# Victoria Monét
**Victoria Monét** (born Victoria Monét McCants) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who spent more than a decade as a hit songwriter for other artists before breaking through as a solo performer with her 2023 debut album *Jaguar II*, which won three [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) including Best New Artist.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Victoria Monét McCants; performs as Victoria Monét[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/) |
| Signature songwriting credits | Ariana Grande's "7 rings" and "thank u, next", Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home", Chloe x Halle's "Do It"[4](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar/) |
| Debut album | *Jaguar II* (2023, Lovett Music/RCA); "On My Mama" peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba) |
| 2024 Grammy results | Seven nominations; won Best New Artist, Best R&B Album (*Jaguar II*), and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical[5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/) |
| Career Grammy totals | 3 wins, 10 nominations[5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/) |
| Second album | *Frequency of Love*, 22 tracks, released October 2, 2026 via Lovett Music/RCA[6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/victoria-monet-releases-new-album) |
| Other honors | ASCAP Vanguard Award, recognizing members shaping the future of music[7](https://apnews.com/article/a0811d2265ae4f6b1ec794dd59526534) |
## Early career and the girl group that never launched
Monét grew up in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california), and started out as a dancer before turning to poetry and, as a teenager, recording songs in a friend's bedroom studio.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/27/victoria-monet-the-ariana-grande-songwriter-making-bed-quaking-rb) She uploaded a handful of songs to MySpace, where the R&B producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the hitmaker behind [Destiny's Child](https://www.edgepedia.org/destinys-child) and [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson) records, found them and invited her to audition for a girl group he was forming.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild) • [8](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/27/victoria-monet-the-ariana-grande-songwriter-making-bed-quaking-rb)
The group, [Purple Reign](https://www.edgepedia.org/purple-reign), signed to Motown, which Monét called "a dream come true", but the label dropped them during a changeover of label leadership before they released any music. She recalled busking outside an [In-N-Out Burger](https://www.edgepedia.org/in-n-out-burger) with the group, collecting dollars in a cup, and described the members as "dead broke".[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild) Stuck in Los Angeles and needing to pay her bills, she turned to songwriting as what she intended to be a temporary way to keep afloat.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild)
## Songwriting career
Monét realized she could sell hooks to rappers, singing on her own demos so well that artists would keep her vocals on the finished records.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/27/victoria-monet-the-ariana-grande-songwriter-making-bed-quaking-rb) • [3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/) Her songwriting break came in 2010, when she co-wrote lyrics for [Dirty Money](https://www.edgepedia.org/dirty-money)'s "I Hate That You Love Me"; she went on to write for Nas, T.I., Kendrick Lamar, and [Fifth Harmony](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifth-harmony).[9](https://main.d2yjqz797l2iu6.amplifyapp.com/blog-detail/victoria-mont-on-her-friendship-based-writing-success-with-ariana-grande)
Her most productive partnership has been with **Ariana Grande**, whom she met during Grande's Nickelodeon years, two years before Grande's first album. They have worked together since Grande's 2013 debut, *Yours Truly*, and Monét co-wrote a majority of Grande's subsequent albums through 2020's *Positions*.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/27/victoria-monet-the-ariana-grande-songwriter-making-bed-quaking-rb) • [10](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/) She co-wrote Grande's "7 rings" and "thank u, next", both of which brought her first Grammy nominations in 2020, for Record of the Year and Album of the Year respectively.[4](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar/) • [5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/) Her other major credits include [Chloe x Halle](https://www.edgepedia.org/chloe-x-halle)'s "Do It", nominated for Best R&B Song in 2021, and Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home".[4](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar/) • [5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/)
The success of *Thank U, Next* changed her own trajectory. "My artistry has always been about survival, but it was always secondary because songwriting took off faster for me," she told [The FADER](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-fader) in 2019, explaining that "7 rings" let her feel comfortable taking a month off from writing for others to make her own songs.[11](https://www.thefader.com/2019/10/22/victoria-monet-interview)
## Solo career: Jaguar and Jaguar II
Monét released four EPs between 2014 and 2018, rooted in R&B but with a more exploratory sound than her later work.[10](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/) In 2020 she released *Jaguar*, a 25-minute EP on the Tribe label that she originally planned as the first part of a trilogy. Critics received it warmly: it scored 82 on Metacritic based on seven reviews, all positive, and became her first charting project, reaching the top 20 of the Hip-Hop/R&B charts in both the US and the UK and No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart in August 2020.[12](https://www.metacritic.com/music/jaguar/victoria-monet/critic-reviews) • [10](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/) The Guardian described it as "an assured, inventive exploration of autonomy" with luscious live instrumentation and brass.[13](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/06/victoria-monet-jaguar-review)
*Jaguar II*, originally slated as the second EP, was promoted to a full album and released in 2023 on Lovett Music/RCA.[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/) Monét has called its sound "elevated soul", a glossy, Motown-inspired style she developed with the returning executive producer D'Mile, who produced every track except the Kaytranada-helmed "Alright".[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/) • [14](https://africa.billboard.com/music/music-news/victoria-monet-dmile-return-to-the-classroom-in-save-the-music-amazon-documentary-exclusive/) The album draws on 1970s textures, with [Earth, Wind & Fire](https://www.edgepedia.org/earth-wind-and-fire) featured on "Hollywood" and a [Maurice White](https://www.edgepedia.org/maurice-white) credit for a "Beijo" interpolation on the [Lucky Daye](https://www.edgepedia.org/lucky-daye) duet "Smoke"; Buju Banton appears on "Party Girls".[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/)
**"On My Mama"** became the breakout hit. The third single, a brassy throwback sampling Chalie Boy's 2009 song "I Look Good", gave Monét her first two No. 1s on [Billboard charts](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-charts), topping the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay tally for two weeks in November 2023 and the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in December. It peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was named one of the best songs of 2023 by the Associated Press; both Jay-Z and former President Barack Obama included it on their favorite songs of 2023 playlists.[10](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba)
## The 2024 Grammys and recognition
At the 66th Grammy Awards in February 2024, Monét received seven nominations, tied with [Phoebe Bridgers](https://www.edgepedia.org/phoebe-bridgers) for the second-most that year behind SZA. She won Best New Artist, Best R&B Album for *Jaguar II*, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best R&B Song for "On My Mama" and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Hollywood".[5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba) In her Best New Artist acceptance speech she compared herself to a plant breaking through soil: "Today, I'm sprouting finally above ground."[15](https://time.com/6660507/grammys-2024-recap/)
Her nominations made history in an unexpected way: her daughter Hazel, then 2 years old and featured on "Hollywood", became the youngest Grammy nominee ever.[2](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba) In 2024 the music industry group ASCAP announced that Monét would receive its Vanguard Award, which recognizes members helping to shape the future of music; previous recipients include Migos and Janelle Monáe.[7](https://apnews.com/article/a0811d2265ae4f6b1ec794dd59526534) • [16](https://apnews.com/article/8ba53ba9b10a7b06caa2e01b17c44b7e) She has also worked as a music advocate, meeting with members of Congress at Grammys on the Hill in 2023 to discuss legislation affecting creators, a cause she connects to her songwriter background.[17](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammy-nominees-who-are-advocates/)
## Frequency of Love
Monét's second album, *Frequency of Love*, arrived on October 2, 2026, a 22-track release on Lovett Music/RCA featuring collaborations with SZA, Bruno Mars, Leon Thomas, Bryson Tiller, Chlöe, Lucky Daye, and her daughter Hazel Monét.[6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/victoria-monet-releases-new-album) She framed the three-year gap after *Jaguar II* as deliberate: "It should be normal to take time to create your next album," she told the Associated Press.[18](https://apnews.com/article/8429ca19edda5e0c27b5c6b5fc13fadd)
The album was preceded by the singles "Let Me", a slow jam that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart in June 2026 and was the top-added song on R&B radio in its debut week, and "Reach Out", a house-flavored track produced by Kaytranada and D'Mile with a video directed by Dave Meyers and choreographed by Sean Bankhead.[18](https://apnews.com/article/8429ca19edda5e0c27b5c6b5fc13fadd) • [19](https://ca.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/victoria-monet-frequency-of-love-reach-out-kaytranada-1236300946/) A 27-city North American headline tour, produced by Live Nation, followed the release.[20](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/victoria-monet-announces-tour-releases-juicy) The Los Angeles Times reported that Monét had grown frustrated with the deluxe edition of *Jaguar II* that RCA issued in October 2024, and had held back "Reach Out" from that release because she felt it was too special to waste there.[21](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-10-02/victoria-monet-frequency-of-love-bruno-mars-interview)
## Artistry
Monét's music blends 1970s Motown and soul with contemporary pop-R&B, and she prefers live musicians in the studio, arguing that human players bring "all of their feeling and all of their life experiences" to a recording in a way a single producer with a computer cannot.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild) • [22](https://www.allure.com/story/victoria-monet-beauty-interview) Her lyricism covers love, heartache, sexuality, empowerment, and friendship, and her arrangements pull in dancehall, old-school slow jams, reggae, hip-hop, trap, and country elements.[10](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/) She has described songwriting as "a diary, a place to share what I'm feeling".[23](https://the-talks.com/interview/victoria-monet/)
Her path from behind-the-scenes writer to awarded solo artist has become a reference point in a broader industry shift: the Associated Press counts her among a new generation of songwriters, alongside Muni Long, Julia Michaels, Amy Allen, and Édgar Barrera, who have stepped from the writers' room into the spotlight.[24](https://apnews.com/article/6b9c09ea99600f26195dab309b782e01)
## References
1. ["'I used to sing in front of In-N-Out Burger': Victoria Monét's long road to pop stardom", The Guardian, December 15, 2023](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/victoria-monet-interview-music-jaguar-ii-ariane-selena-gomez-darkchild)
2. ["Victoria Monét wins best new artist at the Grammys", Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/57bd21ba2fc981f3ebe522d7528549ba)
3. ["Victoria Monét: Jaguar II Album Review", Pitchfork, August 26, 2023](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar-ii/)
4. ["Victoria Monét: Jaguar Album Review", Pitchfork, August 7, 2020](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/victoria-monet-jaguar/)
5. ["Victoria Monét Grammy Awards and Nominations", Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/victoria-monet/287096/)
6. ["Victoria Monét Releases New Album", Sony Music Canada press release, October 2, 2026](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/victoria-monet-releases-new-album)
7. ["Usher, Victoria Monét will receive prestigious awards from music industry group ASCAP", Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/a0811d2265ae4f6b1ec794dd59526534)
8. ["Victoria Monét: the Ariana Grande songwriter making bed-quaking R&B", The Guardian, December 27, 2019](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/27/victoria-monet-the-ariana-grande-songwriter-making-bed-quaking-rb)
9. ["Victoria Monét on her Friendship-Based Writing Success With Ariana Grande", Billboard](https://main.d2yjqz797l2iu6.amplifyapp.com/blog-detail/victoria-mont-on-her-friendship-based-writing-success-with-ariana-grande)
10. ["Victoria Monét's Evolution: How The 'On My Mama' Singer Transitioned From Hit Songwriter To Best New Artist Nominee", GRAMMY.com, February 2, 2024](https://www.grammy.com/news/victoria-monet-on-my-mama-jaguar-ii-2024-grammys-nominations/)
11. ["Victoria Monét will see you now", The FADER, October 22, 2019](https://www.thefader.com/2019/10/22/victoria-monet-interview)
12. ["Critic Reviews for Jaguar", Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/jaguar/victoria-monet/critic-reviews)
13. ["Victoria Monét: Jaguar review – R&B's backroom genius breaks the rules", The Guardian, August 6, 2020](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/06/victoria-monet-jaguar-review)
14. ["Victoria Monét & D'Mile Return to the Classroom in 'Save the Music' Amazon Documentary", Billboard Africa](https://africa.billboard.com/music/music-news/victoria-monet-dmile-return-to-the-classroom-in-save-the-music-amazon-documentary-exclusive/)
15. ["The Best, Worst, and Most Surprising Moments of the 2024 Grammys", TIME](https://time.com/6660507/grammys-2024-recap/)
16. ["Leon Thomas to receive ASCAP Vanguard Award for shaping the future of R&B", Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/8ba53ba9b10a7b06caa2e01b17c44b7e)
17. ["2024 GRAMMYs Nominees Who've Stepped Up As Advocates", GRAMMY.com](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammy-nominees-who-are-advocates/)
18. ["Victoria Monét's 'Frequency of Love' aims to strike the optimal sonic vibration", Associated Press, October 1, 2026](https://apnews.com/article/8429ca19edda5e0c27b5c6b5fc13fadd)
19. ["Victoria Monét Announces 'Frequency of Love' Release Date & Drops Kaytranada-Produced 'Reach Out' Single", Billboard Canada](https://ca.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/victoria-monet-frequency-of-love-reach-out-kaytranada-1236300946/)
20. ["Victoria Monét Announces Tour, Releases 'Juicy'", Sony Music Canada press release, September 10, 2026](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/victoria-monet-announces-tour-releases-juicy)
21. ["How culinary school shaped Victoria Monét's return to music", Los Angeles Times, October 2, 2026](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-10-02/victoria-monet-frequency-of-love-bruno-mars-interview)
22. ["Victoria Monét Is Entering Her Solo Era", Allure](https://www.allure.com/story/victoria-monet-beauty-interview)
23. ["Victoria Monét interview", The Talks](https://the-talks.com/interview/victoria-monet/)
24. ["Long in the shadows, a new generation of songwriters gain recognition and success as artists", Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/6b9c09ea99600f26195dab309b782e01)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 2010s to present › Surnames H to O*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license