Monica's "Still Standing"

There are a few good songs on Monica's fifth studio album, "Still Standing." Unfortunately, none of them are as good as the CD's first single, "Everything to Me."

The soaring tune — which owes much of its charm to the sampling of Deniece Williams' classic, "Silly" — overshadows everything else on the disc. The power ballads are wimpy and the edgy tracks aren't nearly sharp enough.

Monica's voice is both powerful and graceful, but lackluster lyrics, such as on the sleepy "Superman," make a potentially great song only OK. The same goes for "Love All Over Me," where she sings "you showered me with a new beginning, now I'm clean."

More than a decade after the 29-year-old debuted, there's no question that she has the skill. But now, on her ninth album, it's her overall sound that needs tweaking.

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Check this track out: The music flows, the lyrics are palatable and Monica delivers her majestic vocals with attitude on "Stay Or Go."