Monica meets her ‘Makings’
Every now and then, Monica thinks back on how a fender-bender became a turning point in her life.
In 2004, the soulful singer slammed into the back of another car while approaching a stoplight.
Though she appeared not to have any injuries, she was sent to an Atlanta hospital because she was a few months pregnant. As she waited for the test results, she feared that her child might not survive.
Then Monica’s friends saw the sonogram.
“They told me it was a boy, and he was OK,” she said. “It was my first time finding out the baby’s sex. Something that was once tragic turned into excitement. It was a life-changing moment.”
On her new album, “The Makings Of Me,” Monica candidly reflects on the many life-changing moments that have shaped her world – hectic relationships, the death of an ex-boyfriend and finding a new love.
“I had to tell my story,” she said. “There are too many people who have been in the same situation as me and really don’t know their way out. Hopefully through my words, what I say can open a door.”
Much of Monica’s life has been played out in the spotlight. She had her first smash hit in 1995 when she was just 13 with the sassy song “Don’t Take It Personal.” More hits would follow, including her Grammy-winning “The Boy Is Mine” and the ballad “Angel of Mine.”
But along with public successes came public heartache – most notably when a former boyfriend committed suicide in front of her a few years ago. Pictures of her grief-stricken were splashed in tabloids.
Another ex, rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller, was incarcerated on a murder charge.
About half of the songs on “The Makings of Me” are from Monica’s journals. It was the first time she used her personal writings, and she initially felt uncomfortable about handing them over to producers.
Watching her boyfriend shoot himself in the head, along with losing her cousin and grandmother, left her troubled. However, with her mother being a born-again Christian and stepfather a minister, she was able to receive spiritual guidance when times got rough.
Monica took a break from music because she wanted to spend more time with family and friends. Her last three albums came no fewer than three years apart.
“I like to step away from my job for a moment,” Monica said. “When I come back, there’s a whole new different energy. I feel fresh now, and I missed music, which helped me come back.”
And though the album before this, “After The Storm,” sold less than her first two, she’s not as worried about being hot for the moment.
“God will line everything up if you let him,” said Monica. “Sometimes we try to do it ourselves and get in the way of our own destiny. But I learned to step back and let everything take its course. That’s my approach toward life now.”
The birthday bunch
Actress Angela Lansbury is 81. Actress Suzanne Somers is 60. Actor-director Tim Robbins is 48. Bassist Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 44. Singer Wendy Wilson (Wilson Phillips) is 37. Actress Kellie Martin (“ER”) is 31. Singer-songwriter John Mayer is 29. Actor Jeremy Jackson (“Baywatch”) is 26.