Knock Knock (Monica song)

"Knock Knock" is a song by American recording artist Monica, taken from her fourth studio album After the Storm (2003). It was written and produced by rapper-producer Missy Elliott and commissioned following the delay and subsequent reconstruction of Monica's 2002 album, All Eyez on Me. One out of a handful of tracks which Elliott contributed, the song incorporates elements of 1970s-style soul, as well as hip hop, and is built around excerpts of the record "It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love" as written by Lee Hatim and released by The Masqueraders in 1976. Rapper-producer Kanye West, whose 2005 Freshmen Adjustment mixtape recording "Apologize" the track is based on, is listed as the song's co-producer.

"Knock Knock"
Single by Monica
from the album After the Storm
ReleasedSeptember 2003
Recorded2003; The Hit Factory Criteria
(Miami, Florida)
Genre
Length3:41
LabelJ
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Missy Elliott
  • Kanye West
Monica singles chronology
"So Gone"
(2003)		 "Knock Knock"
(2003)		 "U Should've Known Better"
(2003)

J Records released "Knock Knock", alongside fellow Elliott production "Get It Off," as one of two singles following leading single "So Gone" during the third quarter of 2003. The song was lauded by critics, who praised its streetwise production and Monica's rap part on the track. A moderate success at the charts, it peaked at number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its accompanying music video, directed by Chris Robinson, was filmed as a two-part story with "So Gone".

Writing and recording
Rapper Kanye West is credited as a co-producer on the track.[1]

"Knock Knock" was written and produced by Missy Elliott for Mass Confusion Productions, with additional production by Kanye West.[1] Lee Hatim is also credited in the song because it contains excerpts from The Masquerader' 1975 single, "It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love."[1] West previously sampled the track in his own demo recording, "Apologize", which was later released on his 2005 mixtape Freshmen Adjustment.[1] "Knock Knock" was recorded by Carlos Bedoya at The Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, Florida with further assistance from Marcella Araica.[1] Scott Kieklak mixed the song, while mastering was overseen by Tom Coyne.[1] Elliott also provided additional vocals.[1]

The song is one out of three Elliott-produced records on After the Storm, commissioned by J Records head and executive producer Clive Davis after the release of Elliott's acclaimed studio album Under Construction (2002) and the delay of Monica's original third studio album All Eyez on Me the year before.[2] It was conceived during a studio session week in Miami in early 2003, and was produced as a sequel to "So Gone," another Elliott track.[3] In an interview with MTV News at the 2003 BET Awards, Monica stated that "'Knock Knock' is [...] like a follow-up to 'So Gone,' just saying that, 'All right, we went through all that stuff, now it's time for you to get lost. This is the end of the road for you.' So, it's kind of like a 'get back' record."[3] Commenting on the recording process, she added: "She [Elliott] doesn't have any fear [...] When she goes in the studio, her goal is to be creative and to give something new and she could care less what else is current. And she creates new trends by doing that."[3]

Release and reception

"Knock Knock" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Allmusic editor Andy Kellman felt that the song, along with Elliott's other contributions on the album, provides "a bulk of the most exciting material, with just the right amount of swagger added to the singer's more wide-eyed personality of the '90s."[4] Melisa Tang from The Situation called Monica's vocals "exceptional" and felt that she "does a pretty decent job" at emceeing on the track.[5] Entertainment Weekly's Vanessa Jones declared "Knock Knock" a "streetwise party anthem."[6] Billboard ranked the song among the album's highlights.[7]

First released in the United States, "Knock Knock" debuted at number 89 on the national Billboard Hot 100 chart in the week of October 2, 2003, the fifth-highest debut of the week.[8] The single remained eighteen weeks on the chart, but as it failed to climb any higher during its runwith peak positions at number 75, the song eventually became Monica's lowest-charting, video-accompanied single on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1999's "Street Symphony". Just as predecessor, "So Gone," the track was more successful on Billboard's component charts: "Knock Knock" reached number 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The remix of the single featured producer Kanye West.

Music video

The music video for "Knock Knock" was shot by director Chris Robinson, and produced by Dawn Rose for Partizan Entertainment. It was filmed in various locations throughout Miami, Florida on in mid-late July 2003, and widely serves as the sequel ("Part II") to the video for "So Gone", the first single released from After the Storm. The video features a second appearance by actor Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), who plays Monica's boyfriend, and intercuts a clip of simultaneously released club single "Get It Off" with a dance scene.

The "Knock Knock" video premiered worldwide in July 2003. It charted well on several video-chart countdowns, including peak positions of number 3 on BET's 106 & Park.

There are two versions of the video, both featuring the same premise but with certain different scenes.

Formats and track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of After the Storm.[1]

Charts
Chart (2003)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 75
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 24

References
  1. After the Storm (Media notes). Monica. J Records. 2003.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Reid, Shaheem; Philippe, Quddus; Waller, Curtis (2003-04-12). "Monica Revises Leaked LP With Help From Missy Elliott". MTV News. VH1.com. Archived from the original on 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  3. Moss, Corey (2003-07-07). "'Knock Knock,' Who's There? Monica And Missy Elliott, Bringing The Heat". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  4. Kellman, Andy. "After the Storm – Monica". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-03-12.
  5. Tang, Melisa. "After the Storm Review". The Situation. Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  6. Jones, Vanessa (July 18, 2003). Global Media,464194,00.html "After the Storm Review" Check |url= value (help). Entertainment Weekly: 76–77. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  7. "Essentials: Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2003-06-28. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  8. "The Billboard Hot 100 (2004-08-28)". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  9. "Monica – Knock Knock (CD, Maxi-Single, Promo)". Discogs. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  10. "Monica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  11. "Monica Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
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