Unless you’ve been offline these past few days, you’ve probably heard Ariana Grande’s newest single, “yes and?”. It’s the latest addition to Grande’s impressive discography and the kick-start to her new era, eternal sunshine, which is the title of Grande’s seventh studio album. Grande fans have anticipated this album as it’s been three years since Grande released her last solo album, Positions. Fans (me) are more than ready for some new music, and many are curious to know if she’ll collaborate with any well-known artists or songwriters for the upcoming album.
One singer-songwriter Grande has famously worked with is Victoria Monét, who has recently risen to mainstream notoriety with the release of her album Jaguar II. The hit single “On My Mama” solidified Monét as a songwriting genius and made her a topic of conversation. Monét is the second-most nominated artist for the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony, making her a force to be reckoned with. Outside of working on some of the most popular tracks in Grande’s catalog, including “needy,” “Be Alright,” and “thank u, next,” Monét and Grande have a public friendship in which they often praise each other. Here’s a look at a few of their special moments.
2011: The BFFs First Met During grande’s Nickelodeon Days
Monet and Grande didn’t just become friends. They first met back in 2011 when the “positions” singer was still on Victorious.
“My music partner Tommy Brown and I have known her for awhile now,” Monet said in an interview with You Know I Got Soul in 2014. “I think it was two years before her first album [Yours Truly]. We were one of the first people to work with her and I think she has a particular trust in us because we aren’t coming after she blew up. We just e-mail her directly with whatever song we feel she would love. We’re developing that closer friendship. We go to her house for game night and her mom is really sweet. In the booth, I’m able to be honest with her and she’s honest with me. I like the creative process with her, she’s an incredible girl.”
2017: Monét Opened for Grande On Her ‘Dangerous Woman’ Tour
During the North America leg of Grande’s Dangerous Woman World Tour, Monet served as one of two opening acts (the other was Little Mix).
Unfortunately, the tour was temporarily halted due to a terrorist bombing that happened minutes after the end of Grande’s Manchester Arena show.
A month after the horrific event, Grande held the One Love Manchester benefit concert during which Monét joined her onstage to sing “Better Days.”
What a special moment between the two. This performance marked one of the few times, possibly the only one, Monét and Grande have performed together. Perhaps we’ll see more on-stage duets from these two in 2024.
November 2018: Monet performs with Grande on The ellen Show
Not long after Grande released her hit single “thank u, next,” she appeared on an episode of The Ellen Show where she sang the song live. Not only did she sound and look amazing, but the singer was joined by Monét and her other longtime bestie Tyla Parx, both of whom delivered backup vocals.
January 2019: Grande gave Monet Two of her famous Seven Rings.
Monét told PEOPLE in December 2023 that in 2019, Grande gifted her two matching rings that alluded to her hit song “7 Rings.” Monet was even featured in the music video along with Grande’s other besties.
“I have two of them because at one point I had lost one, and I was so devastated because I’m sometimes a bit irresponsible. That was the old me; this is the new me, but Ariana felt so bad she got another one,” Monét said.
She continued with the story behind the rings and revealed she eventually found the other one, and Grande told her to keep them both. Since then, she’s been much more careful with the rings Grande gifted her. “Before every show, I took them off and gave them to someone on my team, and then I put them back on.”
April 2019: Their iconic link-up for “Monopoly.”
The “Monopoly” video was one of the best moments in Monét and Grande’s friendship. The pure joy from this video makes it feel like you’re hanging out with the pair IRL. The song ends with the perfect lyrics to encapsulate this dynamic duo: “I’m so thankful working with my best friend, she the cheat code.”
There’s no doubt these two make good music, and we can only hope they have a surprise for us on Grande’s new album.