It All Belongs to Me

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"It All Belongs to Me"
Single by Monica and Brandy
from the album New Life
ReleasedFebruary 13, 2012
Genre
Length4:04
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Rico Love
  • Earl & E
Monica singles chronology
"Until It's Gone"
(2011) 		"It All Belongs to Me"
(2012) 		"Without You"
(2012)
Brandy singles chronology
"Talk to Me"
(2010) 		"It All Belongs to Me"
(2012) 		"Put It Down"
(2012)

"It All Belongs to Me" is a duet by American recording artists

Miami, Florida to record the track. Three different versions were made, with one being released as the official lead single from Monica's seventh studio album New Life on February 10, 2012, through RCA Records. It is the first time Monica and Brandy worked together since they collaborated on "The Boy Is Mine
" (1998).

"It All Belongs to Me" is a midtempo

ballad. Lyrically, the song is a female empowerment anthem in which both singers claims their belongings as they leave their abusive boyfriends behind. The chorus has references to MacBook and Facebook. It also received several comparisons to Beyoncé' single "Irreplaceable" (2006). "It All Belongs to Me" received generally mixed reviews from contemporary critics who praised both singers' vocal performance, but were disappointed with the track, commenting that the hype behind it was big, but also noting that the track wouldn't be as successful as "The Boy Is Mine". "It All Belongs to Me" reached number 23 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart.

An accompanying music video for "It All Belongs to Me" was directed by Chris Robinson. It premiered on VH1 on March 5, 2012. The video was inspired by the films Thelma & Louise (1991) and Waiting to Exhale (1995), and portrays the singers in dysfunctional relationships and helping each other in both situations. Monica and Brandy promoted the song doing several performances, radio and television interviews. The singers were also going to perform the track on the Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party in 2012; however, the performance was cancelled following Whitney Houston's death.

Background

Brandy and Monica first worked together in 1997, on a song titled "The Boy is Mine."[2] Created as a solo track, Brandy recorded the song alone.[3] After listening to the result, however, she and Rodney Jerkins thought it would work better as a duet,[4] an idea which was further inspired by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's 1982 hit duet "The Girl Is Mine".[5] Jerkins, who produced the track, later claimed that both singers "didn't get along" during production and that he and Dexter Simmons remixed the track seven times to keep everything even.[6] Monica later spoke about her relationship with Brandy in an interview with WZMX, stating, "we were young. We could barely stay in the room with each other. By no means was it jealousy or envy. She and I are polar opposites and instead of embracing that, we used our differences as reasons not to be amongst each other."[7]

Later in 2011, it was reported that producer

R&B singer R. Kelly and was intended to be part of his 2012 album Write Me Back. She further explained that she actually "had to really go to him and ask him: 'Can I take this song, I really wanna take this song and put it on my new album'." Kelly ended up giving the song to her, which resulted in Monica thanking him "from the bottom of [her] heart." The label then brought up the idea to her to put Brandy on the song, which was initially intended as a solo song.[10]

Recording

After "It All Belongs to Me" was presented to Monica, the singer revealed that she wanted to record a duet with Brandy, following their first released in 1998.

Miami, Florida from January 6 to 8, 2012.[12] Brandy said that the energy of the recording sessions was "magical! I was just so excited to see her again, just to work with her again. The session was great. It was like it was meant to be. It was like we never missed a beat." The singers also took pictures and talked about their current lives.[11] Brandy also revealed that she and Monica wanted to "give [their] best vocals ever on a song."[13]

Monica revealed that, before passing, Whitney Houston came to her after hearing "It All Belongs to Me" and said, "You killin' that run at the end. And you know I know you stole that from me, right?"[14] Rico Love commented on the recording sessions of the song in an interview with magazine Rap-Up, saying that "it was a really interesting situation because of the history that was in the room and the energy was so positive. It was electric. I really wanted to try my best to pull the most explosive vocals out of them. ´... It kinda carried on the next part of the story, just showing their growth and their maturity, and making it real and true to both singers. It was an amazing energy, an amazing vibe. The girls were all positive. It was just fun. We had a great time and I learned so much from both of them during the session."[9] Love also revealed that they did alternate versions of the song for both Monica and Brandy's albums but also noted that the changes were minimal.[9] "It All Belongs to Me" was later omitted from Brandy's next project Two Eleven (2012).

Composition

"It All Belongs to Me"
A 23-second sample of the
ballad, where both singers demand their belongings back.[15]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"It All Belongs to Me" is a midtempo

ballad, the first verse starts with Brandy singing, "No, no, no, sugar/You must be blind/You must be dumb/You must be tripping/You must be crazy/To think I'm gonna let you off that easy."[15] As the chorus follows, Monica starts to sing along with Brandy, with both stating that they do not belong to their boyfriends, "But put that back/That ain't yours/Have a fit/Slam the door/But leave them bags/On the floor/That s--- belongs to me/Those clothes, cars, those rings/And that MacBook/That s--- belongs to me/So log off your Facebook, it all belongs to me."[15] Sowmya Krishnamurthy of MTV said the track "is all about girl power and kicking that no-good-low-down-dirty-dog guy to the curb."[17] According to John Mitchel also of MTV, "the fierce twosome are joining forces against to kick the no-good men in their lives to the curb."[18] Towards the end of the song, Brandy and Monica starts to sing in a melismatic form, with the latter singing the last line.[19]

Critical reception

Each is special in her own right, and each clearly has had much success. ... The fact that they have gotten back together to reunite with a duet recording, we're gonna celebrate and we're gonna have a great time Saturday night.

—Clive Davis reflects on the duet.[11]

In an interview with

About.com ranked "It All Belongs to Me" as the eight best pop song of the week ending on February 16, 2012.[21] Elena Gorgan of Softpedia said that the collaboration was "worth the wait,"[22] while Michael O'Connell and Shirley Haperin of The Hollywood Reporter thought that it "serves as a solid showcase for two voices that reached their pop culture pinnacle 14 years ago."[23]

AOL Music's Kenneth Partridge commented on the track, saying, "they've been burned by their fellas, and they they're not shy about showing some sisterly solidarity and standing up for themselves."[26] Danielle Cheesman of MSN Entertainment criticized "It All Belongs to Me", saying, "let's face it, [the song is] never ever going to be as big as 'The Boy Is Mine'."[27]

Dan Martin of NME commented that "It All Belongs to Me" is "not the gold comeback standard" that people were expecting, and stated that despite "groovy references to 'Facebook' and such, this neither a) picks up the story of the original song or b) pits the ladies against each other."[28] The Guardian journalist Michael Cragg noted that the hype behind the song was big, however, he expressed that it actually "sounds disappointing."[29] He continued, "while 'The Boy is Mine' brilliantly played the two singers off against each other, fuelling the supposed rivalry the song itself generated, 'It All Belongs to Me' is a fairly rudimentary 'man's done me wrong and he needs to leave' mid-paced strumalong."[29] HitFix blogger Chris Eggertsen rated the song a D+, saying that it has been many years since "The Boy is Mine" came out, and wondered if people would actually care about a Brandy/Monica reunion.[20] Eggertsen also noted that the song's production sounded quite dated, and finished his review saying that both singers will need a stronger single for a real comeback.[20] Amanda Dobbins of New York said the track is basically a "karaoke-friendly answer" to "Irreplaceable", "though B&M are more concerned with itemizing what, exactly, is still theirs (clothes, cars, rings, and, hilariously, that Macbook) than directing the gentleman where to put his things."[30]

Music video

Background

RCA Records commissioned a music video to be directed by

ET/PT.[35]

Synopsis

Brandy (left) and Monica (right) standing next to a car in the music video

The video opens with Brandy giving her fictional boyfriend a watch. However, the couple starts to fight after a few seconds, leading Brandy to drive the boyfriend to the middle of a road and leaving him alone. She then changes her Facebook status to 'Single'. Next, we see Monica giving her lover a new car. The scene then cuts to both having a discussion on their room, that ends with Monica cutting her boyfriend's necktie with a pair of scissors. The singers are then seen together dressing black leather clothes in a bathroom. As they leave, they carry a MacBook, a golden box and a suit, while placing the items inside the car Monica had previously given her lover. As the lover watches both from afar, Monica and Brandy wave him goodbye. They leave on Brandy's car, as the other explodes in front of Monica's old house. The video ends with a dedication to Whitney Houston. Some of the video shows scenes of Brandy and Monica sitting the same way from Brandy's left and Monica's right with their chairs, Monica singing in the light with a hat and black clothing and later a beret headband from the 70s, Brandy and Monica singing in their dress and signing behind the mirror with the light.

Reception

A Rap-Up reviewer and Byron Flistch of MTV praised the looks of both singers in the video.[38][39] Flistch also commented, "not that we promote arson or anything, but we're just super happy Brandy and Monica are getting along – clearly, no man is worth holding on to a years-old grudge."[39] According to Fashion Bomb Daily, Brandy was styled in a Versace Barocco Printed Silk-Twill Shirt that costed $1,275.[40] Robbie Daw of Idolator also said that Monica and Brandy looked "stunning", but added that the plotline of the video could have been more creative.[41] Maritess Calabria of RyanSeacrest.com thought that the video reflects on how women can be powerful in terms of money in a relationship, and completed, "just as easily as they give it, they can take it all away."[42] Chris Eggertsen of Hitfix gave the video a negative review, and said "that it feels as lifeless and pre-fab as the song it's been built around."[43] New York journalist Amanda Dobbins said that the video "isn't exactly a barn-burner" as the song either, and joked that a large part of the production's budget "was blown on the Macbook in question."[44]

Promotion

Brandy and Monica first performed the song together on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[34][45] Rickey Minor and Kim Burse, who previously worked with Beyoncé and Ciara, were among the creative team of the performance.[45] Robbie Daw of Idolator considered the performance as impressive and soulful, noting, however, that listeners seemed to prefer the singers feuding days.[46] Michael O'Connell and Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter thought the performance was nostalgic, and concluded that "the two can also still give a pretty good live performance."[23] A reviewer of Rap-Up said that Monica and Brandy "put their powerful pipes on display" on the presentation.[47] The singers were also going to perform the track on Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party in 2012, along with "The Boy is Mine".[45] When asked about the performance, Brandy revealed that she was scared, "I'm just scared of everybody in that room. I think that's why it's going to be a really cool performance because I do a little bit better when I'm afraid."[48] Monica, on the other hand, revealed that she "don't get nervous. I thank God for that because I don't know what I would do if I did."[48] However, following Houston's passing, the performance was cancelled.[49]

To further promote the song, Monica and Brandy did several appearances on television and radio. The singers visited

Live! with Kelly.[55][56] Monica performed a solo rendition of "It All Belongs to Me" during a promotional concert held by AOL on April 5, 2012.[57]

Track listings

Digital download[16]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."It All Belongs to Me" (album version)
  • Love
  • Earl & E
4:04
Digital download – remix[58]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."It All Belongs to Me" (High Level radio mix)
  • Love
  • Hood
  • Goudy
  • Love
  • Earl & E
  • High Level[a]
4:18
UK digital download[59]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."It All Belongs to Me" (radio edit)
  • Love
  • Hood
  • Goudy
  • Love
  • Earl & E
4:04
2."It All Belongs to Me" (album version)
  • Love
  • Hood
  • Goudy
  • Love
  • Earl & E
4:04
3."Anything (To Find You)" (featuring Rick Ross)
  • Elliott
  • Lamb
3:42

Sample credits[60]

Notes

  • ^a denotes additional producer

Chart performance

On the chart issue dated February 23, 2012, "It All Belongs to Me" debuted at number 66 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It peaked at number 23.[61]

Chart performance for "It All Belongs to Me"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Netherlands (Urban Top 100)[62] 84
South Korea (
Gaon International Chart)[63]
 53
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[61] 23

Release history

Release dates and formats for "It All Belongs to Me"
Region Date Format Label Ref
Various February 13, 2012
RCA [64]

References

  1. ^ "Monica Reveals 'It All Belongs to Me' Was Originally for R. Kelly". Rap-Up. April 25, 2012. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016.
  2. ^ "Brandy Back In The Studio". MTV News. October 10, 1997. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016.
  3. ^ Nathan, David; Rizik, Chris (January 12, 1999). "The Best of Brandy". Soul Tracks. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Gardner, Elysa (July 7, 1998). "Next From the Diva Machine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  5. New York Daily News. Archived from the original
    on May 15, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  6. ^ "The 40 Biggest Duets of All Time". Billboard. February 12, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  7. ^ "Monica explains why she used to hate Brandy & talks about upcoming tour with Brandy". WZMX. February 21, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Lazerine, Devin (August 24, 2012). "Brandy Crafts 'Classic R&B' Sound with Rico Love for New Album". Rap-Up. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Lazerine, Devin (December 1, 2011). "Exclusive Q&A: Rico Love Shares Details on Brandy and Monica Duet". Rap-Up. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  10. ^ "Monica Reveals 'It All Belongs to Me' Was Originally for R. Kelly", Rap-Up, April 25, 2012, retrieved August 22, 2023 – via YouTube
  11. ^ a b c d e Silverstein, Rebecca (February 10, 2012). "Brandy and Monica Dish on Their Musical Reunion". MSN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  12. ^ Perpetua, Matthew (January 9, 2012). "Brandy and Monica Reunite in Miami Studio". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Johnson Jr., Billy (February 7, 2012). "Brandy And Monica Release Emasculating Breakup Anthem 'It All Belongs To Me'". Yahoo!. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  14. E! Online
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  15. ^ a b c Rubenstein, Jenna (February 7, 2012). "New Song: Monica And Brandy, 'It All Belongs To Me'". MTV. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  16. ^ a b "It All Belongs to Me". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. February 10, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  17. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (February 7, 2012). "Brandy, Monica Reunite On Single 'It All Belongs To Me'". MTV. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  18. ^ Mitchell, John (February 7, 2012). "Brandy And Monica Reunite For R&B Ballad 'It All Belongs To Me'". MTV. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Hampp, Andrew (February 16, 2012). "Track Review: It All Belongs to Me". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c Eggertsen, Chris (February 6, 2012). "Listen: Do the time-warp with new Brandy and Monica duet 'It All Belongs to Me'". HitFix. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
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  23. ^ a b O'Connell, Michael; Haperin, Shirley (February 17, 2012). "Brandy and Monica Take Reunion Single to 'Tonight Show' (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
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  29. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (February 7, 2012). "New music: Brandy and Monica – It All Belongs to Me". The Guardian. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
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  33. MTV Networks. Archived from the original
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  35. ^
    MTV Networks. Archived from the original
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  40. ^ Claire (March 6, 2012). "Wardrobe Query: Brandy's 'It All Belongs to Me' Video Versace Barocco Printed Silk-Twill Shirt". Fashion Bomb Daily. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  41. Buzz Media
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  55. ^ "Brandy and Monica perform on 'Live! with Kelly'". Rap-Up. April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  56. ^ "Brandy and Monica perform 'It All Belongs to Me' on GMA". Rap-Up. April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  57. ^ "Monica Performs Old and New Material for AOL Sessions". Rap-Up. April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  58. ^ "It All Belongs to Me: Monica & Brandy: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon UK. April 6, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  59. ^ "It All Belongs to Me – Single by Brandy and Monica". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  60. ^ Monica (2012). New Life (liner notes). RCA Records.
  61. ^ a b "Monica Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  62. ^ "Netherlands (Urban Top 100 Chart)". Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  63. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: May 13, 2012 to February 25, 2012)". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  64. ^ "It All Belongs to Me – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved October 21, 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_All_Belongs_to_Me&oldid=1220637486"