RCA, Monica, Chris Brown, and R&B fans will have a great day on December 18th as both of the RCA label mates will release their forthcoming albums! Chris Brown and Monica have always been supportive of each other’s careers, and are both anticipating the success of both albums.
From ‘Miss Thang’ to ‘Code RED’, Monica has delivered exceptional R&B and demonstrated her vocal prowess since the young age of 12. The powerhouse vocalist’s eighth studio album ‘Code Red’ is on the way. R&B and soul music have been in trouble and one of the greatest R&B singers of a generation, Monica Brown, is sounding the alarm. There is a lot of finger pointing and key players playing the blame game as critics blame millennials, and millennials blame the music. Then it makes you ask: is it the radio stations? Is it the label? Is it the internet? According to Monica,
“Soul music is alive and well and people love it when introduced to it properly.”
“As an artist and real genuine soul/R&B lover, I felt that it’s a state of emergency for the music. Its important for this generation to know and understand how important the music was and is to the world and we are best when we can bridge the sound between the old and the new,” Monica says.
Who would know better than the Grammy Award-winning singer what R&B needs. Remember, Monica started her career professionally at the tenderfoot age of 12 when her first major label deal was signed. By thirteen Monica became the youngest artist ever to score two back-to-back Billboard #1 chart-topping hit records with “Don’t Take it Personal” (Just one of dem Days) and “Before you Walk Out of My Life.” She went on to become the first artist to top the U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart with No.1 songs over the span of three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
Monica’s forthcoming album ‘Code Red’ sees tempo driven, high energy, effervescent, and lyrically captivating records as well as ballads, and songs with true messages and substance. Missy Elliott, Akon, Lil’ Wayne and more are featured on the album. The album sees production mostly from super producer Polow Da Don and songwriting from the very talented Jozzy. ‘Code Red’ also takes fans back to what R&B was with storytelling as it chronicles Monica’s journey. Brown now feels she is complete as a person, woman and as a mom, and it was time to share new music with her fans.
Monica explains that R&B is important because it’s the music we were created to, have created to, got married to, fell in love to etc. With R&B music there is a state of emergency and she needs all lovers and supporters of the genre to unite and keep it going. Monica recently told DJ Smallz,
“Myself being one person, one artist I can’t change that on my own; no one is that powerful. But all of us together can make huge strides and just allow this generation to allow what this music embodies, which is a lot of love a lot of passion, a lot of soul. You look at what Tyrese is doing. It’s so important to the entire genre of music because it’s reopening doors and that’s what I hope to do as well. “
Monica’s first album dropped when she was 13. At 34, she looks back and sees how important R&B was for her generation. She wants to connect with a new generation, but with the same love and the same kind of music. Hit maker Polow Da Don was brought in as he understands her as an artist, a person, and her history. She wanted to bridge the gap between the young and old. Because of Polow and Monica’s relationship, Polow “got it” and instantly knew what writers and artists to enlist for the project. Pop & Oak, Danja, and more were a part of the creation of the album as well.
RCA will also be releasing Chris Brown’s seventh studio album, ‘Royalty’ on the 18th. Although Brown recently dropped a 34-track mixtape, ‘Before The Party’, he definitely still has a forthcoming studio album as well. Those looking for a long list of A-list features may be surprised as the only features are Future and Solo Lucci, Brown’s RCA label mate. Chris also let it be known that he doesn’t depend on any other artist to “make himself.” The album will feature a wide range of club anthems, dance hits, and smooth love ballads. The album will feature a smooth soulful side as well. With this album Chris wants to show where he is in his life right now: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Brown has expressed that he likes this album equally as his first album. Like Monica, Chris feels that his album shows his journey. It will show him finding himself, knowing who he is, and it will be his way of saying he is okay with being where he is in life right now.
Both Monica and Chris plan to deliver solid R&B albums. Monica in particular even sings about missing real music, and she lists several notable artists in the lyrics in hopes to expose this generation to real music and engage them enough to want to research the incredible artists from previous eras. Support real R&B and grab a copy of both Chris & Monica’s albums on December 18th!