Today marks the 25th anniversary of Monica’s ‘For You I Will’. The track was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, the same duo responsible for other iconic tracks like Céline Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’, Toni Braxton’s ‘Un-Break My Heart’ and Brandy’s ‘Have You Ever?’.
During a 2021 segment with Glamour, Monica revealed that she caught the flu before the recording of ‘For You I Will’ but she was so connected with the song, and excited to work with Diane Warren and David Foster, she refused to miss the opportunity.
‘For You I Will’ was released as the fifth single from the massively successful ‘Space Jam’ soundtrack, which peaked at #2 in the US and was certified 6x Platinum. It became Monica’s fourth consecutive Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100, and the third Top 10 hit from the ‘Space Jam’ album following Seal’s ‘Fly Like An Eagle’ and R. Kelly’s ‘I Believe I Can Fly’. ‘For You I Will’ peaked at #4, and was certified Platinum. It also charted at #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Internationally, the song notably peaked at #2 in New Zealand and #3 in the Netherlands.
The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, who has directed over 100 music videos in his career for other artists including Janet Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Alanis Morissette and so many more. The ‘For You I Will’ video is sadly not included on Monica’s official YouTube channel. It features footage from the ‘Space Jam’ film intercepted with shots of Monica in a movie theatre and singing to the camera.
The song was later included on Monica’s second studio album ‘The Boy Is Mine’ and remains one of her biggest hits.
Listen to ‘For You I Will’ on Spotify: