: I’m good, how you doing?
Sam: I’m doing fine thank you!
You’re on the brink of releasing your sixth studio album ‘Still Standing’. Tell us a little about why you chose that title?
Monica: I wanted the album’s title to be one that will make people feel as if they can be as victorious as possible. You’ll experience lots of different hardships in life and I feel if you believe, you will basically come through, knowing that each experience was for your own life lesson. ‘Still Standing’ was just my own way of saying ‘I’ve been through a lot, but I’m here, even though my back is against the wall, I will still stand tall.’
Sam: Great message.
The recording process of the album was viewed by millions on your hit BET reality show also titled ‘Still Standing’. What influenced your decision to go the reality route?
Monica: Originally, I was not going to even do the show. I thought that it would mean people would automatically would want to see different dramatics and back and forth. But I was very fortunate to find a team of people who understood what type of show I’d want to do. Ten years ago my life would have been hectic and a lot of drama on television. But that’s not my life anymore and I wanted to be something positive TV. I do understand that for some people that would equate to being boring and that’s ok because once they experience enough negativity in life they would be looking for something positive instead of something negative to watch (laughs). So I’m ok with that.
Sam: We saw a lot of the grafting and back and forth with the label regarding the project. What didn’t we see so much of?
Monica: The making of the album was very different. I started working on the record in 2007, I told the label I would be going into the studio and what I would be doing. And then I became pregnant with my second son, and I’ve just always prioritised my family and my children. I think they’re the ones that keep me grounded that give me that unconditional love which motivates me to do what it is that I love which is to perform, so I stepped away in mid process of recording and then came back when he was 3 months old. So it may have taken a bit longer, but I think that having something that beautiful happen in my life at that time, gave me a very organic place to sing from and a lot more love to give on that album because of that.
Sam: Granted the show’s success, will there be a season 2?
Monica: Yes, actually they called and asked me about a season 2 and I’m actually a 100% ok with that. I think this time it would be different, because what we’ll do is take the show on the road. I just want to continue to do me. And now since it’s time to promote the album and go out on tour, we’ll take the family and the kids. Everything you saw first season… we’ll just take it on the road. I also want to use this time we have on the bus to reach out to a lot of girls in different places, who are lot similar to where I come from and just give them a direct personal reminder that they can be anything they want to be. I’m living proof of that.
Sam: Fans have gotten a flavour of what to expect from the album via the show, but is there anything else you can share in terms of what we can expect from the record, for example producers, features, etc
Monica: Sure. One of the songs that I just recently recorded, which I really love, was done by Jim Jonsin and it’s titled ‘Mirror.’ It basically says that ‘when I look in the mirror I don’t have to feel ashamed’. It’s saying that I’m happy with who I am and who I have become, and because of that I’m able to do whatever it is that I want to do in life without hesitation. I think that’s something that you should feel on a consistent basis because people are so judgemental and unfair now that it prevents some people from taking chances and doing things that they may enjoy. So ‘Mirror’ is one my favourites, of course Missy (Elliott) wasn’t on the show, but she produced a big majority of songs, she was back and forth from New Jersey and I was in Atlanta recording, so we would I kind of interchanging back and forth. Ne-Yo… he also wasn’t on the show, but he did some incredibly records for the album. I didn’t do any collaborations other than ‘Still Standing’ with Luda(cris) I’m thinking about some things for some remixes, but I just wanted to get back to what it is that I love, just singing records from my heart.
Sam: It’s been a tough few years for you commercially; how does this album differ to your last? What are your expectations for this record commercially?
Monica: I learned a lot from the last album. The first single (‘Everytime The Beat Drops’) was not a good representation of what the album was. People automatically assumed that I didn’t have an R&B album because they didn’t feel the first single was R&B – which wasn’t true. But what I realised was that in this economic situation, when people hear the music they judge it instantaneously. You don’t get a first, second third… trail like you did in the 90’s. People were a lot more patient. They took their time, they listened to a couple of singles first, before they place judgement on it. Now that I understand that, I’m not bitter in any way. I’m still grateful for the million people that bought the last album. For this album I would like it to be more of a worldwide record, like my first two. And for people to be able to have different things they love, but I knew that would mean for me to put my best foot forward in the very beginning with the release of the first single, which is why we put out the song ‘Everything To Me’. A song that was very heartfelt and based solely around R&B.
Sam: I’d like to take the opportunity to congratulate you on the success of your new single ’Everything To Me’, which is blowing up on radio at the moment!
Monica: Thank You!
Sam: Considering the industry’s current bias toward more Pop/Dance orientated songs, has the song’s success taken you by surprise?
Monica: I have to be honest with you and tell you that, the song ‘Success’ didn’t take me as much by surprise as peoples response to a 40 second clip of the song on the television show. The way I was able to fight for this record was actually through my Twitter page (http://twitter.com/monicamylife) and that is just unbelievable to me. On the Tuesday night,
Sam: A lot of your fans are quite keen to find out if the song will have a Pop radio debut any time soon.
Monica: Absolutely. Actually, Clive Davis and Barry Weiss will have it no other way. We’re just basically working from where my roots began and I’m humble enough to say that I’m ok with starting new, and that’s what happening. There’s a whole generation of kids that do not know me from the 15 years before; they don’t know ‘Just One of Them Days’ ‘Angel of Mine’ ‘Before You Walk’… those songs are foreign to them, so I’m ok with us just working from the ground up.
Sam: Can you share anything about future singles (fans are loving ‘Love Over Me’, while my favourite has to be ‘One In A Lifetime’!)
Monica: Awww…thanks Sam. We don’t know yet, I think that on March 23rd the real stories will be told, because the great things is that people are speaking up (laughs) so I’m happy with letting people choose all over again.
Sam: There have been murmurings about a bonus disc of some sorts. A lot of folks are wondering if Infinity will feature on a bonus disc of some sort?
Monica: We basically found different companies and different places that we’re partnering with, who will each have exclusive bonus tracks. It hasn’t all been finalised, but it will definitely take place.
Sam: Awesome. you rose to prominence in the 90s – an entirely different era musically to now. What’s your take on today’s state of R&B ? Artist such as the Brandy’s are finding it a little hard to garner the same success….
Monica: Times have changed and it nothing to be upset about. You find your way and it happens when it’s supposed to. That’s the way I look at life and that’s the reason I’m not as stressed as some people may be. You live and you learn from your experiences like I just told you about the last album. I think that has to happen with every artist, and if you look at any long career there are those moments like that and it’s not a deterrent for me as an artist to keep striving. And I would hope that it’s the same way with anybody else; because if you look at any long career, there are moments like that, but you regroup and you learn to stay true to who you are.
Sam: So true. What about on the current crop of stars, for instance Rihanna. What’s your take on them?
Monica: I actually still love those types of artist because I think they still bring something very special to the game. We’re all different by design, their success does not stop or hinder the success of other types of
Sam: What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of you starting out in the industry so young?
Monica: For me there were no disadvantages, I feel that it help me to become the women that I am. I missed some of the things that would be important, I went to a ‘Sprite Step Off’ the other day and I was looking around, looking at the commendatory with some of the college students, some of them had come from high-school together. Whereas (at their age) I was actually already working, and I had a pretty much live-in teacher that was there, and we had to work a certain amount of hours a day by law. So there wasn’t the experience of proms, dances and step offs and all of the other things that some may have enjoyed.
However, I also experienced so much a lot earlier on, that at 29 years old it’s very easy to me to be an entrepreneur…. I mean I was much more responsible than most at 14/15 (years olds). I think that I was most lucky because I had a family that’s not a ‘stage family’. When I say they’re not a ‘stage family’, my mom doesn’t care about the music industry, she never wanted to be a singer or actress, so this something I just genuinely wanted to do and I was always able to go back home and be as normal as possible. But I did miss those key things, I can feel that absence of some of the things I see my little cousins experience when they go to prom, I don’t even know what that’s like. I have to kind of experience it through them. But I also look at being 17 and winning an Grammy, when I can remember being 13 and telling this girl I thought was a friend of mine that ‘I’m going to make it one day’ and her saying ‘girls from where we’re from don’t make it’. For everything that I missed, there was something that I gained
Sam: Your known for keeping it extra ‘real’…
Monica: Oh yeah (laughs!!)….
Sam: Who would you say have been the nicest and rudest celebrities you’ve met to date?
Monica: I was really surprised, Rihanna and I use the same makeup artist sometimes, and I called her phone the other day and I was talking to Myla and she said ‘Oh my God we’re listening to you’ and I said who, and I heard somebody with an accent say [does an accent] ‘who are you talking to, that can’t be Monica…. I love her, oh my God’ and we talked and it was heart-warming for one to see someone that’s a of a superstar status enjoy my music and is not afraid to say ‘look, I love your work, I love what you do, I love your voice’. I think it’s important for all of us to stay humble enough to pay respect to those who came before us in any way and that was very heart warming for me.
Because people know that I’m so straight-forward, I don’t have to deal with a lot of shenanigans that people usually speak. But when I was a very young girl I met CeCe Penniston; she was so huge at the time and she was terribly rude to me. But here’s the twist to that. I told that story somewhere, you know me I always speak how I feel, and she sent me back one of the kindest messages, telling me what she was going through at that time…. so you just never know.
Sam: Wow. Interesting. If you rid yourself of one emotion what would it be?
Monica: Anger, anger can make you make some very bad decisions!
Sam: Anyone whose followed you will know that your kids, Lil’ Rock and Romello.
Monica: Yes (laughs). I love your accent (laughs)
Sam: (laughs) Do you want to have more kids?
Monica: Absolutely!
Sam: One thing I noticed upon watching the show was that we didn’t see much of your fiancé Rocko. Was this a conscious decision?
Monica: You know what; he was touring a lot during the show’s filming and keeping on his grind and I really respect him for that.
Sam: So when am I gonna have to buy my suit (laughs)…When’s the big day?
Monica: (Laughs) You can ask him when you interview him, I’ll hook it up and I’ll be down. Luda(cris) always tells me I’m like one of the guys. I don’t think there should be any pressure applied in that area we have a committed loving relationship and we don’t cross the boundaries. We very much like a marriage. But the rest I’ll let him make the decisions on.
Sam: You’ve probably been asked the Brandy question into the ground!
Monica: (Laughs!!!)
Sam: So instead of asking that; if you could do a similar themed song (to ‘The Boy Is Mine’) with an artist you’ve never worked with, who would it be and why?
Monica: That’s a hard one, I want to be honest with you really quickly. I wouldn’t try to duplicate that record nor would I try to duplicate that moment, I heard Jay-Z
Sam: Are we going to see you here in the UK any time soon? General touring plans?
Monica: I really believe in the summer time (is when I‘ll be heading to the UK). March would see definitely be between New York, LA, so as to knock out television shows on both coasts, the US BET tour and then I would think I come abroad thereafter.
Sam: That sounds great!
Ok rounding up now; as we do with all our interviews, we’re gonna play a quick game. I’ll give you two names and you tell me which you prefer. Ok?
Monica: Sure.
Sam: Whitney or Mariah?
Monica: Whitney
Sam: Alicia or Beyonce?
Monica: Beyonce
Sam: Usher or Chris Brown?
Monica: Hmmm…. I think Usher has already paved his way, so I will route for the underdog Chris Brown – he is the ultimate talent.
Sam: Before I go, I know a lot of your fans would love to hear an acapella of your new single ‘Everything To Me’…
Monica: Sure…..
Sam: Thanks so much for your time.
Monica: Thank you Sam. Make sure you come out to see me when I come to the UK.
Sam: For sure!
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Monica’s new album ‘Still Standing’ hits stores on March 23rd. The single ‘Everything To Me’ is available for purchase on iTunes right now!
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