Louisiana has always held a special place in Monica’s heart.

“One of my best friends, (rapper Mia X) is from New Orleans and I just simply adore her, the people, the love they give me, the food and I have a good time every time I come there,” the multiplatinum selling R&B star said.

“People there love real music. They love to hear somebody really sing, and I’m looking forward to the show there and having a good time. I’m really serious about that. Louisiana is just one of those places,” she said.

Monica will be here to feel the love again when she joins Trey Songz on Saturday night at the Municipal Auditorium for the second show of his Passion, Pain and Pleasure concert tour.

While heartthrob Songz will be headlining the tour, Monica is anything but an opening act.

At the ripe young age of 29, Monica is practically a veteran in the music industry.

She scored her first Grammy as a teenager when she paired with a fellow R&B/pop princess of that time, Brandy, for the smash hit single “The Boy is Mine.”

Before that, she was the youngest female artist to have two back-to-back No. 1 hits with “Don’t Take it Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” and “Before You Walk Out of My Life.”

Now, the chart-topping artist has proven her endurance through the ups and downs of life and the music industry with her sixth album “Still Standing,” which features her latest hit “Everything to Me.”

“This album is just about my life experiences. I’ll be 30 in October, and I’m the mother of two small children. Real life is happening to me and around me and I named it ‘Still Standing’ as a form of encouragement,” Monica said in a recent phone interview with The Times as she was en route to a taping of BET’s “106 & Park” in New York City. “Even if you read the title, you should feel some source of strength.”

Since she debuted on the music scene in 1995, fans have always enjoyed the down-to-earth authenticity she’s conveyed through her songs, like “Why I Love You So Much,” “The First Night,” “So Gone” and more.

She attributes her down-to-earth tone to several factors: “My family, my belief in God and the understanding that we’re all human beings “» I use my music to reach people who can relate to that,” she said.

The Georgia native recently completed the first season of her BET reality show “Still Standing” and said she plans to do another season in a locale to be determined. She’s also taking on the role of entrepreneur with a soon-to-be-released children’s clothing line inspired by her two sons.

But in the meantime, Monica’s taking stock of the life lessons she’s learned so far.

“I think just in life, period, it’s second nature to depend on other people and not look within yourself and figure out how much you’re capable of, taking your heart and your career into your own hands,” she said. “You can’t predict what other people will do and how it will affect them. I’m a person who really believes in love and friendship. I’m big on being in a relationship. I’m not looking for the same things that others my age are looking for. Whenever you put your faith in God, not man, you’ll always succeed.”

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