Victoria Monet Lives Up To Her Potential On Brilliant 'Jaguar II'

When Victoria Monét moved to Hollywood at age 20, she predicted she’d be settled in both personal and professional life within just a few years. Even the best laid plans rarely work out that way, and 14 years later the pop-R&B songstress is finally tasting true mainstream success with the generationally incandescent Jaguar II. After a three-year layoff, Monét emerges from the foliage renewed in spirit and elevated in terms of artistry. In a seamless blend of production nostalgia and contemporary songwriting, the Los Angeles transplant firmly asserts herself in the genre spotlight while simultaneously exploring and rewriting the concepts of motherhood, femininity, and sexuality.

Songwriting came easily, and Monét rattled off a series of pop-R&B hits for Ariana Grande, Jhene Aiko, and Chloe x Halle. It took time, however, to gain a foothold in the genre delivering her own material – outside of her own dedicated fanbase. The moment nearly came along with 2020’s Jaguar, in which Monét established herself as a powerful yet understated player in the game, taking 70s disco and funk and merging them with contemporary R&B production and topics. It inched her closer to her goal of creating timeless neo-soul capable of withstanding the decades. But it wasn’t quite the breakout moment she had hoped. Three summers later, Monét doubles down on her instincts and it pays off with just the right combination of vision and throwback appreciation on Jaguar II.

Adorned by a burst of trumpet from Arnetta Johson, opener “Smoke” is both a funk-infused stoner’s anthem at face-value and an extended metaphor for the impact Monét is ready to have as a face of the genre. It’s just one example of Monét’s grasp of blending artistic lineages, as she explained to Vulture in August. Each and every choice she makes feels deliberate – from the dancehall turn with Buju Banton (“Party Girls”) to the funky ballad tribute to her adopted hometown with personal idols Earth, Wind & Fire (“Hollywood”).

In an interview with Apple Music, Monét said she thought audiences would anticipate an album that demurely explored that part of her new identity. But that’s not all the 34-year-old is, and she emphasizes this by declaring her sexual dominance, reserving her right to party, and kissing off, in no uncertain terms, unworthy romantic interests. It’s a delicate balance of old school and new: In one breath she’s invoking the eight track, the next she’s co-signing bisexual pre-rolls. Each swipe lands.

The elements all mesh together with ease on the viral hit “On My Mama,” which captured attention with the best hook of Monét’s already storied career and a choreographically ambitious visual. Vocally, it’s a nod to her appreciation for singers like Janet Jackson, who rely on nuance over power. Although Monét said she struggled with vocal changes postpartum, there’s no noticeable change other than perhaps a slightly warmer tone.

Monét weaves an instant R&B classic out of empowerment anthems, genuine respect for her soul elders, and an unflappable confidence that can only be admired.