Consequently, she enlisted frequent collaborators Missy Elliott, Bryan Michael Cox, and Jermaine Dupri to work with her on the album, with the latter serving as its executive producer, as well as new partners such as The Underdogs, Tank, The Runners, LRoc, Swizz Beatz, and Sean Garrett.

Criticism mainly targeted the trendchasing character of snap-influenced lead single "Everytime tha Beat Drop", as well as the album's occasionally unremarkable production.

[3] The Makings of Me produced four commercial singles, with "Everytime tha Beat Drop", a collaboration with rap group Dem Franchize Boyz, becoming the album's only entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

In June 2003, following several revamps and numerous delays, J Records released Monica's fourth studio album After the Storm in the United States.

[5] While both Elliott and Dupri contributed most to the album, Monica was anxious to keep the number of collaborators close knit and intimate and thus, settled on working with a small amount of additional producers, including Sean Garrett, Harold Lilly, Swizz Beatz, Tank and The Underdogs.

[6] At different times, Monica also recorded with duo Dre & Vidal as well as Tricky Stewart, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, No I.D., and rappers Mannie Fresh, Akon and Young Jeezy, though none of the songs produced with them eventually made the final track listing.

"[10] When asked about the meaning of the title, Monica elaborated in a 2006 interview with Billboard that "this album is really the makings of me because it talks about so many different scenarios, both good and bad, that have pretty much brought me to the point where I'm at mentally," she said, comparing it with a "musical diary where people can really see me in a lot of different lights for once.

"[13] Feeling obligated to unveil her true thoughts about past relationships, writers Tank, Manuel Seal and others crafted songs such as "Sideline Ho" and "Why Her", which were inspired by the poems or their backstories.

[13] The album contains several references to Atlanta, Georgia and alludes to contemporary fashion labels such as Gucci, and automobile manufacturers Bentley and Mercedes-Benz.

Now, at 26, the way I look at things, even relationships, I was really able to involve more of my life experiences in the album," Monica said to MTV News,[15] adding: "I had to tell my story [...] There are too many people who have been in the same situation as me and really don't know their way out.

"[13] "Everytime tha Beat Drop", one of the last songs recorded for The Makings of Me, was chosen as the lead single to show "something that appears on the outside to be different from" Monica and, in addition, represents her hometown Atlanta.

[6] The song received lukewarm reviews, noted as "a decent but ultimately forgettable [...] obligatory club track",[12] and was a mediocre success, reaching the top twenty on the U.S.

[21] "Doin' Me Right", built around a sample of The Whispers' 1976 "Chocolate Girl", was noted as one of the "few songs about good men" on The Makings of Me, alongside Underdogs-crafted "My Everything".

[12] Ryan Dombal of Entertainment Weekly declared it "a solid addition" to Monica's discography,[25] and although he saw her faltering on ballads such as "My Everything", he added: "the singer hints at mature contentment on her fourth CD — while retaining some angry edge, [...] scoring tough-talking venom.

"[25] USA Today writer Steve Jones, on the other hand, wrote: "Sweet ballads like "My Everything" and the Curtis Mayfield-laced "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)" find her nicely contented having found the one.

"[1] In a mixed review, Clover Hope of Billboard magazine wrote that "while The Makings of Me has its needless trendchasing moments, her rich voice and prime subject are the main draw".

[28] He criticized the album for its "avoidable" lead single "Everytime tha Beat Drop", writing that "Monica is good enough without the fluff.

"[29] New York Post's Dan Aquilante wrote: "After a three-year hiatus, she revives her career with a well-balanced disc of hard raps, dance beats and smooth groove coos.

[32] After The Makings of Me's commercial underperformance,[33] she felt obliged to follow a more authentic approach on her next project Still Standing which abandoned "all the different gimmicks and trends" in favor of a record that lived up to the sound her previous hits, particularly those from the 1990s.