Everything to Me (Monica song)
Encyclopedia
"Everything to Me" is a song by American recording artist Monica. It was written by fellow singer Jazmine Sullivan
and co-produced by Missy Elliott
and Cainon Lamb for her sixth studio album Still Standing
(2010), incorporating a sample of the 1981 recording "Silly
" as penned by Fritz Baskett, Clarence McDonald
, and June Williams and performed by Deniece Williams
.
Recorded during initially unplanned, additional recording sessions for the album, "Everything to Me" was released as the lead single from Still Standing in the United States on February 9, 2010 following a request campaign
by fans on Twitter
. The song garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, who noted it the album's standout track.
Monica's first solo release in over three years, the song has peaked at number forty-four on the US Billboard
Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, becoming her first chart-topper in over seven years. The track was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
, Monica set up following a disagreement over the album's leading single with her label J Records
in summer 2008. Penned by Elliott's protégé and fellow R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan
, it was recorded within three hours only. Incorporating elements of Deniece Williams
' 1981 recording classic "Silly
", the track saw the pair basically reprising the formula of previous successes such as "So Gone
" and "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)," featuring music that has "an older feel," according to the singer.
Prior to the release of "Everything to Me" several songs were announced to lead Still Standing
. Despite initial reports that uptempo record "Nothing Like", a collaboration with T-Pain
, and Ester Dean
-penned ballad "Here I Am
", both being produced by Polow da Don
, would be released as a dual single before 2010, neither song was released in time for the new year as "some of the legal issues [...] didn't get cleared," Monica confirmed on Twitter
in December 2009. Instead, the album's A&R manager Larry Jackson announced on December 18, that the Los Da Mystro-produced "One in a Lifetime" and "Love All Over Me
", produced by Jermaine Dupri
, were being released instead as a dual single for 2010. It was not until January 7, 2010, however, that it was confirmed that "Everything to Me" had replaced both songs as the album's first single following a campaign by fans on Twitter
. On J Records
decision to change the single due to fan's request, Monica commented: "It just made me realize that people want authentic Monica. They don't want me to keep up with all the different gimmicks and trends that are taking place. So that's why we picked the new single because it's just me singing." A two-minute cut of the song was leaked onto the internet on January 8, 2010, and by January 27 the extended single version of "Everything to Me" had been released.
An official remix, also produced by Missy Elliott, featuring herself and the late Notorious B.I.G., and was leaked via internet on April 22, 2010. B.I.G.'s verse is taken from his song, "I Love the Dough", off his second and final studio album Life After Death
(1997).
's Mark Edward Nero declaring "Everything to Me" the "album's standout track [...] as solid as a brick house; great singing, great lyrics, great production, just a great all-around song." The Washington Post
reviewer Sarah Godrey declared the track one of the album's "catchiest inclusions," and further added: 'Everything to Me' borrows so much of Deniece Williams's 'Silly' that it almost feels accurate to call it a remake/rewrite of the original, but it's still sounds fresh." Ryan Brockington of the New York Post
was less emphatic, calling it a "flat out copy" of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
" from the musical Dreamgirls.
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart after only two days of airplay, Monica's highest debut for a single on this chart so far. Afterwards it jumped to number thirty-one on that particular chart, entering the top thirty, it eventually becoming her sixth number one hit. The song remained seven weeks atop, becoming Monica's long-running solo number-one to date, and made her the first artist to have chart-toppers in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The song also atop the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay and Mediabase Urban Adult Contemporary charts.
The song also debuted at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
chart on February 18, 2010. The song fell to number ninety the following week but eventually rebounded to reach a peak of number forty-four, her highest-charting peak since 2004's "U Should've Known Better
." In addition, the record reached number twenty-three on the Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs) chart and number twenty-one on the Hot Ringtones chart.
for "Everything to Me" was shot by director Benny Boom
and was filmed in Los Angeles, California
on February 8, 2010. Based on a treatment by Boom and fellow director Chris Robinson
, it was loosely inspired by the plot of the 2009 thriller Obsessed
.
The video features Cincinnati Bengals
wide receiver Chad Ochocinco as Monica’s love interest, the focus and victim of a stalker, while the singer herself plays his loving then outraged wife. The clip was dedicated to the memory of the late Alexander McQueen
, a fashion designer who Monica admired and whose gowns and other pieces appear in the video. McQueen was found dead at his London
apartment three days before the video shooting.
and on BET
's video-chart countdown program 106 & Park
the day after, at a peak position of number one for several weeks.
on April 14, 2010 with the Lopez band, Michael Bearden and the Ese Vato's. It was received as one of her best performances in her career. She performed it live on Jay Leno
on April 5, 2010, Chelsea Lately
on May 6, 2010, and The Mo'Nique Show
on May 5, 2010, along with a medley of her previous hits "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)
", "So Gone
", and "Before You Walk Out of My Life
". Monica also performed the song on the 2010 BET Awards
with Deniece Williams
. Other performance was Fox 5 Atlanta's Good Day Atlanta and The Wendy Williams Show
.
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
and co-produced by Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Cainon Lamb for her sixth studio album Still Standing
Still Standing (Monica album)
Still Standing is the sixth studio album by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was released on March 19, 2010 by J Records, marking her third album on the label following the renewal of her contract in October 2007...
(2010), incorporating a sample of the 1981 recording "Silly
Silly (song)
"Silly" is a song written by Fritz Bell, Clarence McDonald and Deniece Williams and performed by Williams. The soulful ballad was released off Williams' My Melody album in 1981 and became the most successful track off the album reaching as high as number fifty-three on the Billboard Hot 100...
" as penned by Fritz Baskett, Clarence McDonald
Clarence McDonald
Clarence "Mac" McDonald is a Los Angeles based pianist, composer, arranger, and producer. He is a co-writer/co-publisher of the #1 Billboard and Grammy nominated song "Everything To Me" performed by Monica. Most recently McDonald performed on the all-star benefit album entitled Jazz For Japan...
, and June Williams and performed by Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
.
Recorded during initially unplanned, additional recording sessions for the album, "Everything to Me" was released as the lead single from Still Standing in the United States on February 9, 2010 following a request campaign
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
by fans on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. The song garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, who noted it the album's standout track.
Monica's first solo release in over three years, the song has peaked at number forty-four on the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, becoming her first chart-topper in over seven years. The track was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Background and release
"Everything to Me" was one out of several tracks resulting from additional recording sessions with longtime contributor Missy ElliottMissy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, Monica set up following a disagreement over the album's leading single with her label J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
in summer 2008. Penned by Elliott's protégé and fellow R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
, it was recorded within three hours only. Incorporating elements of Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
' 1981 recording classic "Silly
Silly (song)
"Silly" is a song written by Fritz Bell, Clarence McDonald and Deniece Williams and performed by Williams. The soulful ballad was released off Williams' My Melody album in 1981 and became the most successful track off the album reaching as high as number fifty-three on the Billboard Hot 100...
", the track saw the pair basically reprising the formula of previous successes such as "So Gone
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by rapper-producer Missy Elliott, Kenneth Cunningham, and Jamahl Rye and co-produced by Elliott and duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth studio album After the Storm , incorporating a sample of the 1976 recording "You Are Number...
" and "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)," featuring music that has "an older feel," according to the singer.
Prior to the release of "Everything to Me" several songs were announced to lead Still Standing
Still Standing (Monica album)
Still Standing is the sixth studio album by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was released on March 19, 2010 by J Records, marking her third album on the label following the renewal of her contract in October 2007...
. Despite initial reports that uptempo record "Nothing Like", a collaboration with T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, and Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
-penned ballad "Here I Am
Here I Am (Monica song)
"Here I Am" is a song by American singer Monica, from her sixth studio album, Still Standing . The song was initially unveilled as one of two lead singles to precede the album's release however due to undisclosed legal issues, the release was delayed...
", both being produced by Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, would be released as a dual single before 2010, neither song was released in time for the new year as "some of the legal issues [...] didn't get cleared," Monica confirmed on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
in December 2009. Instead, the album's A&R manager Larry Jackson announced on December 18, that the Los Da Mystro-produced "One in a Lifetime" and "Love All Over Me
Love All Over Me
"Love All Over Me" is a song by American recording artist Monica. The Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox produced "Love All Over Me" rounds out Still Standing as another laid back, yet soulful track filled with admiration. The song was sent to rhythmic, urban, and urban ac airplay as the...
", produced by Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, were being released instead as a dual single for 2010. It was not until January 7, 2010, however, that it was confirmed that "Everything to Me" had replaced both songs as the album's first single following a campaign by fans on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. On J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
decision to change the single due to fan's request, Monica commented: "It just made me realize that people want authentic Monica. They don't want me to keep up with all the different gimmicks and trends that are taking place. So that's why we picked the new single because it's just me singing." A two-minute cut of the song was leaked onto the internet on January 8, 2010, and by January 27 the extended single version of "Everything to Me" had been released.
An official remix, also produced by Missy Elliott, featuring herself and the late Notorious B.I.G., and was leaked via internet on April 22, 2010. B.I.G.'s verse is taken from his song, "I Love the Dough", off his second and final studio album Life After Death
Life After Death
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
(1997).
Critical reception
The song garnered generally positive reviews by critics, with About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Mark Edward Nero declaring "Everything to Me" the "album's standout track [...] as solid as a brick house; great singing, great lyrics, great production, just a great all-around song." The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
reviewer Sarah Godrey declared the track one of the album's "catchiest inclusions," and further added: 'Everything to Me' borrows so much of Deniece Williams's 'Silly' that it almost feels accurate to call it a remake/rewrite of the original, but it's still sounds fresh." Ryan Brockington of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
was less emphatic, calling it a "flat out copy" of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger...
" from the musical Dreamgirls.
Chart performance
"Everything to Me" instantly debuted at number sixty-one on the US BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart after only two days of airplay, Monica's highest debut for a single on this chart so far. Afterwards it jumped to number thirty-one on that particular chart, entering the top thirty, it eventually becoming her sixth number one hit. The song remained seven weeks atop, becoming Monica's long-running solo number-one to date, and made her the first artist to have chart-toppers in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The song also atop the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay and Mediabase Urban Adult Contemporary charts.
The song also debuted at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart on February 18, 2010. The song fell to number ninety the following week but eventually rebounded to reach a peak of number forty-four, her highest-charting peak since 2004's "U Should've Known Better
U Should've Known Better
"U Should've Known Better" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by Monica, Jermaine Dupri and Harold Lilly and produced by Dupri for her original third studio album, All Eyez on Me , featuring additional production by Bryan Michael Cox...
." In addition, the record reached number twenty-three on the Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs) chart and number twenty-one on the Hot Ringtones chart.
Awards and nominations
The track was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Everything to Me" was shot by director Benny Boom
Benny Boom
Benny Boom is a music video director and current director of Gorilla Flix, Inc. He trained at Temple University's School of Radio, Television, & Film, and also served as a protégé of veteran director Little X and Hype Williams....
and was filmed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on February 8, 2010. Based on a treatment by Boom and fellow director Chris Robinson
Chris Robinson (director)
Chris Robinson is an American film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, the grammy nominated...
, it was loosely inspired by the plot of the 2009 thriller Obsessed
Obsessed (2009 film)
Obsessed is a 2009 American thriller film directed by Steve Shill. The Screen Gems production stars Idris Elba, Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter...
.
The video features Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
wide receiver Chad Ochocinco as Monica’s love interest, the focus and victim of a stalker, while the singer herself plays his loving then outraged wife. The clip was dedicated to the memory of the late Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...
, a fashion designer who Monica admired and whose gowns and other pieces appear in the video. McQueen was found dead at his London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
apartment three days before the video shooting.
Reception
After airing a behind the scenes promo video on February 22, 2010, the video made its world premiere on February 23, 2010 on VevoVevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
and on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's video-chart countdown program 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
the day after, at a peak position of number one for several weeks.
Live performances
Monica performed the song on Lopez TonightLopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
on April 14, 2010 with the Lopez band, Michael Bearden and the Ese Vato's. It was received as one of her best performances in her career. She performed it live on Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
on April 5, 2010, Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
on May 6, 2010, and The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show is an American talk show hosted by comedienne actress Mo'Nique. Aired on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. She is the first African American woman to host her own late night show. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010.On July 18, 2011, BET...
on May 5, 2010, along with a medley of her previous hits "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)
Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)
"Don't Take It Personal " is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by producer Dallas Austin, Willie James Baker, Daryl Simmons, Marlon Williams and rappers LL Cool J and Chuck D for her debut studio album, Miss Thang , incorporating samples of both LL Cool J's 1993 record "Back Seat...
", "So Gone
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by rapper-producer Missy Elliott, Kenneth Cunningham, and Jamahl Rye and co-produced by Elliott and duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth studio album After the Storm , incorporating a sample of the 1976 recording "You Are Number...
", and "Before You Walk Out of My Life
Before You Walk out of My Life
"Before You Walk out of My Life" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by Andrea Martin and Soulshock & Karlin, and it was produced by Soulshock & Karlin for her debut studio album, Miss Thang...
". Monica also performed the song on the 2010 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
with Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
. Other performance was Fox 5 Atlanta's Good Day Atlanta and The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in...
.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs (Billboard) | 4 |
Chart precession and succession
Radio date and release history
| Region | Format | Date |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
February 9, 2010 |
| Canada | ||
| United States | Airplay | March 23, 2010 |