In the music industry, it is not uncommon for artists to pay other people to write their songs. Many of our favorite songs were written for and by artists other than the person who we associate the song with. For example, Selena Gomez’s “Come & Get It” was intended for Rihanna, Brittany Spears recorded a demo of “Telephone” by Lady Gaga (which went triple platinum in my household), and “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston first belonged to Janet Jackson. Shocking, right?
Sometimes, the same songwriters will write for a handful of other artists – Sevyn Streeter wrote for Brandy and Alicia Keys. Victoria MonĂ©t wrote for Ariana Grande (like, a LOT), Chloe x Halle, Jhene Aiko, and the list goes on. With over a million streams, Victoria MonĂ©t is my current musical obsession.
I have this thing where I’ll discover a new artist and I obsess over their work for a few weeks or months. I clearly remember obsessing over Mindless Behavior as a tween – if you know, you know. I was also obsessed with Megan thee Stallion in the past, but that’s still my girl.
On August 25, Miss Monet dropped her highly-anticipated album “Jaguar II” on all streaming platforms. The eleven-song record was all that I could listen to for days on end. I had it on repeat, only taking breaks to listen to the latest episodes of my favorite podcasts. Once I was all caught up there, I was right back to “Jaguar II.” My favorite songs on the album are “Stop (Asking Me 4 Shyt),” “Smoke,” “On My Mama,” and “Alright.” Something about them makes me wanna bust a move!
I came across Victoria Monet thanks to Spotify when “Coastin’” appeared on my daily mix playlists and I decided I wanted to hear more of her work. What stood out to me was her sound – she was very consistent from song to song, and thankfully they didn’t sound repetitive. To me, a great artist has range but their sound is distinguishably their own.Â
When she announced The Jaguar Tour this past summer, I told myself I just had to go – and I did! I saw her live in concert in Washington, DC and I had the time of my life. I attended Broccoli City in July, but that was a music festival; an overwhelming amount of people and scorching mid-summer temperatures in a concrete parking lot – I don’t see myself doing that again. This show was in a venue and although we were in General Admission, I was so excited because we arrived early enough that we were at the front of the stage!
Something I noticed while she performed was her incredible voice control. If you watch her performance on Jimmy Fallon, you’ll know what I mean. Victoria Monét is a performer by definition: she actively dances with her backup dancers while sounding as though she were standing still, she interacts with the crowd, and her energy is tangible. Not to mention the woman is gorgeous!
For anyone looking to get into her music, I recommend the following songs:
I can’t wait to see what else she produces for her fans, but I am so happy she is making a name for herself in the industry. My girl is finally getting the recognition she deserves!