In conversation: Victoria Monét
After more than a decade writing songs for other pop stars behind the scenes, the Grammy-winner is at long last having the year she deserves
THE TRUE MARKER OF VICTORIA MONÉT’S skyrocketing fame is not that she sold out her performances at The Roundhouse, but that her enormous audience came dressed in varying shades of chocolate, a tribute to the singer’s favourite colour. We’ve all seen Beyoncé’s stadiums full of cowboy hats and silver glitter on her Renaissance tour or Taylor Swift’s Swifties, with their boho dresses and arms covered in friendship bracelets for Eras. The true sign that you’ve made it is a matching audience.
So when Victoria Monét takes to the stage in a bejewelled two-piece set the colour of a bar of Lindt, it’s clear she’s about to join the ranks of legends who have played the iconic venue, from Amy Winehouse to Jimi Hendrix.
To see the 34-year-old live is to witness a star rising. From the second she launches into Moment, from her debut 2020 EP Jaguar, the crowd is gripped, captivated by her flawless dance moves and smooth vocals. On the balcony sit Flo, the Gen-Z trio renewing our faith in girl groups, clearly entranced. Tucked away in the opposite corner of the venue, Monét’s biggest inspiration, Janet Jackson, quietly watches the show.
‘That was really special,’ Monét says with a smile several days later, while recalling the thrill of performing in front of her hero. Jackson reciprocates the love, posting a picture of the pair on Instagram and wishing Monét, ‘continued success in all that you do’.
It was just one of many ‘pinch-me’ moments since Monét released the second instalment of her Jaguar series last summer. She used the title, inspired by her fascination with Black artistry and political movements of the 1970s, on both releases. ‘It was an era where Black people got a lot of their power back – what Black people experienced in 2020 and everything happening in the world reminded me of that time in history. I wanted my music and visuals to feel reminiscent of that era.’
Monét earned seven Grammy Nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for the trumpet-heavy smash On My Mama. She went on to win Best New Artist, Best R&B Album
and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Jaguar II.
Has the magnitude of it all sunk in? ‘Not really. I’m still floating from what feels like a big karmic gift. I would have been just as emotional with one nomination, let alone six more. Everyone that I worked with took a chance on me, because I wasn’t signed yet when I finished the album.’
Listening to the album feels like a journey through time, with elements of soul, Motown, R&B and jazz. Collaborations with Kaytranada, Earth, Wind & Fire and Lucky Daye speak to the versatility of the project. Its lead single, On My Mama, was a viral social-media hit and an anthem of self-love shared by everyone from Zendaya to Kerry Washington. The music video was equally addictive – it racked up over 28 million views, while the #OnMyMama challenge – a breakdown of the video choreography by Sean Bankhead – set TikTok ablaze.
The pressures on artists to strive on social media has been well documented, and for Monét, ‘it was a love hate-relationship at the start, because I was looking at it like another job. But [I realised] to be able to film a dance and see everybody doing it, that’s a luxury. I feel more comfortable letting my guard down now.’
Those who have been following Monét’s career will know that her mainstream success is long overdue. Born in Georgia, Atlanta, she moved to California at three years old. Raised by her mother and grandmother, Monét remained well versed in Southern culture and continued to spend time in Atlanta, absorbing dance styles from both states that would go on to inform her own musical output. ‘I learned intricate hip-hop styles and took part in competitions up and down California with a crew called Boogie Monsters. Dance introduced me to so many types of music. Choreographers would choose songs I’d never heard of.’
As we speak, Monét’s two-year-old daughter Hazel giggles in the background, and asks for Monét to put make-up on her. ‘I think she’s not listening to me, then a week later she’ll sing my songs,’ she says, clearly proud. Monét sweeps glitter eyeshadow across her daughter’s lids, while discussing how inspiring and ‘incredibly helpful’ her own mother has been. Her mother often comes to LA to help look after Hazel.
Juggling motherhood with a busy touring schedule is challenging, but Monét approaches it with creativity. When Hazel joined her on the road, they went trickor-treating in the hotel. ‘I don’t find that I’m doing anything out of the ordinary. I just think that when you’re a mom, and you have to make something happen, that’s what we do. I have a job that I can bring my daughter along to, which is a blessing and a privilege.’
Hailing from a family of musicians – her mother and grandmother were singers, and her grandfather was a multiinstrumentalist – Monét cut her teeth singing in church choirs with her relatives. In 2010, she connected with musical polymath Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins over Myspace, and he invited Monét to be part of a girl group, Purple Reign. Unfortunately, the trio disbanded before releasing any music, but the experience provided Monét with a crucial entry point into the industry. With her characteristic honesty and charm, she quickly established herself as a songwriter, going on to pen hits for global superstars such as TI, Chloe and Halle Bailey and Ariana Grande (she released Monopoly with the latter in 2019).
Now, Monét is riding high on her own success. Post-Grammy win, she’s already writing tracks for her next project – with a potential Jaguar Deluxe in store. ‘My team knows that I’ve been begging to get back into the studio. I want to make more music.’ And the world of pop and R&B will be all the better for it.