Throwback Thursday: Monica – “Before You Walk out of My Life”

Throwback Thursday: Monica – “Before You Walk out of My Life”

When we talk about the vocal greats, we have to talk about Monica.

The ’90s were chock full of powerhouses, and the biggest powerhouses of them all — Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey — were at the height of their powers. As a result, so many outstanding vocalists were never quite appreciated as well as they should’ve been. We were simply spoilt rotten with talent back then.

Monica is one of the powerhouses who — while very successful — wasn’t quite recognized in the way she deserved to be. Miss Thang could blow, and even Whitney thought so too. And when you consider the fact that she was only 14 years old when she debuted, you start to appreciate her as the remarkable talent she really is. In fact, much of her debut album, Miss Thang, was recorded when she was just 13 years old, and at least two of its tracks were recorded when she was 12.

Simply put, Monica is not one of them.

“Before You Walk out of My Life,” the second single from Monica’s debut album, is a fan favorite and for good reason. Written by the late Andrea Martin and Danish duo Soulshock & Karlin, the song is a fine example of how mood can be conveyed through melody. And Monica’s ability to emote at such a young age helped us feel every word of the song like we were living it.

Like many of the greatest songs ever, “Before You Walk out of My Life” was written and recorded by someone else who left it on the cutting room floor. Toni Braxton had recorded it for her sophomore LP, Secrets, but it didn’t make the cut, so it was given to a then-unknown Monica. And now I’m dying to hear that rendition of the song because I’m greedy.

“Before You Walk out of My Life” would go on to peak at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of her signature hits. And them shoes now have a legacy of their own.

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