Roller coaster ride

We Monica in 1998 in duet with Brandy and the hit "The Boy Is Mine" known. But after she got here did not set foot on the ground. So well done with their third album "After The Storm" which was quasi completely ignored in Germany, and as far as I know it's not even published regularly.
A total contrast in Monica's home America: there shot "After The Storm" at number 1, the first single "So Gone" was a Top Ten hit, and the second single "U Should've Known Better" is now (after one year!) entered the US Top 20.
Executive Producer of the album is Missy Elliott, who has somehow nothing to do since the death of her sister in the spirit, Aaliyah (RIP) and therefore with all sorts of young R & B artists working (is not evil!): Tweet, Beyonce - and even Monica.
Missy has produced on "After The Storm" three of the eleven songs: the opener "Get it off", the single "So Gone" (with backing vocals from, sure, Tweet) and "Knock Knock".
Other producers are SoulShock & Karlin ("Breaks My Heart", "I wrote this song," "Hurts The Most"), Jermaine Dupri ("U Should've Known Better"), Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins ("Is not gonna cry no more "), Jazze Pha (" That's my man "), BAM & Ryan (" Do not gotta go home "," Go to bed mad ") and US shooting star Kanye West (co-producer on" Knock knock ").
Monica offers on "After The Storm" Southern Soul in the style of Tweet and Aaliyah - but unfortunately not as good as Missy's other proteges. Most of the generally rather slow songs (except "Get it off", the only faster track) are rather average.
An exception as "So Gone": the song is soulful and truly. The mid-tempo ballad "Breaks My Heart" and "Hurts The Most" are catchy tunes thanks to their catchy choruses.
The heart of the album but probably constitutes "I wrote this song" Monica "this song" really written itself and processed in the suicide of her boyfriend a few years ago - very emotional, without being cheesy.
"Do not gotta go home" feat. DMX and "Go to bed mad" feat. Tyrese, however, are quite a tearjerker which I personally do not think so tense.
The outro is actually not really a outro, but a remix of "So Gone" feat. Busta Rhymes.
"After The Storm" is thus almost something like a roller coaster ride: there are ups, downs and a few fillers. Bad album is not, and who is on mainstream soul, so is certainly well advised.