Monica

Monica Arnold is thirty-three years old, and yet has already released seven full-length records, the first two of which went three times platinum in her native U.S. If you’re wondering how that’s actually possible, it was Arnold’s prodigious talent that saw her signed and releasing her first album, Miss Thang, at the age of just fifteen; the album sold one and a half million copies in America alone. On the follow-up, The Boy Is Mine, she took off into the stratosphere, winning a Grammy and topping the charts with the song of the same name - a duet with Brandy - and secured her place in R&B history in the process. She’s never quite managed to capture that same level of success since. but it hasn’t stopped her from continuing to record and play shows, too; she’s still treated with a real reverence in the R&B community. Her most recent effort, New Life, featured collaborations with Wale and Mary J. Blige, and the title proved prophetic, with album number eight delayed by the recent birth of her daughter. Once maternity leave’s over, though, she’ll be back on the road, backed by her expansive live lineup. Backing singers are included in that, but they’re pretty redundant, given that her voice is as captivating as ever; we can only hope she manages to slot in a long-overdue return to the UK when she’s drawing up the schedule.

I love Monica. Is she a beautiful person, spiritual and all. Last night was epic. Monica shows up and shows out every time, she is down to earth and keeps it real...