Monica

Throughout each successive album that arrived every few years, Monica continued to mix and match contemporary trends while drawing from traditional R&B. Jermaine Dupri and Dem Franchize Boyz helped her tap into the Atlanta snap sound with "Everytime the Beat Drop," the biggest single off her 2006 album, The Makings of Me (number one R&B/hip-hop, number eight pop). The second single off that 2006 album, "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)," was another misty soul throwback of sorts -- this time thanks to a sample of Curtis Mayfield's "The Makings of You," following the dusty Whispers assist on "So Gone" -- co-produced by Missy Elliott. Still Standing appeared four years later with yet another Elliott collaboration, "Everything to Me," based on Deniece Williams' "Silly" with Jazmine Sullivan on-board as a co-writer. The anthemic title song, co-produced and co-written by another frequent studio partner from this period, Bryan-Michael Cox, put a powerful feminized spin on ATL native T.I.'s "What You Know," and featured a verse from Ludacris. At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, "Everything to Me" was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Still Standing, Monica's second number one R&B/hip-hop LP (number two pop), was up for Best R&B Album. On the small screen, Monica starred during this time in the reality series Monica: The Single and Monica: Still Standing. Moreover, she landed a role in the Rockmond Dunbar film Pastor Brown, and in 2011 joined the cast of The Voice as an adviser to coach CeeLo Green.