New Life

New Life is the seventh studio album by American singer Monica, released by RCA Records on April 6, 2012. It marked the singer's debut release with the company following the disbandment of her former label, J Records in October 2011. A musical continuation of her commercially successful 2010 album Still Standing, Monica started working on the album only weeks after the release of the former. She reteamed primarily with frequent writers and producers, including Tha Bizness, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, and Cainon Lamb but also collaborated with new and upcoming producers such as a singer and rapper Rico Love, whose songs replaced much of her cousin, producer Polow da Don's original material. New Life is predominately a contemporary R&B album with major influences of pop and soul. The album's lyrics explore the complexities of romantic relationships and stages of love, much of which was inspired by Monica's marriage to professional basketball player Shannon Brown and her relocation to Arizona. Guest vocalists on the album are rappers Rick Ross and Wale as well as singer and close friend Mary J. Blige. Singer and actress Brandy, who had previously collaborated with Monica on their number-one record "The Boy Is Mine" (1998), features on the single "It All Belongs to Me". New Life received a mixed reception from critics, many of whom praised Monica's vocal performances and the album's trend-detaching nature but found the material too generic and cliché-addled. Upon its release, the album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, and at number two on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 69,000 copies. With first-month sales of 116,400 copies, New Life sold significantly less than its predecessors. Singles such as "Anything (To Find You)" and "Until It's Gone" failed to sell or chart noticeably on both the pop and the R&B charts. Background and recording Monica released her sixth studio album, Still Standing, in 2010. Chronicled by her BET reality series of the same name which was aired between October 2009 and January 2010, the album marked her third album on J Records following the renewal of her contract in October 2007. Released to critical and commercial success, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 184,000 in its first week, and reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.