After The Storm

undefined

Initial pressings included an Enhanced bonus disc. Personnel: Monica, Tyrese (vocals); Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Mia X, DMX (rap vocals); Bryan Michael Cox, Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins, Soulshock, Karlin (various instruments); Eric Jackson, William Odum, RJ, Tommy Martin, Charles Pettaway (guitar); Bam, Ryan (keyboards, drums, programming); Montez Arnold, Dominique (keyboards); Tweet, Shamora Crawford, New Birth Praise Team (background vocals). Producers include: Missy Elliott, DJ Scratchator, Craig X, Spike, Jamal. After then-teenaged Monica waited an unusual three years to follow up her 1995 platinum debut MISS THANG with THE BOY IS MINE and scored one of the biggest crossover hits ever with that sopre effort's title track, she waited five years to drop her third album, AFTER THE STORM. There's something to the whole slow-and-steady thing, and while the record was consigned to the "notoriously delayed" bin for awhile, it was seemingly not for anything lacking in the album itself. Monica possesses a sultry, multi-octave voice and knows how to wield it to great effect. On AFTER THE STORM, the singer is furnished with the perfect songs around which to wrap her imperious voice. Monica even shows off her own songwriting chops on deft tunes like the swaying, melodic "I Wrote This Song" and the forcefully catchy "Ain't Gonna Cry No More." Each track is lushly and elegantly produced by some of the best in the game; of particular note are Missy Elliott's cuts (and check her guest rap on the infectious "Knock Knock"). AFTER THE STORM proves worth its wait, a solid third step by one of the shining young voices of R&B.