Monica has reunited with WME, the longest-running talent agency, under a new deal that includes representation in all areas, Variety reports.
The R&B legend rejoins a roster that now includes Usher, JoJo, Nelly, and most recently, Ciara.
“I’m truly excited about this full circle moment to reconnect with WME since that’s where it all started for me with my debut album, Miss Thang!” Monica shared. “My heart is filled with immense joy as I reunite with my first talent agency for the upcoming 30th anniversary of Miss Thang. I’m grateful, humbled and immeasurably thrilled about the possibilities of this reunion!”
She continued, “Their exceptional track record and knowledge regarding my brand, both past and present, makes them the perfect partner for myself as an artist, and MonDeenise Productions as a whole. I look forward to working closely with their incredible team and exploring opportunities.”
The signing announcement includes details about Monica’s long-awaited album, Trenches, which has been renamed MDA, inspired by the initials of her full name, Monica Denise Arnold.
Monica says the album will be released independently later this year, along with Open Roads, her country album, set to be executive produced by Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Brandi Carlile.
MDA is not a new title option. Monica presented it a while back before going with Trenches. The album was also tentatively titled Chapter 38 at one point.
Monica has released several songs since she began working on her upcoming album. In 2019, she released “Commitment,” a song produced by Nova Wav, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart and at R&B radio (formerly known as urban adult contemporary).
She released “Me + You” in the same year, followed by the Lil Baby-assisted, Neptunes-produced “Trenches” the next year, coinciding with her Verzuz battle with Brandy.
Two more songs were released alongside the promise of a new album: “Friends,” produced by Tasha Catour and featuring Ty Dolla $ign, and “Letters,” which had a songwriting credit from Ciara.
It has not been announced whether any of the previously released singles will be included on MDA.
MDA will follow Monica’s previous studio album, Code Red, which was released on RCA Records in 2015. Her final album for the label features appearances by Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Akon, and her daughter, Laiyah.
Monica’s signing comes after a few other major wins in 2024. In February of this year, she achieved her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart with “Trusting God,” featuring inspirational star James Fortune. The song, released in 2023, spent two weeks at the top of the chart.
This past spring, Monica joined rap icon Nicki Minaj on the North American leg of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour. Her tour inclusion came after collaborating with Keyshia Cole on Minaj’s song “Love Me Enough” from her album Pink Friday 2 (Gag City Deluxe).
More recently, Monica performed at the Atlanta stop of Missy Elliott’s Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience. She also collaborated with Brandy on a remix of Ariana Grande’s “The Boy Is Mine,” which is receiving airplay across urban radio stations.
Speaking of Brandy, the Vocal Bible shared that she’d like to hit the road with Monica for either a co-headlining residency or tour.
“I hit [Monica] up so much talking about all the things that we could do together — tour, residency, everything,” Brandy told Extra TV. “I really want that. Monica, I really want that.”
READ MORE: Monica’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ Album: Every Song Ranked
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