Victoria Monét fans are having a thrilling 2024. Almost perfect, really, thanks to the artist’s seven Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance.
But not entirely perfect because of that Best New Artist one that might not sit right. It feels frustratingly close to another recent incident, when MTV allegedly told Victoria’s team that it was “too early in her story” for Victoria to perform at the 2023 VMAs.
“I try not to take it personally,” says Victoria, in a speaking voice that could rival your favorite guided meditation despite this tricky topic. “Someone who doesn’t have the full scope of this story might think, It’s too early. But people who are in the know know the songwriting. They know the girl group I was in in 2009. They know I was an independent artist, supporting myself financially on tours. I had to wait for this big moment, and when I say ‘wait,’ I don’t mean sitting on my hands—I had to climb up a hill for a really long time. It’s giving Mount Everest.”
And there’s a hell of a view from the top. In 2023 alone, Victoria released her debut studio album, Jaguar II; headlined a sold-out tour; saw her song “On My Mama” go to number one on a Billboard chart; and earned Mom of the Year status (her 2-year-old daughter, Hazel Monét, is now the youngest Grammy nominee of all time, thanks to her laughter on Victoria’s track “Hollywood”).
Victoria’s sound, full of grand ’70s-inspired instrumentation (with extra love shown toward the horn section) and smooth layered vocals, is noteworthy for its flexibility, as capable of seducing as it is of empowering, sometimes within the same song. (Go ahead, listen to the 2020 slow jam “Moment.” We’ll wait.) But it’s her lyrics that have won her so many devoted listeners, Barack Obama and Jay-Z publicly among them.
A Victoria Monét song is full of powerful assertions, the kind that don’t just encourage an “I can’t be fucked with” mindset—they demand it. The anthem “On My Mama” is about feeling great and looking better. It’s meant for first-thing-in-the-morning motivation and pre-game playlists, dark days when you need a three-minute inner-power reminder and days when you are feeling yourself and need no reminder at all, just a soundtrack. And it works because it’s real.
“While writing ‘On My Mama,’ I was just trying to transform my thoughts,” says Victoria, who had postpartum depression after giving birth to Hazel in 2021. “It’s a crazy juxtaposition: You’re supposed to be in one of the happiest moments of your life, but you’re sad and you can’t really explain it or fake it.” The song’s lyrics, like “When they say she get it from her mama / I’mma say, ‘You fuckin’ right,’” were an attempt to change her own mindset. “It feels like a positive affirmation song to me,” she explains. “I want that subconsciously with a lot of my music.”
Victoria has had years of practice putting emotions into words—during her Everest-like ascent, she cowrote songs for other artists, including several of Ariana Grande’s mega-sensations, like the 2019 singles “7 Rings” and “Thank U, Next.” The women’s famously close collaborations have been another cause for chatter among Victoria’s fans. Some are outraged over what they see as a power imbalance, in which Ariana “stole” Victoria’s sound while relegating Victoria to a behind-the-scenes-only role. It’s a claim Victoria is quick to disregard. This is not a high-profile-women-in-competition story, she says.
“It’s weird that people are comparing us and are surprised that a song would sound like something that I wrote—because I did write it,” she explains. “If the roles were reversed, if Ariana was a songwriter first, you may find me trying to hit a whistle tone or something. It’s a moot point to me, so I just let the internet do their thing.”
Meanwhile, Victoria is focused on doing more of her thing, producing self-affirming anthems and becoming a celebrity spokesperson of sorts for getting what you deserve. “When people are singing along to my music, I want them to be manifesting great things in their lives,” she says. “You can sing or speak your way through hard times and turn a new leaf.” Even if it takes some time.
It’s no surprise, after all, that the symbol she’s chosen to represent her work is a jaguar (see both her 2020 Jaguar EP and recent Jaguar II album). The animal is known to be a patient creature that is also ready to leap at any moment. “I’ll always be a jaguar,” says Victoria. “When the jaguar comes into the light and pounces, they have the strongest bite in the jungle. There’s more to do, and I want to make my position consistent. Some people say the second album is harder than the first. The challenges have shifted. I have new prey.”
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On the cover: Lidow Archive top. Ariana Boussard-Reifel earrings. Retrofête x Keren Wolf ring bracelet. Lead image: No Sesso dress. Flor de Maria heels. Eéra choker. Mattia Cielo bracelet.
Stylist: Cassie Anderson. Hair: Davontaé Washington at Opus Beauty using As I Am. Makeup: Angie Mar. Manicure: Elizabeth Garcia using Gucci Beauty. Set design: Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Production: Crawford & Co Productions.
Executive producer: Abbey Adkison. Director of photography: Darren Kho. Camera assistant: Eric Wann. Sound: Michael Rich. Editing: Sarah Ng.
