"Before You Walk Out of My Life" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Monica | ||||
from the album Miss Thang | ||||
Released | August 3, 1995 | |||
Length | 4:53 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Soulshock & Karlin | |||
Monica singles chronology | ||||
|
"Before You Walk Out of My Life" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by Andrea Martin, Carsten Schack, and Kenneth Karlin, with production helmed by Schack and Karlin under their production moniker Soulshock & Karlin. Initially helmed for fellow R&B singer Toni Braxton's Secrets (1996) album, it was left unused and later re-recorded by Monica for her debut album Miss Thang (1995). Built around drum machine-backed rhythms and a saxophone-laced beat, the mid-tempo R&B ballad was released as the album's second single on August 3, 1995, with "Like This and Like That" serving as its other half on a double A-side stateside. It is considered to be one of her signature songs.
In the United States, "Before You Walk Out of My Life" became Monica's second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, spending two weeks at number-one. It also reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, the New Zealand Singles Chart, and the UK R&B chart. Additionally, the song was ranked number thirty-eight on the 1996 Billboard year-end chart and certified platinum by the RIAA. [1] "Before You Walk Out of My Life," alongside previous single "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)," made the singer the youngest recording artist to have two consecutive number-one hits on Billboard's R&B chart at the age of fourteen.
"Before You Walk Out of My Life" was written by American singer Andrea Martin along with Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin from Danish production team Soulshock & Karlin. [2] The song was originally crafted for Toni Braxton's second studio album Secrets (1996), [3] but later offered to Monica when Arista Records president Clive Davis demanded the song to be recorded by his protégé. [4] In an 2020 interview, Schack commented on the sound of the song: "[Davis] was testing us [...] We were really dirty on the beats like on “Before You Walk Out Of My Life” by Monica and then Karlin would play really poppy type of chords. No one was doing that and it may be because of our upbringing in Denmark." [4]
A mid-tempo R&B ballad with drum machine-backed rhythms and a saxophone-laced beat, [4] the song was recorded by Jay Lean, Brian Smith, and Schack at the Pure Studio and the D.A.R.P. Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Mixing of "Before You Walk Out of My Life" was overseen by Jon Gass at The Enterprise Studios. [2] Dallas Austin served as executive producer on the track. [2] Schack further commented on the recording sessions: "[Monica] was amazing. Her voice was so raw and her gospel runs were incredible. We loved that it had that street vibe. We walked out and we just knew it. We sent it to Clive and he didn’t change anything. It came out and we had a number one record." [4]
"Before You Walk Out of My Life" earned generally favorable reviews upon its release and has since been considered to be one of Monica's signature songs. [5] Music Week rated the song four out of five, adding, "This 15 year old from the Whitney and Brandy school of crooning turns in an ultra-smooth, ultra appealing R&B ballad which has been top three in the US." [6] Tony Farside from the magazine's RM Dance Update gave it five out of five, calling it "one of the best new r&b tracks around for a while." He described the song as "a mid to low tempo smoocher with an acappella-ish intro and a lazy beat", and concluded, "A grower and definitely another hit waiting to happen for Monica." [7] Another editor, James Hamilton deemed it a "sultry" and "attractive" R&B ballad. [8] Christian Hoard from The Rolling Stone Album Guide called the song a "soppy MOR ballad" the was not playing "to her strengths." [9]
In a retrospective review of the song, Singersroom editor Erica Henderson felt that "the track features a heartfelt vocal performance from Monica, as she pleads with her lover not to leave her. The song’s catchy melody and relatable lyrics made it an instant hit, with its memorable chorus and powerful vocals [...] "Before You Walk Out of My Life" continues to be a standout moment in Monica’s discography." [10] Grant Rindner from Oprah Daily described the record as "another simmering love song dressed up like a mellow rap record filled with DJ scratches." [11] Park Jin-young called the "perfectly written" and further noted: "It was my ultimate role model as songwriting: a song with a strong beat that was good enough as a ballad." [12] During her Verzuz battle with Brandy in August 2020, Monica cited the song as "one of her favorites to sing to this day." [13]
In the United States, "Before You Walk Out of My Life" debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the week of October 21, 1995. [14] It would eventually become Monica's second number-one hit on the chart when it – after recording-breaking 25 weeks [15] – took the top spot of the chart in January 1996. [14] The song would spent one further week at number-one. [14] "Before You Walk Out of My Life," alongside previous single "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" (1995), made Monica the youngest recording artist to have two consecutive number-one hits on Billboard's R&B chart at the age of fourteen. [16] Billboard later ranked it ninth on its 1996 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs year-end chart. [17]
Elsewhere, the song reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as the top ten of the Dance Singles Sales and the Rhythmic chart. [18] [19] It also peaked at number eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming Monica's second consecutive top ten single there, [20] and would ermege as her highest-charting single from the Miss Thang era in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, [21] while also reaching number three of the UK R&B Chart and number six on the UK Dance Chart. [22] [23] In the United States, "Before You Walk Out of My Life" reached Gold status on January 11, 1996. [24] For shipments figures in excess of 1.0 million units, it was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 19, 1996. [24] Billboard ranked the song 38th on the 1996 Hot 100 year-end chart. [25]
An accompanying music video for "Before You Walk Out of My Life" was directed by Kevin Bray and filmed in Los Angeles, California. [13] It begins with Monica sitting on the sidewalk and later on a roof. A man walks away from her and she looks in his direction sadly. [26] Edited by Scott C. Wilson, it was released in October 1995. [27]
In the 2010s, Monica became meme fodder after being teased for the "now infamous, old-school" shoes she wore in a scene in the video. [28] A pair of what was decribed as "low-heeled white sandals with wide white straps across her feet, and a chunky square heel," [29] Monica was filmed wearing them while sitting on a curb. [30] During her Verzuz battle with Brandy in August 2020, she jokingly commented: "I think whoever made them knew that they should go away. I never found the shoes." [29] On April 27, 2021, Monica shared a TikTok video shared on Instagram account in which she put on a pair of white open-toe kitten heels that resembled the sandals. [31]
UK CD Single [32]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Radio Edit) | Soulshock & Karlin | 3:58 | |
2. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Pete Rock Remix) |
| 4:56 | |
3. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Tony Rich Remix) |
| 4:57 | |
4. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Mike Dean Remix) |
| 4:55 |
US CD Single [33]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Album Version) |
| Soulshock & Karlin | 4:51 |
2. | "Like This and Like That" (Album Version) |
|
| 4:41 |
3. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Mike Dean Remix) |
|
| 4:54 |
4. | "Like This and Like That" (All Star Mix) |
|
| 4:34 |
5. | "Before You Walk Out of My Life" (Pete Rock Remix) |
|
| 4:56 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Miss Thang. [2]
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [24] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Brandy Rayana Norwood, better known mononymously as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Her sound is characterized by heavy voice-layering and riffs. As of 2024, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.
Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, rapper and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Monica signed with record producer Dallas Austin through his label Rowdy Records in 1993, and gained prominence following the release of her debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). Her follow up releases were met with further commercial success; her second, The Boy Is Mine (1998) remains her best-selling album and spawned three singles that peaked the Billboard Hot 100: "The Boy Is Mine", "The First Night", "Angel of Mine".
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American singers Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Japhe Tejeda, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Brandy, while production was helmed by Jerkins, Brandy, and Dallas Austin. It was released as the lead single from both singers' second albums from 1998, Never Say Never by Brandy and the album of the same name by Monica. Inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine", the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man.
Miss Thang is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was released by Rowdy Records and distributed through the Arista label on July 18, 1995, in the United States. Recorded throughout her early teenage years, the album was conceived under the guidance of Rowdy head Dallas Austin who would emerge as a tutor and father figure to Monica and serve as Miss Thang's sole executive producer. Austin recruited protégés from his DARP production camp such as Tim & Bob, Arnold Hennings, and Colin Wolfe as well as Daryl Simmons, and Soulshock & Karlin to work on the album. It incorporates a wide range of contemporary genres such as soul, pop, hip hop and blues.
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. Originally written for inclusion on TLC's third studio album FanMail, it was later recorded by Houston after TLC rejected the song. The song was written by Carsten Schack, Kenneth Karlin and Tamara Savage, and produced by Soulshock & Karlin. It was released on December 15, 1998, by Arista Records, as the second single from Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love. The song prominently features R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price during the choruses and bridge.
"For You I Will" is a song by American singer Monica. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, and recorded for the soundtrack of the live-action/animated sports comedy film Space Jam (1996), directed by Joe Pytka and starring basketball player Michael Jordan. One out of several songs from the album to be released as a single, it was issued in February 25, 1997 by Atlantic Records and Rowdy Records. A downtempo pop and R&B ballad, the song's lyrics involve the singer pledging love and devotion and promising to help an unnamed "you" overcome any difficulty, regardless of the magnitude.
"Why I Love You So Much" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written and produced by Daryl Simmons and recorded for her debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). A downtempo love song about a partner hitting all the right notes, the tender R&B ballad has Moncia singing over a warm bass and soaring keyboard chords. "Why I Love You So Much" was released as the album's fourth and final single on a double A-side with "Ain't Nobody" during the second quarter of 1996.
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"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written and produced by Babyface and recorded by Norwood for the soundtrack of the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The track was one out of five singles the album spawned and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Norwood's most successful single on that particular chart up to that point. It is of note that the characteristic bass intro is a replica of the famous riff performed by bassist Larry Graham, of Sly and the Family Stone, on their hit "Thank You ", and its remix featuring LL Cool J contains a sample of "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen.
"Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" is a song by American singer Monica. It was written by Dallas Austin, Derrick Simmons, and Recall Management for her debut album, Miss Thang (1995), while production was helmed by the former. The song contains a sample from "Back Seat (Of My Jeep)" (1993) by American rapper LL Cool J, which itself samples elements from the song "You're Gettin' a Little Too Smart" (1973), written by Abrim Tilmon and recorded by R&B vocal group The Detroit Emeralds. Due to the inclusion of the samples, several other writers are credited as songwriters.
American R&B singer Monica has released 8 studio albums, one extended play, and 48 singles. Since the beginning of her career in 1995, she has sold 5.3 million albums in the United States, In 1999, Billboard included her among the top twenty of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s, and in 2010, the magazine ranked her 24th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. With a career lasting over 20 years, Monica became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
"Doin It" is the second single from LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith, and was released on February 20, 1996 for Def Jam Recordings. Based on a sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy", it also featured LeShaun, production from Rashad "Ringo" Smith and LL Cool J. In several interviews, both the artist and producer stated that the instrumental was originally meant for The Notorious B.I.G., to be used for a song and single on his Life After Death album, which was posthumously released.
"Like This and Like That" is a song by American singer Monica. It was written by Dallas Austin, Colin Wolfe, and Malik Edwards, and produced by the former two. It was released as the second single along with "Before You Walk Out of My Life" from Monica's debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). The song is built around a sample of "Spoonin' Rap" (1979) by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang, written by Gabriel Jackson. Mr. Malik from former rap duo Illegal performs several ad-libs and sings part of the bridge, earning him a place as a featured artist on the track.
"Brokenhearted" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written and produced by Kipper Jones and Keith Crouch for her self-titled debut studio album, Brandy (1994). Requested by then Atlantic Records head Sylvia Rhone, the song was developed late into the production of the album. Pressured to meet Rhone's deadline for Brandy, Kipper suffered from a case of writer's block during the early writing process but eventually came up with the idea for a sweet, morose R&B ballad that deals with the aches of a teenager's first heartbreak.
"Still Standing" is a song by American R&B singer Monica, written by Christopher Bridges, Adonis Shropshire, Bryan-Michael Cox and Monica for her sixth studio album, Still Standing (2010). Produced by Bryan-Michael Cox, it features guest vocals by her cousin and rapper Ludacris.
Soulshock & Karlin is a Danish songwriting/production duo, consisting of Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. They have produced many successful songs, including Monica's "Before You Walk Out of My Life", Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel", JoJo's "Leave ", and Toni Braxton's "I Love Me Some Him". In a reference to a famous commercial, Arena Magazine called the team, "Probably the best R&B producers in the world".
Xscape is an American girl group from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1991 by Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, LaTocha Scott, Tamera Coggins-Wynn, and Tamika Scott. The following year Coggins-Wynn left the group and Xscape became a quartet. They were discovered by Jermaine Dupri who signed the group to his So So Def label. The group released their debut album Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha in 1993, which spawned two of their biggest hits, "Just Kickin' It" and "Understanding". The album was certified Platinum on February 1, 1994. Xscape has sold more than 9 million records worldwide.
Kenneth Karlin or just Karlin is a Danish songwriter and producer who is best known for his work with Carsten Schack, better known as Soulshock, forming the Los Angeles-based producer duo Soulshock & Karlin. They have worked with artists including Whitney Houston, Backstreet Boys, 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, and JoJo.
The Boy Is Mine is the second studio album by American R&B singer Monica. It was released by Arista Records on July 14, 1998, in the United States. The album deviated from the formula of her debut Miss Thang (1995) as she had more creative control over the material she recorded; a step that she considered a "natural progression". On the record, Monica worked with a variety of producers and writers from different genres such as gospel, R&B, and hip hop, including frequent collaborators Dallas Austin, Colin Wolfe, and Daryl Simmons. Additional producers included David Foster, Diane Warren, Jermaine Dupri, and Rodney Jerkins and his Darkchild crew, some of which would become household names on subsequent albums.
"Trenches" is a song by American singer Monica featuring rapper Lil Baby. It was written by both musicians along with Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams from The Neptunes for Monica's upcoming same-titled ninth studio album, while production was helmed by the latter two. The song was released as the album's first single on August 31, 2020, coinciding with Monica and Brandy's appearances on the webcast battle series Verzuz. "Trenches" peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard Digital Song Sales and entered the top 20 on both the Adult R&B Songs and the Hot R&B Songs.
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