Photo and videos by shootmepeter.com
Legs. ZZ Top sang about them. Models get big pay days for them. Lt. Dan didn't have them. Obviously, this is a silly way to start off an article, but here we are. It's a poor segue for me to use the word in the context of longevity. Only a handful of artists - especially in the R&B genre - have had a lengthy, always-relevant career in the biz. Monica clearly is one of them. You listened to her when she was a kid, and when you were a kid. Now, she's an adult, and well, you're still listening to her, aren't you? Your kids probably are, too.
Last month, the Grammy Award winning R&B singer dropped her eighth studio album - Code Red - and it's far from a threat. We're sadly so used to that term it's nice for it to be associated with some good for a change. On the LP, she delivers some of her deepest, most fully-realized material ever, and scores big by utilizing the skills of peers like Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, Timbaland, and Akon. If you think R&B music is dead pick up this album.
Anyway, enough of my yapping. Monica was kind enough to perform and chat with A-Sides right before her album release in late 2015, and I'm fortunate enough to have her off our first session of 2016. Enjoy the video, and no "the boy is mine" wasn't written about me.
To watch Monica's exclusive performance of "I Know," click here ya know?
A-Sides' "Delve Into Twelve" Countdown
Each week A-Sides unleashes its top 12 tracks of the week AKA the "Delve Into Twelve" based on the following contributing factors: songs I'm playing out that particular week (no matter when they were released -- think overlooked songs, unreleased tracks and old favorites), songs various publicists are trying to get me to listen to that I did and dug a bunch, song posts and trends I've noticed on my friends' Facebook walls and, most importantly: what my toddler is currently enjoying thoroughly with an assist from my infant.
About A-Sides with Jon Chattman:
Jon Chattman's music/entertainment series typically features celebrities and artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometime humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, Jon strives for a refreshing change. Artists featured on the series include Imagine Dragons, Melissa Etheridge, Air Supply, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, fun, Bleachers, Charli XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, and Bastille.