Music Is My King Size Bed: Hot Video Alert: Monica & Brandy

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Hot Video Alert: Monica & Brandy - It All Belongs To Me

R&B sensations Monica & Brandy have paired up for a new duet, "It All Belongs To Me," making it their first collaboration since "The Boy Is Mine" 14 years ago. The girls released the single, penned and produced by Rico Love, Earl Hood and Eric Goudy II, on February 10th 2012. The Chris Robinson-directed video premiered on VH1 March 5th, borrowing elements from female-centric girl power films like Thelma & Louise and Waiting To Exhale. In other words, Monica and Brandy are two women scorned, driven to exact revenge on the man that did them wrong.

While the video for "It All Belongs To Me" (BELOW) features some pretty powerful imagery (including the two stars looking absolutely fierce), the song is lacking something for me. I don't know about you, but there's just something not kosher about incorporating pop culture references like Facebook and MacBooks into a song. When you include imagery into a video that's one thing - that's product placement, but when you infuse those references into the lyrical framework of the song, that dilutes it all down to dribble for me. You just fixate on those references and the songwriter's intent is clouded. That was my experience anyway.

It's only natural that "It All Belongs To Me" would draw comparisons to "The Boy Is Mine." Unfortunately, the only similarity I can spot is that both songs feature Monica and Brandy. Whereas "The Boy Is Mine" was an epic battle between strong females, "It All Belongs To Me" just sort of fizzles into standard mid-tempo R&B fare. There's just nothing about the song that sucks me in and makes me take notice. Whereas "The Boy Is Mine" held on to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks and won a Grammy for best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group, I can't see this song achieving even a quarter of the accolades. It's just not that good.

Photo Credit: Adrian Sidney

"It All Belongs To Me" is the first single to be lifted off Monica's forthcoming sixth studio album, New Life, which is due out on RCA Records April 10th. Monica appears to be pulling out all the stops with her new record, working with industry greats like Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri, Polow Da Don and Lamb. New Life also sees Monica collaborating with longtime Amy Winehouse collaborator Salaam Remi, a collaboration I'm particularly excited to hear in it's entirety.

"It All Belongs To Me" is also set to appear on Brandy's sixth studio album, entitled Two Eleven, as in Brandy's birth date and the date her idol and good friend Whitney Houston passed away. The album, tentatively scheduled for release in June, marks Brandy's first release with her new label, RCA/Chameleon. Serving as the follow up to 2008's commercial flop Human, Brandy worked with producers including Mr. Bangladesh, Jim Jonsin, Danja, Timbaland, Noah "40" Shebib, Clinton Sparks, The Jam, and a bevvy of talented artists such as singer/songwriter Stacy Barthe, Chris Brown, Frank Ocean, Sean Garrett, Drake and of course, Monica. Sounds promising indeed, although for what it's worth - I happened to LOVE Brandy's song "Right Here (Departed)," off of her Human album. It's unfortunate that the album tanked.

Download "It All Belongs To Me" on U.S. iTunes HERE and check out this BANGIN' club mix by High Level below. That makes the song INFINITELY more tolerable in my opinion, even with those Facebook and MacBook references.