Victoria Monét, JAGUAR II | Album Review 💿

All an all, R&B singer/songwriter Victoria Monét brings the heat on her 2023 debut studio album, 💿 JAGUAR II, which follows her 2020 EP, JAGUAR.

R&B doesn’t get the love it once did, save for a select few musicians. Even so, that doesn’t stop some truly talented musicians from releasing music that ‘knocks it out of the park.’ 🎙 Victoria Monét clearly has a great deal of love and respect for R&B. It shows consistently from start to finish on her 2023 debut album, 💿 JAGUAR II.  While JAGUAR II is her debut album, it follows the singer/songwriter’s 2020 EP, 💿 JAGUAR.  All an all, Monét brings the heat on this project.  There are no glaring miscues to be found.

“Smoke”

JAGUAR II begins strongly with 🤩 🎵 “Smoke” featuring 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist, 🎙 Lucky Daye. The excellence commences with enigmatic vocals in the intro. Post-intro, specifically in the chorus,  a stellar, soulful groove kicks in (“It’s a celebration every time we smoke”). Throughout, the vocals are on-point. The melodies are tuneful, particularly in the chorus. Monét’s rhythmic melodic lines in the first verse standout, as do the lyrics: “To the left or the right, ‘long as it rotate / It’s a bisexual blunt, it can go both ways.” Woo! The chemistry with Daye is another strong suit, making this smoke-driven opener compelling. 🎵 “Smoke (Reprise)” follows, running a much shorter duration – just north of a minute-and-a-half.  While “Smoke (Reprise)” is connected to the full-length opener, it contrasts giving it its own separate identity. Once more, the vocals from Monét earn high marks.

The best song from JAGUAR II early on is 🤩 🎵 “Party Girls” featuring 🎙 Buju Banton.  The record has superb reggae/tropical music cues coupled with the R&B/neo-soul vibes.  JAGUAR II finds Victoria Monét confirming she’s an old soul, at least to some extent, but she also sounds refreshing in the 2020s. On “Party Girls,” the groove is everything – the beat and that fat bass line 💪.  The harmonic progression has some wrinkles, which makes it less predictable compared to much of the popular music released these days. Strong vocals by Monét go without saying.  Notably, Buju Banton brings an intriguing sound, contrasting Monét, including his ad-libs and the verse he performs.  The section that is king, however, is none other than the catchy chorus:

“Can’t forget about the party girls

Out lighting up the world

Let’s hear it for the party girls

Out lighting up the world.”

“Alright” 

🎵 “Alright” follows, continuing the consistency and enjoyability of JAGUAR II.  Clocking in under three minutes, that is sufficiently length for Monét to ‘do her thang.’ Again, an electrifying groove goes a long way to make this a successful record, as does cool production work.  Specifically, the electronic component of the backdrop (🎛 KAYTRANADA) is sweet.  The melodies are rhythmic, something Monét excels at.  She also excels at delivering vocals while barely breaking a sweat.  Even so, she is potent AF. Once more, the chorus is #GIVING… memorable and tuneful.

Even better than 🎵 “Alright” is 🤩 🎵 “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)”: “We keep it smooth like a Cadillac / With the diamond spinners in the back.” Ooh wee! The sound shines, with a robust bass line, and sophisticated production touches (🎛 D’Mile and Tim Suby) that are classic, yet refreshing – horns, keys, and sound effects. The groove continues to send, helping to fuel Victoria’s fire. The vocals are resplendent – balanced, nuanced, and matching the soulfulness of the backdrop. The second verse features hip-hop-infused, rhythmic melody lines. This is a prime example of Monét having one foot in the door the past and another firmly in the present. “Just like the sand, I’ll always be for shore / Deal any hand, I couldn’t love you more…” Aww 🥰! 🎵 “How Does It Make You Feel” maintains the momentum, with a respectable run time (in the ballpark of three-and-a-half minutes) and lush, refined, and throwback sounds. Monét sounds delightful in her lower and middle register; there’s a sultriness. Also, musically, shout out the willingness to expand beyond standard harmonic progressions. One truly great note about “How Does It Make You Feel” is how it embraces different meters 🤯, something less common in pop music in the 2020s.

“On My Mama” 

“Put that on my own mama, on my hood / I look fly, I look good / You can’t touch my bag, wish you could / I look fly, I look too good.” Victoria Monét is confident AF on 🤩 🎵 “On My Mama”, the very best song from JAGUAR II, PERIOD! Basically, you can’t touch her – she’s the sugar honey iced tea! On this fab record, she gets a groovy, soulful backdrop from  🎛 Deputy and Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman.  It’s not all neo-soul vibes though as 🎙 Chalie Boy brings the hip-hop swagger in the post-chorus, gassing up Ms. Monét ⛽️.  While the chorus takes the cake, EVERYTHING about “On My Mama” is the cat’s meow 🐈. Monét has opted against being humble – an understatement.  “Tell me, is you down / ‘Cause I’m tryna go up tonight,” she sings in the first verse, continuing, “Hoes and hoochies left and right / I just wanna live in a fantasy / I think we deserve it, right?” WOO! Furthermore, she brags, “Sex game go stupid / Snappin’ like a toothpick /… Might be too fine to hit it from behind” Lawd Jesus! As untouchable as she is,  There is no way you can deny how entertaining she sounds on 🎵 “On My Mama”. Gotta love the fierceness! 

Appears in 🔻:  

• Awesome Songs: June 2023

Phew, following up a juggernaut is hard! The good news is Victoria’s name is Consistency… well not really, but you catch my drift! 🎵 “I’m The One” keeps JAGUAR II on the up and up.  Here, Monét brings plenty of attitude and fierceness to the table.  Boxes continue to be checked off – strong melodies, cool energy, balanced vocals, vocal production, groove, and a catchy chorus summing things up perfectly: “Yeah, I’m the one, I’m the one / You would’ve already won / If you knew I was the one.” WOO!  She follows up the oneness with 🤩 🎵 “Stop (Askin’ Me 4Shyt),” which initiates with an ear catching intro.  Again, those soul cues are full force – bass line, horns, harmonic progression, etc. The unapologetic chorus takes the cake, finding Monét continuing to showcase that personality. Sure, the profanity stands out, but more impressive are the fair share of unpredictable moments, making “Stop (Askin’ Me 4Shyt”)  truly engaging, fun, and unique. “These niggas always want somethin’,” she sings in the chorus, adding, “But nigga, I want somethin’ too / I want you to stop.” WORD!

“Hollywood”

A tight album, JAGUAR II features just two more songs.  The tenth and penultimate track comes by way of 🎵 “Hollywood.” Once more, the introduction yields enigma. Soon enough, the Californian record settles in. By the way, Victoria taps 🎙 Earth, Wind & Fire and 🎙 Hazel Monét for the assist.  “Remember the trees and the bees / The memories of when you used to be / A kid on a swing.” Oh, the nostalgia, 🎙 Philip Bailey! The EW&F front man’s vocals are awesome. That falsetto and upper register continues to pop.  Furthermore, Victoria continues to impress with fabulous vocals – refined, soulful, and sophisticated is the modus operandi.  Again, the chorus is #winning: “But I’m in Hollywood / Dreaming bigger than I ever should.”

🤩 🎵 “Good Bye” marks a magnificent coda to JAGUAR II – an utterly sublime ballad.  The lengthiest song from the album, running north of four minutes, it’s worth every second. Lushness continues to dominate with glorious guitar, keys, bass, and horns.  The groove and overall aesthetic hearken back to the R&B of yesteryear, something that consistently makes JAGUAR II such a vibe.  The singing by Monét continues to wow while the background vocals are stellar too, with utterly sublime harmonies. In this case, the goodbye is a sweet, sweet one, to the tune of a highlight.

Final Thoughts 💭

All an all, Victoria Monét brings the heat on her debut studio album, 💿 JAGUAR II.  Clearly, she’s an artist who respects the sanctity of R&B, with much of the production paying ode to the past.  Still, she manages to sound refreshing too, bringing attitude and edge to the table too.  Running a tight 11 tracks at just about 36 minutes, JAGUAR II is a win for Monét as well as R&B as a whole. Don’t sleep on Victoria.

🤩 Gems 💎: “Smoke,” “Party Girls,” “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem),” “On My Mama,” “Stop (Askin’ Me 4Shyt)” & “Good Bye”

🎙 Victoria Monét • 💿 JAGUAR II • 🏷 Lovett Music, Inc. / RCA • 🗓 8.25.23

[📷: Lovett Music, Inc. / RCA]