"[5] Secret in the Dark represents a departure, both musically and lyrically, replacing the earlier, predominantly acoustic instrumentation with a mixture of upbeat disco, funk, and soul.

[2][5][7][8] While on a sailing trip in the Aegean Sea in 2012, Christodoulou had to jump overboard after the boat caught fire; she swam for nearly eight hours to reach the shore, swimming in the dark and with no food or water.

[9] The reviewer for The Guardian writes that the record "attempts to stuff the irrepressible energies of disco, funk and soul into one package.

"[6] AllMusic's reviewer writes that Monika's "pairing with Homer Steinweiss, Thomas Brenneck, and their cohorts on Secret in the Dark is inspired, taking her music in new and exciting directions.

"[1] A review of the album's title track for Pitchfork states: "The deep clavinet groove runs on the DNA of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”, and gives way to luscious, loopy disco and Parallel Lines-era Blondie wooziness—a stylish amble through late 70s New York nightlife, essentially.

But there’s still something unmistakably European about the track’s kitschy sensibility: “Secret” has a strong foothold in Euro-disco’s lineage, from Germany’s Veronika Fischer to ABBA.