Jaguar Pt. II

Victoria Monét’s Best Songs

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Victoria Monét recently announced the release date for her highly anticipated debut album, Jaguar II. The Sacramento singer-songwriter’s official full-length debut will be released on August 25 via Lovett Music and RCA. The album will serve as a sequel to her previous release, which was the Jaguar EP back in 2020. Though Jaguar II marks her official introduction, Victoria Monét has been established for over a decade.

Monét started her career as a songwriter and has written for many artists, including Diddy, Coco Jones, Fifth Harmony, Chloe x Halle, Brandy, Blackpink, and close collaborator Ariana Grande. Victoria became a successful songwriter before starting a career as a recording artist, where she released many EPs and featured songs from notable artists. Additionally, she has previously been featured on songs by Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla $ign, Nas, T.I., Wale, and Lupe Fiasco.

This is a list of her best songs, many of which come from Jaguar. While Monét’s oldest EPs have plenty of gems, her greatest songs so far have been released recently as she has focused on building a career as a singer and performer. Many of Monét’s best songs also include singles from the upcoming Jaguar II album, which have set the bar incredibly high for an already anticipated project. Take a look at the list of Victoria Monét’s top five best songs below, ranked from least to greatest. 

5. “Smoke” feat. Lucky Daye (2023)

One of the singles from the upcoming Jaguar II album, “Smoke,” has already become one of Victoria Monét’s best songs. The song’s downbeat groove is reminiscent of “Dive” and “Go There With You” from Jaguar but with even better production. The melody on the hook is catchy on its own, but the hook is an enjoyable moment and equally as memorable. New Orleans singer Lucky Daye features on the song, contributing his own verses and ad-libbing Victoria Monét’s verses. Their singing voices complement each other nicely, especially when they harmonize. The song is about smoking, both in the lyrics but emphasizes the song’s vibe as “that sh*t you smoke to.” 

4. “Party Girls” feat. Buju Banton (2023)

Another single from the forthcoming Jaguar II, “Party Girls,” is an early contender for Song of the Summer. It starts as an R&B jam before completely transforming into a dancehall track. The melody from Victoria Monét is undeniably catchy, no matter the tempo. The feature from legendary dancehall musician Buju Banton and the sample from Dave Kelly’s iconic “Showtime Riddim” bring a lively energy to the danceable second half of the song. “Party Girls” stands out among Victoria Monét’s slow-jam heavy catalog, highlighting her ability to fuse her signature pop/R&B sound with other genres and influences.

3. “Coastin’” (2021)

Many of Victoria Monét’s best songs are feel-good vibes to enjoy on a sunny day. Influenced by her home state of California, “Coastin’” captures a ‘70s sound with its relaxed yet joyful instrumental. The song is perfect for summertime driving, relaxing on the beach, or even a party. 

2. “F.*.C.K.” (2021)

“F.*.C.K.” puts Victoria Monét’s skills as a songwriter on full display, which is one of many reasons her songs are so captivating. Monét had previously made similar intimate slow-jams like “Moment,” but “F.*.C.K.” is some of her best writing. An acronym for “Friend U Can Keep,” the song is about friends with benefits and is one of her most skillfully written R&B tracks. 

1. “Ass Like That” (2019)

“Ass Like That” is a brilliantly written song about working out. The Jaguar single’s instrumental is laidback and is written masterfully. The gym is personified to help Victoria start her fitness journey and show she is proud of her accomplishments. The message of “Ass Like That” speaks to achieving personal goals and loving yourself in your body. It is Victoria Monét’s best song, lyrically and vocally. 

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Victoria Monét Chats With Zane Lowe About “Party Girls” & “Jaguar Pt. II”: 6 Takeaways

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Songibrd Victoria Monét is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Her musical talents are one thing, but she commands attention when she hits the stage. The Georgia-born, California-raised singer-songwriter has been working on her craft since childhood. Around 2010, the dancer began exploring other avenues, and after taking a shot at writing poetry, a new skill developed.

Since that time, Monét has catapulted into the industry. Her songwriting and production credits include the likes of Ariana Grande, Chrisette Michele, Fifth Harmony, Brandy, and Chloe x Halle—just to name a few. This week, Victoria shared her latest single, “Party Girls,” featuring music icon Buju Banton. With her forthcoming album Jaguar Pt. II on the horizon, Monét sits down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 and details what’s coming in her next season. Read through a few takeaways below.

Victoria Monét Talks “Party Girls”

“So it actually started with just a bassline that was playing in the studio. It was one of those nights where we were doing a couple ideas, and for some reason, I heard it…He heard it really musically and soulful, and I heard it in a Caribbean influence. And we didn’t see eye to eye on it at first. But he was like, I understand afterward, when it all came together.”

“So then it became this multi-version song, where there’s transitions in different … The hook only plays the way you hear it the first time, once, and there are transitions. And then Buju’s part sounds so big and epic…we actually went to Jamaica to shoot the video, and when we were there…my mom is the one who actually introduced me to Buju, and I just remember his voice… I couldn’t forget it. I was like, ‘Who is that? Who is my mom listening to?’”

All About Jaguar Pt. II

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Victoria Monét attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

“You know what? I feel really lucky that, even from Jaguar Part One, I had planned for it to be a three-part project. So this album … This album is called Jaguar Part Two … so it really kind of breathes new life into Part One. If you’re just now catching onto me as an artist, it’s because it’s Part Two, that there was a Part One, so you may revisit it.

“When I do tour this album, I will be doing songs from Part One, as well. So, I feel like… because I’m still in this era, I get to still show love. It really became a result of observation of people’s attention span. And I know that, if people are just getting an introduced to an artist, if they see a long list, a long album, they may get kind of overwhelmed. So, I kind of always intended to microdose my style and my music to people in segments. But as I went on, I just kind of kept adding songs to those little segments. I know that there won’t be a Part Three anymore, because obviously, didn’t expect to take three years in between Part One and Part Two, or have a child in between.”

How Victoria Monét Navigates The Industry

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 06: Victoria Monét performs onstage during ‘Take Pride’ Live! presented by Indeed at The Rainbow Room on June 06, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Indeed)

“It feels like a movie to me. It feels like the plot is thick. And if I were to look backwards, I know why certain things happened, positive or negative, but I wouldn’t know that until I get to the end. So within … navigating the music industry, there was times where I was miserable and burnt out. And there was also times where I felt so elated and naturally high just because of whatever was going on, or the song that I made, or the success that it had, or the way it made people feel.”

“It’s just kind of like a rollercoaster and a movie, and so, when I look back on it at the end of my life, I just want it to be filled with mostly happiness… I bleed music. It’s just what I really love to do. So it’s almost just like my skin, I’m not really going to change it, it’s just what I am and what I love.”

Selling Out Her First Headlining Tour In One Minute

“I feel really, really excited. Just doing my first headlining tour, it sold out in one minute. Insane. My mom called me, she was like, ‘Victoria, I can’t get tickets.’ I was like, mom, come on, I got yours. I got yours, I promise you can come. But it was just very crazy. I’m so, so excited to put out this next project, I’m already wanting to work on the next one, because I know that… once tours happens, I’m going to want to start doing the next phase. So, I just want to get into the creative process already, now. And I kind of have the concept for the next era, as well, so I’m really excited to just keep rolling.”

World Building With Her Albums

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Victoria Monét performs onstage during 2022 Made In America at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 04, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

“I have a team of women, mostly, and we are on a group chat just checking every box, making sure everything makes sense. And the biggest thing that I wanted to do with Jaguar is to make sure that if we were to take the concept and say, build a house, or even a theme park, you would be able to see things from the videos. You’d be able to… Things you can touch and see and feel and smell. And it’s just such a strong environment that you know it’s a Jaguar era. And then, when I switch, that we’ve got a whole new park. It’s like a whole new world.”

“I feel like it allows me to not feel so obligated to stay within one lane of myself. I really want to be able to give layers and turn pages, and really create a difference between each project so people can feel, and they understand, oh, when she was feeling like this, this is the color palette, this is the mood, this is what the environment looked like. And then, maybe this age … I mean, I feel like when Adele names her projects after her age, it’s very clear, to me, it’s like, oh, this is how you feel at this age, and the concepts within it.”

The Importance of Family

“As far as family is concerned, I could not do what I do without my family. I have realized, more than ever, that it really takes a tribe. And I only have one child, and I can imagine, for families of three and four, and … so my mom’s taking shifts, my boyfriend’s taking shifts while I’m in the studio, and just being able to focus. I have the luxury of being able to have a nanny, which has become family. My friends, it’s like a community is really raising this one child. And I can look up to so many people that helped raise me. So, it’s the most important thing, because we’re not in this world to be alone. We’re not I Am Legend, you know what I mean?”