"Everything to Me" was one out of several tracks resulting from additional recording sessions with longtime contributor
Missy Elliott, Monica set up following a disagreement over the album's leading single with her label
J Records in summer 2008. Penned by Elliott's
protégé and fellow R&B singer
Jazmine Sullivan, it was recorded within three hours only. Incorporating elements of
Deniece Williams' 1981 recording classic "
Silly", the track saw the pair basically reprising the formula of previous successes such as "
So Gone" and "
A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)," featuring music that has "an older feel," according to the singer. Instead, the album's A&R manager Larry Jackson announced on December 18, that the Los Da Mystro-produced "One in a Lifetime" and "
Love All Over Me", produced by
Jermaine Dupri, were being released instead as a dual single for 2010. It was not until January 7, 2010, however, that it was confirmed that "Everything to Me" had replaced both songs as the album's first single following a campaign by fans on
Twitter. On
J Records decision to change the single due to fan's request, Monica commented: "It just made me realize that people want authentic Monica. They don't want me to keep up with all the different gimmicks and trends that are taking place. So that's why we picked the new single because it's just me singing." A two-minute cut of the song was leaked onto the internet on January 8, 2010, and by January 27 the extended single version of "Everything to Me" had been released. An official remix, also produced by Missy Elliott, featuring herself and the late
Notorious B.I.G., and was leaked via Internet on April 22, 2010. The remix samples the instrumental from "I Love You More" by
René & Angela. B.I.G.'s verse is taken from his song, "I Love the Dough" which utilized a similar sample, off his second and final studio album,
Life After Death (1997). ==Reception==