Monica's best (The Boy Is Mine - Monica)

Member Name: Lakerfanster

Product:	The Boy Is Mine - Monica
Date:	18/08/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Voice, ballads

Disadvantages: Just falls a little short

**Introduction**

I first came across Monica over ten years ago when she was on the soundtrack to Space Jam which I thought was a rather solid soundtrack. She is most famous for her duet with Brandy called Boy Is Mine which helped launched the careers of both. Although Monica released her debut album "Miss Thang" in 1995 she did not become a big star until the release of this album in 1998. I had not heard Monica for a while until today when I heard the duet she did with Tyrese "Go to bed mad" which is one I like.

**The Boy is Mine**

Released by Arista in 1998 this album featured stellar production from Darkchild, Jermaine Dupri, Dallas Austin, Brandy Norwood and Clive Davis as executive producer. The album contains singles that would lead to Monica's breakthrough as an artist after her dissapointing debut sales three years previous. The album also features good contributions from guest artists Outkast and 112 as well as on the title track with Brandy. The album also features a cover of Eternal's Angel of Mine.

1. Street Symphony Monica
2. The Boy Is Mine Monica & Brandy
3. Ring Da Bell
4. The First Night
5. Misty Blue
6. Angel Of Mine (Radio Mix)
7. Gone Be Fine featuring OutKast
8. Inside
9. Take Him Back
10. Right Here Waiting featuring 112
11. 'Cross The Room
12. I Keep It To Myself
13. For You I Will

**The Album**

We open things up with Street Symphony which opens with not what you might expect for this kind of artist. An orchestra opens the track and then the beat comes in to make it more familiar. This is a good start to the album and leads well into the title track featuring Brandy. This is a very good track which sees the two in a heated debate about who really is with the man in question. Next up we have Ring da bell which opens with a soft bell chime and then the beat comes in, Monica's vocals are soft and understated and then as the beat moves along she gets into the song. This is quite a good ballad but the beat is a little dated. "First Night" is up next and this is one you may remember, it's about Monica's stance that she won't have a one night stand with anyone she dates. Next up is a soulful cover of "Misty Blue" originally recorded by Dorothy Moore this version is not as good as the spine tingling version by Paris Campbell Edwards of Fame Academy fame. Having said that this is a good version with good emotion.

Next up we have the cover of Eternal's Angel Of Mine, I was not really a fan of Eternal back in the day but I did like this track and this is a good cover version of that track. It's not quite as smooth as the original but is a very solid track. Onto track seven now and it's Gon' be Fine featuring Outkast. This is a decent enough track but it's Outkast before they were as good as they could be. Inside is up next and this is a very good ballad which has a nice beat and Monica's vocals are emotive and flow very well. "Take him back" is next up and this features a sample of Sting's "Shape of my Heart" which was also sampled later by Craig David on his duet with Sting and Sugababes. Now we come to the duet with 112 of Richard Marx classic "Right here waiting. I love the original and this is a very solid cover version. I would say the original just shades it but it's not that far between.

Now we come to the final three tracks on the album and first up we have Cross the room which is a funky uptempo track which has a good beat and some nice hooks but offers little compared to the ballads. Next up is the ballad I Keep it to myself which is a really tender moment on the album and one of the best. It opens with soft guitar and then the beat comes in, This is an emotive track which shows the natural vocal she possesses. Finally we have the brilliant For You I Will which as I mentioned was featured on the Space Jam soundtrack. This Dianne Warren penned ballad is about devoting yourself to someone who you would do anything for. This is a great track and shows the emotion she can show in her voice. Good stuff and a great closer.

**Overall**

Whilst she does not have the range of some of her R&B counterparts what she has vocally is very good, her forte is ballads but that's not to say she can't do the uptempo stuff too. Although there is some material on the album that is just above average I would still recommend this album for the simple fact that there are a couple of songs on here that are up there with the best female R&B ballads of the 1990's. For You I will is one of them. I would rate this 3 stars but it is not far short of an additional star. Brandy's album Never Say Never from the same year is a much more consistent album.

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