Первая ночь: хит Моники 1998 года

1998 single by Monica
the song

"The First Night" is a song by American singer Monica for her second studio album, The Boy Is Mine (1998). It was written by Tamara Savage and Jermaine Dupri, featuring production and additional vocals from the latter. Built around a sample of Diana Ross's 1976 recording "Love Hangover", penned by Marilyn McLeod and Pam Sawyer, who share co writing credits, the song is about the protagonist's battle with sexual temptations on the night of her first date, despite her conflicting emotions and strong sexual desires. Following the major commercial chart success of previous single "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with fellow R&B singer Brandy, "The First Night" song was released on July 28, 1998, as the album's second single by Arista Records. Upon its commercial release, it emerged as Monica's second consecutive chart topper, topping both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the component Hot R&B Singles chart, becoming her first Hot 100 number one (and third R&B number one) as a solo artist. A remix version with producer Dupri, and rapper Da Brat appeared as a bonus track on Monica's 1998 CD single, "Angel of Mine".

"The First Night" was written by Tamara Savage and record producer Jermaine Dupri, and production was handled by the latter. In the mid 1990s, Savage, a USC alumna and musical performer, signed a development deal with EMI while she was still in college. In 1997, her mentor, Big Jon Platt, then Senior Vice President of Creative at EMI Music Publishing, started setting up collaborations between her and EMI writers such as Soulshock & Karlin and Jermaine Dupri.

In his review of the song, Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as a "sleek soul shuffler" and praised Monica for not rushing "to swap her youth for adult props". Overall, he thought the song was "smarter than your average pop hit" and called it a winner that would dominate radio playlists. Tony Farsides from Music Week felt that the song "is quite downbeat but builds momentum of its own through Dupri's cameo raps and Monica's own impressive vocals." In 2020 the song was ranked at number 108 on Cleveland. com's Every No. 1 song of the 1990s ranked from worst to best list. Writer Troy L. Smith said, "Listening to it now, Monica’s “The First Night” may not feel like a song that topped the charts for a total of five weeks. But back in 1998, its hip hop soul vibe fit right in with the times." "The First Night" was replaced by Barenaked Ladies's "One Week" after two weeks at number one, only to reclaim the top of the chart for another three weeks in October 1998. On Billboards component charts, it spent six weeks at number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart and became Monica's first entry on the Dance Club Play chart, also reaching the top spot.

+ Release dates and formats for "The First Night"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. (Reference)United StatesJuly 14, 1998Rhythmic contemporary radioAristaJuly 28, 199812 inch vinyl, CD, cassetteAugust 4, 1998Contemporary hit radioUnited KingdomOctober 5, 199812 inch vinyl, CD, cassetteArista, Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG