Supported by the singles “Smoke,” “Party Girls” and “On My Mama,” diverse and prolific songwriter Victoria Monét McCants, or just Victoria Monét, had her long-awaited breakthrough with Jaguar II in 2023, the second and final installment in the series after 2020’s Jaguar. Though a series of three EPs were initially planned before it would be all compiled into what would be her debut studio album, but due to unexpected delays, Monét made two amazing installments, with Jaguar being an EP and Jaguar II being her debut album; she went on to win the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for the project, along with many other accolades.
I was having a somewhat deep conversation with a friend of mine about the 2017 standout album Ctrl by SZA, another Black songstress, and he proudly said that every reasonable young man has an album by a female artist that they hold dear to their hearts forever, with him stating that Ctrl was that album for him. That left me thinking: what is that album for me?
Many great projects by female artists have changed my life in many ways and have special places in my heart, with some examples being Beyoncé’s Renaissance, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 and Raye’s My 21st Century Blues. But they did not resonate with me the way Jaguar II did. I knew who she was before this album but I did not really care for her music; I only knew her most popular tracks at the time like “A** Like That” and “Experience (with Khalid & SG Lewis),” both of which I greatly enjoy.
That all changed in the middle of February 2024, a few weeks after listening to the original Jaguar. Much like its prequel, Jaguar II is versatile, surprising, cohesive and conveyed the theme of mystery while fully showing its potential. But it takes it to a whole new level. It still has the same executive producer, D’Mile, who we remember from An Evening with Silk Sonic, so the overall R&B/funk pop sound stays pretty much the same. However, there are big differences that you would only notice once you get into the project.
The album opens in a funky manner with “Smoke”. It takes a rare turn as it is one of the few albums I have listened to that starts with a feature: Lucky Daye. The title is self-explanatory; the song is about smoking trees. Monét notes the feeling of escape that it gives by stating that she “burns her worries” in her fingertips and the group activity of smoking by telling the listeners to “keep it in rotation”. This track is basically an “ode to weed”. Daye also creatively interpolates the popular disco hit “September” by singing, “That body, yeah, you got that Earth, Wind & Fire.” Monét described this track as “exhaling” the old and inhaling a new era of her life. The song is reprised in the second track (same concept, but completely different execution) and followed with a smooth transition into the sensual dancehall tune, “Party Girls,” featuring the legendary Buju Banton. This is my favorite song from the album.
Banton opens with a powerful chant, while Monét follows suit with her soothing voice on a slow, R&B-esque. The song essentially pays tribute to women who are lives of the party and are “out lighting up the world.” This song, to me, is the most unique track on the album; it is a completely different genre from what Monét usually does and there is a total of 3 different beats. Banton’s verse reinforces the dancehall flare with his ad-libs and his eventual verse that appreciate: “Work hard, play hard / Don’t need no sponsor / Life of the party, gyal, you sweet like sugar.” He confirms that he is referring to all the party girls all over the world, from the American girls to the African girls to the Asian girls. This track is suitable for anything; you can fold clothes with it, have a road trip with it or even a little jam session in your bedroom at the ungodly hour.
The next track, “Alright” is what music lovers like myself refer to as “Electro R&B”. Produced by none other than prolific Haitian-Canadian DJ and producer Kaytranada, Monét talks about her expert ability as a player through lines with intricate wordplay like, “He gave me some d*** in bed, now he think his d*** is embedded,” and “Once he think he touched my soul, I’ll be back out here solo.” These lyrics convey the flare of the jaguar, which is mystery. She even goes on further to add the sound effects of a jaguar roaring very majestically. Mystery, funny enough, is the main theme in today’s dating culture, which is what she was speaking to. People nowadays are quick to lose interest and ghost potential lovers.
The music video is arguably her best one yet. It features many choreographed sequences in about three different outfits: silk jumpsuits, suits and fedoras clearly inspired by Michael and Janet Jackson and mummy-esque linen outifts.
“Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)” changes the tone yet again back to funk that’s “smooth like a Cadillac” and talks about how women can be pimps and how her Kitty Kat is a jaguar from a jungle and not just some street feline. This is the best track on the album when it comes to instrumentation; it features a smooth baseline with slow, but firm drums, along with the captivating horns and the final flute.
“How Does It Make You Feel” is a sweet tribute to her little daughter, Hazel, who was born in 2021. She assures her that she will always be there for her, as told by her intricate wordplay where Monét compares her relationship with her daughter to the sand and the shores: “Just like the sand, I’ll always be for shore.” She also tells Hazel that she is forever hers “be it rain or shine.” At the end, there is a beautiful string arrangement that transitions smoothly into the braggadocious “On My Mama”.
Creatively sampling Chalie Boy’s 2009 single, “I Look Good,” “On My Mama” is a track that is simply for making you feel good about yourself. Monét said in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that she wrote that song soon after giving birth to Hazel and she felt it affirmed her and her identity as a beautiful woman. That is exactly what the song does; if you’re having a bad day, this track will make you feel better, reminding you that you look fly, you look good and nobody could dare touch your bag. The track also pays tribute to her mother in the first two lines: “When they say ‘She get it from her mama,’ / I’mma say ‘You f****n’ right.’”
The next track, “I’m The One,” is a juxtaposition to “On My Mama.” The latter is feel-good and affirmative while the former is a depressing tune about being the best person ever but the person you are romantically interested in you is not reciprocating the feeling. Monét uses examples of things that she could do to and for her lover like riding horseback towards him on a beach “t*****s bouncin’ and everything” and being a safe place for all of his problems, but he won’t see that she’s the one for him. The second verse notes that if her muse wrote a list of standards, she would fit the standards; in fact, God sent her to him. She asks, “Is it fear,” while practically begging to
I love this track so much because it has reflected my luck in dating. Everybody I know, at least in this generation, has experienced this feeling at least once. It really hurts when you love someone with every fiber of your being and they do not feel the same way in any capacity. But it is going to be okay; at some point, you will find someone who will make you the happiest ever.
“Stop (Asking Me 4Sh*t)” is another interesting one. You know those friends who constantly ask you for favors but never give you anything in return? Well, this track is dedicated to them. Monét basically asks why they’re calling with a wishlist when it’s neither their birthday or Christmas; she rants that “these n****s always want something,” but she is clearly tired. This track is made for people who are also tired of inefficient friends or partners. An interesting part about this song is that whenever the word “stop” is said, all instruments and vocals suddenly halt for about 2 seconds.
“Hollywood” features legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire and Monét’s daughter, Hazel. The track talks about the simple things and how we need to appreciate them because they “get lost in all the glitter and the bling,” but it’s difficult because they are in Hollywood, where you easily forget who you are if care isn’t taken. Monét described this moment in an interview with MajicAtl as “full circle,” as she listened to Earth, Wind & Fire with family and elders; she did this so Hazel would appreciate it when she’s older. I always listen to this track when I think about how far I’ve come thus far and how far I’m going.
The standard version ends with “Good Bye,” a fitting ending. The final track shows Monét coming out of a relationship, citing that she had never broken her heart until the end of this relationship when she “dropped it on a marble floor.” She knows that this relationship is over, but she wants it to end on a good note before it ends, or in other words, making saying goodbye a good bye. The album ends with the fading out of the ending chorus: Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-da-da-da, good bye, good bye / If this is the last time, let’s make this one a good bye, good bye, ba-da-da / Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-da-da-da, good bye, good bye / If this is the last time, let’s make this one a good bye, good bye.” Everybody wants their relationships, platonic or romantic, to end this way when it is its time, rather than a violent fall-out. For Monét, this was her “good bye to the Jaguar era.”
A deluxe version of Jaguar II with 10 new tracks and a previously released remix featuring Bryson Tiller titled, “We Might Even Be Falling In Love” was released on October 4, 2024, a little over a year after the release of the standard version; the original version of the song was an interlude on the original Jaguar. Some of the tracks that stand out to me the most are “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” a cover of the original by British band Sade, “Don’t Sleep (feat. Thundercat),” “SOS (feat. Usher),” “1900s” and “The Greatest”.
Monét’s story is definitely an inspiring one. She is an example of the idea that hard work always pays off, no matter how long the struggle might be. She moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta after being invited by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (known for his work with artists like Brandy, Destiny’s Child and Michael Jackson) to be one of the members of a new girl group that he was forming. The group recorded 20 tracks and managed to land a deal with Motown, but were dropped before they even released any of their recorded tracks. She eventually went into songwriting for some of your favorite artists. Some of her writing credits include Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” and Chloe x Halle’s “Do It”. Since she started her penning career, she released a series of EPs before releasing her breakthrough EP, Jaguar.
Monét herself said to The Cut that she feels like a jaguar about her music career. She has always been there, but she did not fully come into the limelight until 2020. She also stated that if she wanted something, she would “transform into that beast that’s focused and centered and wants to go get what I’ve had my eye on.” She’s done exactly that; this mindset created two exceptional projects in today’s music scene that I feel should be more recognized.
Monét is set to release another album later this year. But there’s a twist: it’s going to be primarily inspired by R&B from the 90’s rather than from the 60’s/70’s. The lead single “Let Me” is a breath of fresh air and I just keep getting more and more impressed by her work. Though it might never reach the level of the Jaguar era, I can stay rest assured that it’s still going to be an excellent project.
Jaguar II is perfect; each track has its own flare. One might be purely for dancing while another could be introspective or depressing. It is always a surprise. Much like Silk Sonic, Monét is another example of the “timelessness beats trendiness” trope. With that being said, this is THE album by a female artist that I will hold closest to my heart forever.