Monica to Release Country AlbumOpen RoadsProduced by Brandi Carlile After Delay: 'Life Just Keeps Life-ing'

Mar. 15, 2025

Monica in July 2024; Brandi Carlile in March 2024.Photo:Prince Williams/WireImage; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Prince Williams/WireImage; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

MonicaandBrandi Carlile— the collaboration fans never knew they needed.

Rolling Stonereportedthat Monica, 43, teased the project in 2022, and announced that it was complete in 2023. She said during a live performance that the album had been delayed because “life just keeps life-ing," but now fans won’t have to wait much longer.

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty

Monica previouslytoldEntertainment Tonightin July 2022 about her longtime love for the country music genre. She said that herDolly Partonobsession began when she was a kid visiting Dollywood with her stepfather and seeing the impact Parton has.

“I was in her park at about 10 years old and the lady working told me, ‘Well, I’m Dolly’s first cousin and she gives us a job, a car and an apartment, it’s amazing,’ " Monica recalled.

“So when I met her and I realized all of these people are related to her and she built all of this, it really helps her family and her community, that’s when my love for her began in country music.”

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Monica also said that when she would sing country songs, she would be told “that’s not what you do.”

“But I realized there are no limitations to what we can do and Brandi Carlile told me, ‘Monica, stop waiting and I will help you,’ " she said at the time. “Since then we have been working nonstop,”

Brandi Carlile performs in Los Angeles in May 2021.Kevin Winter/Getty

Monica is also set to release an R&B album calledMDA(it was originally titledTrenches).Both albums are set to be released later this year, making for an extra-busy year for the Grammy-winning artist.

She reunited withBrandyto collaborate withAriana Grande’s"The Boy Is Mine” remix in June. Monica and Brandy, 45, who sang the original song in 1998, also hadcameos in Grande’s music video for the song,appearing as broadcasters.

source: people.com