"I always wanted to have that 'Waiting to Exhale' moment," Monica says. She's referring to the experience of blowing up a car on the set of the video for her current single, "It All Belongs to Me."
The track is a reunion for her and Brandy. Who are former rivals, who earned record breaking global acclaim in 1998 with their Grammy Award-winning No. 1 hit "The Boy Is Mine." But despite the jilted-lover's revenge fantasy, Monica insists that her latest album, "New Life," is fueled by a less high-drama inspiration.
"Love happened," Monica says of "New Life's" optimistic theme, a reference to her recent marriage to NBA player Shannon Brown. "I was comfortable with spending time by myself and just enjoying my two sons. I assumed it would be that way for a long time. But I pretty much allowed God's will to be done and not try to control everything for a change. And that's when I met my husband. This album represents some of the best things that have happened to me in my life."
"When you grow up singing songs like 'God Is a Good God' and 'Going Up Yonder' you have to have some real power behind your voice," Monica says of her longevity. "There are no gimmicks."
Indeed, "New Life " executive produced by Monica's first cousin Polow Da Don is heavy on the heartfelt vocals and testimonies. The set features collaborations with Brandy, Wale, Missy Elliott and Jermaine Dupri.
Monica will hit various media platforms to promote the album. She also hopes to tour later this year with Brandy, a tentative joint effort that she says should've happened 14 years ago. "Neither one of us has been out there on the road for a good while," Monica says. "Doing the promotional work for 'It All Belongs to Me' has been fun and uplifting, to work with another woman that's been through similar things that I have . . . There's still a lot to be done."
