Miss Thang by Monica

Miss Thang is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was released by Rowdy Records and distributed through the Arista label on July 18, 1995 in the United States. Recorded throughout her early teenage years, the album was conceived under the guidance of Rowdy head Dallas Austin who would emerge as a tutor and father figure to Monica and serve as Miss Thang's sole executive producer. Incorporating a wide range of contemporary genres such as soft hip hop soul, contemporary mid-1990s R&B, pop and adult contemporary sounds, Austin recruited protégés from his DARP production camp such as Tim & Bob, Arnold Hennings, and Colin Wolfe as well as Daryl Simmons, and Soulshock & Karlin to work with her on the album. Upon release, Miss Thang received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Monica's versatility and mature sound appearance, as well as the album's eclectic number of songs. A steady seller, the album became a commercial success as well. It debuted and peaked at number 36 of the Billboard 200 and reached the top ten on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States, where it was certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over 1.5 million copies. Internationally, it earned Gold status in Canada, where it reached number 20 on RPM's Top Albums/CDs chart, and peaked at number nine on the New Zealand Albums Chart, her highest peak as of 2018.Four singles were released from the album, including debut single "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" and follow-up "Before You Walk Out of My Life", both of which made Monica the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and became top ten hits in New Zealand. With her further two singles, "Like This and Like That" and "Why I Love You So Much" also reaching the top three on the Hot R&B Songs, Monica, along with fellow teen singers Aaliyah and Brandy, established herself as one of the most successful urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s. It also earned her four Soul Train Music Awards nods as well as American Music Award and Billboard Music Award nominations each.