2023 has been an incredible run for Victoria Monét, who put out her debut studio album in August. JAGUAR II launched with 11 songs and features from Lucky Daye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Buju Banton, and her two-year-old daughter.
In a Mixmag cover story published today (Dec. 20), Monét reflected on her success this year, aspirations to do a full-length project with KAYTRANADA, and more. During their conversation, the “On My Mama” singer also opened up about a surprise invite to attend Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE film premiere.
“I feel like people as fans need to see it, just to know how much it takes to make such an extravagant experience,” she told the outlet. “Just to see her have a 27-year career, you don’t see that a lot.”
RENAISSANCE pulled in more than $20 million in ticket sales after its global debut on Dec. 1. The documentary became the No. 1 movie in the U.S. with a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Monét has been very vocal about her love for Beyoncé in the past. In an interview with Elite Daily on Tuesday (Dec. 19), she cited the music icon as an early inspiration. The Atlanta native revealed that 2016’s Lemonade “exposed the experiences that women have had in relationships, and she addressed it in such a vulnerable way.”
“At the time, I was in a play at my church, and one of the last songs we had to learn was Destiny’s Child’s [‘Gospel Melody’ from their Survivor album],” she explained. “Me and two other girls learned the song together. Actually, I guess that was my first real girl group experience.”
Elsewhere in her feature with Mixmag, Monét delved into her encounter with Janet Jackson during the London stop of her “The Jaguar Tour.” The singer shared, “I knew FLO were coming, but my team knew about Janet before. My security said, ‘And that’s where Janet’s going to sit.’ I was like, ‘Janet… Janet Jackson?’”
Recounting her surprise and nervousness upon learning of the musician’s impending attendance, Monét pondered if the encounter could be a prelude to portraying Jackson in a future project. She added, “In some world, what if this is an audition for if I ever got to play her? After we spoke after the show, I replayed that moment so many times in my head, like, did I say the right thing?”
Monét’s JAGUAR II charted on Billboard‘s Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, and reached No. 4 on the Rhythmic chart. It was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards last month.
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