Victoria Monét on her ‘affirming’ 7 Grammy nominations, being queer in R&B and living in the moment
TheGrio caught up with the Grammy-nominated hitmaker ahead of the Grammy Awards this Sunday.
Victoria Monét is finally looking ahead. “I’m just still trying to be better,” the singer-songwriter and hitmaker told us on a Tuesday in December, just barely a month after the Grammy nominations were announced. “I think that’s kind of what the plan was from the beginning. It’s just to be a better artist. And it was the day before.”
In case you’ve missed it, Monét had quite the past 12 months after having quite the last 12 years. The “On My Mama” hitmaker has penned hits for some of the biggest acts in the industry, writing for the likes of Brandy, Chloe x Halle and collaborating on tracks, including “Thank U, Next,” “7 Rings” and “34+35” with her close friend Ariana Grande. While making a name for herself as one of the sharpest writers in the game, Monét continued developing her own artistry as a singer and performer, dropping EPs like the “Life After Love” series and “Jaguar,” all beloved by her dedicated fans.
With her debut album “Jaguar II,” Monét charmed both critics and fans alike, earning rave reviews and a staggering seven Grammy nominations. Fusing whip-smart, contemporary lyricism with lush sonic landscapes inspired by ’70s R&B and funk, her signature style truly feels one-of-a-kind. She has the types of records you can throw on at a house party with your friends, in the bedroom, or in the car, with delicious hooks that stay in your brain for months and months. For newcomers, Monét’s success may seem like a sort of lightning-fast, meteoric rise, but for longtime followers, this is very clearly a hard-earned moment for an artist dedicated to perfecting her craft on every level.
“In my sessions when I’m working with artists, the goal is the same as when I’m working for myself: it’s to create the most authentic and amazing song for you at that time, in that moment,” she explained to us. “When I’m writing for others, it’s through their experiences in their story that they want to tell and the sonics that they want to portray. You have my opinions to consider. For me, I’m in my own head and conversing with myself on what to do. I’m speaking from my perspective.”
As for those multiple Grammy nominations, Monét shared with us that this moment in particular is “affirming” for her. “When I was making the album and listening back to the album, I did feel like it was so special and in my heart felt that it was Grammy-worthy. But, even when things are of a certain caliber in your heart, sometimes they just don’t reach that place. You just never know.”
The mom of one explained that she “was just really proud of the project” and what her team accomplished but also made sure to “try not to attach myself too much to the accolades of it all.”
“I’ve worked with so many people who believed from a point where it wasn’t so obvious, you know, it wasn’t so easy and cool. You know, we had to work. I put a lot of groundwork in to get to this point, so it really feels affirming to actually have some of those parts come to fruition.”
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Monét, who is openly bisexual, also shed light on her journey as an artist in R&B as her representation continues breaking boundaries in an already-evolutionary genre. Initially, she felt “very hidden” and kind of restricted” due to uncertainty of how authentic she could be and “what was appropriate or inappropriate and what people would accept.”
“It takes all of those thoughts out of the equation to just be free, to be able to come out and then also be welcomed with open arms by a community that’s ready to relate to you and not judge you, and is actually looking for someone to represent their perspective.”
“It’s been an honor just to be able to do that,” she pressed to us. “I know not everybody’s story’s that way. When they come out, they may not have the community that would accept them. So I think in some ways my music has to be a hug for them, and I love to be that space, to be able to create it so that my music is something for people to lean on if they do or if they don’t have that community of love.”
Not only does her transition excite Monét, but the “freedom” she has to write how she writes and write what she wants to write about is “awesome to even see.”
As for what’s next? The singer tells us she is “always” thinking about that. “I’m trying to be prepared for the next thing and think ahead and have a plan. I’m trying to simultaneously enjoy this moment too, because if I think about my past self, these are the things that I wanted then and have worked so hard to get to. So I’m trying to learn the balance of being in the moment and just receiving and living in gratitude.”
“I want to get back in the studio real bad,” she teased. “A lot of people say the second album after a really successful one is harder, so it’s about knowing that, but also forgetting that and just being completely naturally myself and creating whatever feels right to me. I want to tour again next year, and I want to do some collaborating with other artists.”
Monét suggests “exploring” other opportunities in the future, like writing for a film, TV, a book or scripts to see how her “pen can grow” and where it will lead her. “I also want to venture off in different writing avenues,” she added.
Victoria Monét’s debut album “Jaguar II” is available to stream now.
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