Ms. Monet Reprises an Era of Soulful Music With Her Remake of Dionne Warwicks Single: “You’re Gonna Need Me.”

Keeping it classy and nostalgic with a rhythmic underbelly, Ms. Monet remade the tantalizing song by Dionne Warwick, “You’re Gonne Need Me.”

“You’re Gonna Need Me,” is an old-school break-up anthem that churns sentiments at the riff, while tugging at the heart strings, too. When Dionne chides, “You’re Gonna Need Me. Gonna Want Me Back,” she meant it, scoffing boldly with bitter cautions and sweet innuendos.

Ms. Monet has given the song the same agony and depth, the same sultry story of both heartbreak and realization.

Ms. Monet is a formidable vessel that livens up the lyrics that were sung at contralto by Warwick—The raspiness is more noticeable for Ms. Monet, which gives her permission to sing a scale higher than the instrumentals throughout the track.

Ms. Monet said it was important to remake the song because who knew that it was Dionne doing something so sensual, and quixotic which is different than her preferred methods of annotation like “Say A Little Prayer,” and “Walk on Bye.”

The singer, songwriter, and music producer was born into a musical family in the Bay Area of California where her mother, and grandparents were gospel artist presiding over two churches, while her dad sang with the late Marvin Gaye.

Ms. Monet said it was awesome having both genres surrounding her, when asked about her development in a dual atmosphere of Rhythm and Blues as well as Gospel.

Ms. Monet entered contests at a young age and won a city-wide competition singing the high pitch vocals of the late bombshell, Tina Marie, “It Must Be Magic.”

Ms. Monet continued performing throughout grammar and high school, until she began touring with Huey Lewis and the News at the age of 17.

Even with that exposure, Ms. Monet notes that Tina Marie was her favorite performer growing up, where she’d develop dance routines and immolate her sound; So, as destiny would have its way, Ms. Monet was able to perform background for Tina Marie in 2005.

“Tina Marie became not just someone I worked for, or one of my employers; but she became my musical mom, literally, and just took me under her wing, and poured into me. She poured into me the most beautiful things,” said Ms. Monet. “And, I’ll forever cherish them. I’ll forever cherish the relationship. She was just an awesome, awesome, beautiful spirit.”

Ms. Monet embraces life— She acknowledges everyone, and their unique qualities—She is wholesomely present, and grateful. Even if she repeats the same cycle of the day, each day like the Groundhog Movie, she’d find beauty and meaning in every moment of that day. In 2020, Ms. Monet went to the world Expo in Dubai. She says she traveled as a singer but came back as a new creature. “I came back differently, and my mindset changed. It changed from just wanting to sing and being a singer to this, being my ministry of singing. This ministry for me,” she said. “I realized the power in voice, the power in music; so, anytime I can reinvent, to share it again, it’s all brand new for me again.”

Ms. Monet is a recurring vocalist on NBC The Voice. In fact, she’s touted proudly as one of the oldest contestants, and a more seasoned singer with great depth, and stage presence. She’s proven time and time again that her vocal prowess is unmatched even against the critique of judges on the show.

Ms. Monet sparred in the music game for over 33 years. She received her first Grammy consideration for “My Heart Will Go On’ with Celine Dionne for the 1997 movie, Titanic; so even the small inklings on the show, didn’t bother her. Ms. Monet joined the team of Reba McEntire in cycle 24,  because Reba is the only judge with more experience than Ms. Monet.

Ms. Monet pronounces before opening her mouth, she’s that “Gurl,” no matter how drastically the blueprint for music changes. She embraces the evolving phases —Ms. Monet isn’t running in place like a hamster on a wheel. She’s moving forward with the industry, to wherever this testament is taking her, which is why she’s fortunate to share the stage with so many icons over the span of three decades. Ms. Monet sung with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Gwen Stefani, Eric Benet, Boz Scaggs, Queen Latifha, the late Tina Marie, and Michael McDonald, just to name a few.

Ms. Monet said that if listeners really want to hear her signature sound on The Voice, they should listen to her performance of a 1981 song called “At this Moment,” written by Billy Vera and the Beaters, which was the music score for eighties sitcom, Family Ties.

Ms. Monet performed at her own, live, theater production in California titled “Ms. Monets Ode to the Voice…“It was kinda my play on being on the voice, but just acknowledging these iconic voices that kinda performed me as a vocalist and one of the songs-- Everyone knows how I feel about Whitney Houston, I mean, Whitney Houston is my one, right? And, um, I did, “I Have Nothing.” I sang, here, in Vegas. I’m one of the principled artists at this supper club called Dalilah. “I Have Nothing has become my literal signature song here.”

If Ms. Monet could teach a curriculum on rhythm and blues, she’d tell students, “Bring me your old school in the crate, A-side and B-side record, and let’s talk about why,” she exclaimed while considering the notion. “I’m such a lover of authentic soul music, but feel-good music, and not just R&B, amongst every and all genres. It’s important that we remember these things have been recorded for us to reference and to use again. We have these blueprints that help us understand where music was and where it can go but we don’t have to lose its essence; so, it’s up to us… again, like with my single, it was up to me that if I’m gonna make this song (“You’re Goona Need Me”), then I gotta keep it authentic. “I’m gonna make it sound like… “Yeah, Monet; but what were you trying to do? You never want to be that person (to mess up the integrity of a song). You wanna be the person that takes something and honor it.”

Watch the entire interview below: