Monica's no-nonsense lyrics and sultry vocals project a flinty toughness that R&B-loving women took to heart. Jazmine Sullivan's openhearted songwriting and raspy voice recall Monica's strutting early single “Don't Take It Personal”; Melanie Fiona's conflicted “It Kills Me” brings to mind the similarly tormented “The First Night”; and K. Michelle's real-talking catalog turns up the simmering strength Monica exhibited on “The Boy Is Mine.”