Victoria Monet Reveals Jaguar II Deluxe Album On The Way, Working with Usher & Motherhood

Tell me about you today, everybody.

The last time I saw you, you were not the Grammy Award. Well maybe you were before, but you didn't get this. You didn't have this run. I didn't know if as a writer, maybe.

You caught There was nominations, but no.

But not whins. And also this moment was the moment it was different.

That new artist category is like it's just like a life changing moment, right, yes.

Yes, Whenever I feel like you get to accept an award on the stage, it's just a bit different because I wasn't aware, like a few years back that like there's also awards that happened before the actual awards.

Oh yeah, yeah yeah. I was like nobody really knows.

Yeah, so they see three Grammys and they're like when did you know?

When did that happen? So did your life change? Like are things different? Tell me how?

Well, the next week or maybe it was two weeks after, or I got invited to the super Bowl with the CEO of Apple.

Oh okay, that people started treating you a little different.

Yeah yeah, so I'm I'm not mad.

I feel like it's been a long journey from being like underdog to like visible, to.

Be the best new artist.

Yes, right, so wait, so so the thing with that category too is it's interesting because some people there's a lot, a lot of expectation that comes with that win.

Right, So do you feel like, how does that definitely pressure?

But I'm trying to make a diamond. You know, pressure makes diamond. So but I still want to take my time and not.

Really feel rushed by the pressure of it.

Because if I wasn't going to put out a project before that in this within this you know time frame, I want to be true to that and so not let an accolade sway the creative process. So we're still being diligent and like making sure I'm making stuff.

I like, you're such a true artist. You're one of those artists. There's like a group of artists.

It's like, whether you have a song out or not, you're going to be one of those artists that they call for the Usher tribute or they call for the Mary J.

Blige tribute.

You know, Like, you know, there's just certain talent that is so talented it goes beyond whatever the song that you have out at the moment is. So I feel like, do you feel like that do you get a lot of those calls, alright, I.

Hope, So I hope I can be the artist that's bigger than just what's current at the time, because there are times when I won't have music out, So I want to be able to be in those rooms and like contribute, you know, to society, the musical society, without like a hit song at the time. So I do want to make sure that it's deeper than just you know, what's currently out.

How was the Usher tribute? Because you bodied that? Thank you so much about that.

Oh my god.

The rehearsals were so funny. I have to find the footage of it because we haven't done anything with it yet. But me, both me and Tiana were like delirious, like just because I had my own performance too. So I had probably like eight to ten hour rehearsals and then I would do the rehearsals for the Usher tribute.

Was this like a last minute thing about it too rite or was it for her last mink something else?

It was last minute for her. I was supposed to do it. Actually, I got like hinted that I was going to be asked, probably like a month before, but we just weren't sure.

The arrangement and who was going to do what.

And like I think there was a couple of people petitioning for a bad Girl. It's like a big moment. But then when Tiana Taylor joined, it made so much sense. And so our rehearsals together were probably like the last three days before the awards. Yeah, so we were trying to like really pull it together and like make sure we did our due diligence. But I think we relate in a lot of different ways that Like the kids were in the rehearsals.

With this, well not mine, my daughter was.

She's like yet a little bit too young, but her children were there and they were like showing us dance routine.

So it just felt like a good family environment. Yeah, it was really cool.

She's amazing, by the way. Obsessed with your daughter. Thank you. You should go if you.

Haven't seen, like you can go to Victoria's Instagram pages, like videos of her singing in the studio.

With the mic. She was the youngest nominated Grammy artist. Yes, and of all time.

I'm like, girls set and records. I'm like, if I have a second child, what hell?

Right, right? Right? What does she get? Because I think that because nominees does she get like a medal. Does she get like she.

Does get a little metal? I don't. I don't. I haven't received yet.

Actually you get on that. She needs that.

Actually, you're right. I'm like, hey, something to.

Show when she's like in kindergarten and it's like show and tell.

Day, yes, or the certificate.

She needs something.

She's definitely gonna have that photo and that bar did you see that on the Oh, there's a meme on the carpet where like we brought her onto the carpet because of course she's the youngest. We were like, we should commemorate the moment with like professional photos and let her see the experience.

Hated it.

It was like right around nap time, and so there was an interviewer interviewing me and she wouldn't leave my arm. She was like, I want to be with mommy. And when the interviewer was trying to ask me a question, Hazel.

Was like like looking at her like that.

So the internet, yes, yeah, so she'll always have that, but she wasn't.

We were in matching for Sashe, which was like really amazing.

But she got the she's got the thing right like the bug. Yeah, yeah, she's got like the thing. Also like she's like fearless and like.

She's well, she'll be shy for a little bit, but then when she finally does it, she'll end her performance with like clap. Now everybody she'll like be like applaud me. I went into her school to pick her up the other day and her teacher was like, she's in the mirror a lot and like dancing.

I was like, Yeah, that's her, that's.

My baby, that's my Grammy Award nominated baby.

It's so fun. Yeah, she's the sweetest.

How you managing that?

The balance of mom and because I feel like the timing was yeah.

It's really timing was crazy, right, It's really really hard.

You know, I got kind of spoiled because during pregnancy it was it was a pandemic, so it was like, you know, I felt like I was missing much because everyone was inside, and so when I had her, it was kind of the transition when everyone can start going back outside and then we can start working more outside

Yeah, you know that's a big shift for you though, if you think about like you went from like you know, your fame level hopped quickly at a time, and you went you became a mom. Yes, and so there's like celebrity, there's mom this. Like I just feel like there was like a lot of changes in your life. It's like a big shift for you.

No, yes, but I feel like almost motherhood felt like a super suit. It was like I put a battery in my back and now I'm like the superversion of whatever I was before, which is kind of even hard to remember what I was and how my mindset was because I've changed so much just instinctively with motherhood. So I feel like everything that has happened, which at first was.

Kind of.

Like frowned upon, it's like I don't know if you're going to try to do this career and baby, it's gonna be hard, but like it actually I feel like became like a gold charm, like it made everything even better.

Yeah, and so I'm happy. I'm super happy.

No, motherhood is the best thing ever, but it's also you know it's hard. It's my God does hard.

It will test and you know it's hard forever.

Right, It's not just hard when they're little, like I have an eighteen and twenty one, it's still hard.

Yeah, my mom lets me, she asked, It's like I'm worried about you, you know, so I feel like it's.

Always gonna it's always hard. Yeah, but it's kind of great. Yeah. Yeah, you got a little built in bestie.

Yeah, it's so good.

Yeah.

You Also we have we talk about like just like daddy issues and stuff like that.

Especially in my podcast. I had a whole episode with Kelly Rowland because you know, Kelly just reconnected with her biological dad.

We connect, we relate on that as well.

But wait, have you talked have you met do you know Kelly?

Yes, and you talked to her about this. Yes, Oh, you did have this conversation.

We had this conversation actually for Rolling Stones musicians on musicians that I.

Recently found out. What we found. We found we could be.

We could be because we're I think we're more We're similar in a lot of ways, just as far as our upbringing. I met my dad for the first time in my twenties. Really, yeah, we and we met at an Atlanta hotel.

Whoa crazy?

And I found out that your dad's last name is love It and my family's last name is love It.

We have loved Funeral Home in Mobile, Alabama, lov Ett.

Yes, okay, So I'm like, we might need to do a little twenty three.

You could get your family's from the South, and like, I feel like like there's some I feel like there's something. No, it has to be.

Something, yes, and like come to find out her dad has the same last name as my grandmother's families.

It's like love it.

So you found out that your biological sisters.

We imagine we haven't done any DNA testing, but I'm like, they're from the South. It's like, very there's a huge chance people are like you guys look alike. We haven't done it officially, like any testing, but I feel like we're like your cousins anyway.

Yes, yes, did you imagine we found out?

If I would have known this earlier, I'd have had a DNA expert in here today.

We could have gotten to the bottom of It's not too late.

Maybe next time.

Yeah, I love this. I would love that for you guys.

Yes, So what was the what was the overall kind of conversation, And.

It was just it's interesting.

It's interesting to meet someone that you that's supposed to technically be so close to you, like you know, you're one one thing removed from them, and but you're just meeting them for the first time. So the first time, for example, when I met my dad, I was already over twenty one. So the first time we sat down together, we had a drink. I was like, this is interesting.

And are you calling him dad because that's a weird thing.

Right, Yeah, he did. He was like, call me pops.

I was like, sure, Dad, Yeah, you leaned into that right away, you know what, honestly, And I hope this doesn't like feel like therapy. But I my mom got married when I was sixteen, and I called her husband to this day mister Michael because I reserved the title dad for my dad. I felt like I was going to find him someday, and so I think around twenty two or twenty three is when I found him on Facebook.

So so you went looking.

Yeah, I had been looking since I was twelve, actually, but he had an alias, so it was it took some digging, but you know, as women were very good was he looking? Apparently he was, but I don't know, maybe not very well?

Well, right, yeah, does he take accountability for that or no.

We've kind of talked about, you know, talked about it. But he seems like he's feeling more like a victim, like maybe I was taken from him. I don't have like a clear narrative that you're all that out.

Yeah, but you seem very like loving and forgiving about it. You don't like you're not harboring.

No, I have to let go. I think a lot of it.

From twelve to like twenty three, twenty four, there was like a lot of like internal conflict of like confidence and like maybe it's like he doesn't want to be found or maybe he didn't want me, so like those thoughts creep in. But now that he's in my life, he's very adamant about like this, this is what happened, This is what I'd like to see for us in our relationship. And you know, I feel like whatever happened between him and my mother is not my job to mend.

I can't imagine at that age. Has it changed you though? Does that change you a little bit? Because when you're a kid and you have that thing missing in your life and then all of a sudden you don't have it missing, it's like I think that you know.

Actually, we spent our first Father's Day together recently and he was around the house like doing stuff, and I was like, okay, like I kind of got a sense of what it would have been like as a kid. He was like oiling all the screws in the garage. He was like, give me a list of like what things I should have liked.

Garden told her, he's yeah, house, yes, and it was.

But I love that I got to see my mom do that. So I feel like that's why I have a good balance of masculine feminine energies because I got to see her take care of business and she didn't need anybody. So it's me now trying to take all the groceries into one trip. Like you know, we're superhuman as women. So I think the way that my life played.

Out was exactly how it's supposed to be. And I got a taste of you know what it would have been like.

But I don't think that if he was in my life, maybe the things that I have today I wouldn't have because maybe I would be too comfortable or.

Yeah, who knows why things, but you just kind of have to move forward. I think I'm so happy for you.

It does like change how what about relationship? Does it change how you look at relationships?

Or it kind of shows me a little bit of like what I want so I can ask for it.

It's like, what do you want, Let's put it in the air.

Alpha, you know what I mean?

Sometimes because I want to I want to alpha sometimes, but then I also want to have a say you know what I mean. I want to be able to say what I want and like also like one of my love languages is like gift giving, so like I don't want to be like the pillow princess.

It's like, oh, just you know what I mean, like take care of me. I want to be.

Able to like I'm gonna pull up in the ferrari, I'm going to like get the house, I'm gonna take care of the bills. Sometimes, like I don't want there should be a balance, but I mean it's empowering for me to be able to give people something. So I want to be you know, useful monetarily and like emotionally and spiritually.

You know, are you in the what did you you posted something in the other day about being too sexy to be?

Oh, it's a lyric.

Oh, I got it. It's a lyric.

So it's a song.

Maybe you were having a moment and you were like reaching.

On Twitter because you know, I feel like everybody on Twitter is like all my fans who follow me are like, well, at least the boys, they're not interested in me. They want the other boys. But you know, it's just a lyric. I was just teasing a lyric from my song s O S with Usher. So it's like the first line in the hook.

Mean, did you connect with Usher when you did that tribute? Is that when this was.

The first time I met him, was we have the same vocal coach. So his name is Nick Cooper. Shout out to Nick Cooper.

Hi, Nick Cooper, Yes, Hi, Nick Cooper.

So I was going in for a lesson and he does Usher And Nick Cooper's always trying to like make connections and like put people he loves together.

So he was like, ushers, you just come and say hi. So I was like, are you sure it's gonna be okay with like me coming to ushers.

In the room doing what like me me and me, Like.

Well, he was finishing.

I feel like he was putting on his shoes or something by the time I walked in, because they had just wrapped up. But he introduced us, so he kind of like put the bug in his ear, like she's.

A really talented artist writer.

So we met. The next time I saw him was at the Vegas Residency. Incredible show.

I saw it twice. It's amazing, it's crazy. So I went back to back, two nights in a row, two different experiences. Right, He's just he's just king. It's just crazy.

It's really incredible. I actually just saw Bruno in the same venue.

Bruno's great too, by the way, Like.

Oh my god, superstars and the catalogs people have. So I'm like, very very inspired by just even the fact that you can have a Vegas presidency at this age when I used to think of Vegas Residency, I mean older.

No, but not anymore. And I'm like I'm hoping that Beyonce, Like.

Is that what you're putting in the air. You would like to see Beyonce.

But at the dome, like at the what does it?

Did it?

It would be it would have to be bigger than anything that anybody's ever seen.

All the Vegas.

Yeah, it would be.

The entire Vegas is shut down because Beyonce is coming.

Yes, yes, yes, yeah for sure.

Just so inspired by my you know, people I've I've watched come before me, and so it's just an honor to be able to have.

Wait, but how did the Usher thing? So then he's there, he's putting his shoes on, does he like know who you are or anything?

Seem like it? Okay, but I don't think so.

Then how did you get to a point where you're making a collaboration?

Okay?

So my manager, which excuse me, is Executive of the Year for Billboard.

Congratulations.

She I have another song with Usher, and how that song came about was by her sending it to his team in La read and I feel like we sent it through a couple of people.

So you said the song first, and then he likes the song.

Say yes, yeah, and then he reached out.

So got it? And are you in the studio together.

For this song.

Yes, yes, when he recorded his parts together, we were together.

So what is that? What's happening in the studio?

Literally he's in the booth for shells outside the booth, and my assistant Molly's outside the booth, so like I'm kind of like not vocal producing because I don't want to tell him much. But he's like asking, like, Okay, is that cool. I'm like, yes, amazing, great, don't you don't need for another take?

I turned around.

I'm like what, Like I'm freaking out, but I'm trying to like keep it cool.

But it was incredible.

It was so baby. Did you give him any notes? Were there any notes? Yeah?

Like very small?

And then he allowed me to comp his vocal. So I'm like in the studio, like in the headphone, just like picking which ones and let him hear it back.

He's like, I like it.

So my confidence just went like a couple not just I'm like, oh my god, it's such a cool experience to be able to like elaborate with the legend like that.

That's amazing.

And we were there for like till like five am. I was like, Oh, this man doesn't sleep, huh.

I mean you shouldn't be surprised if somebody like him will have a work ethically right, right, right right, they probably have a similar work ethic.

No, well, I was.

Also there and I had a Vogue shoot at the call time with seven Wow. So yeah, I think we're just very committed to the craft and when we're inspired by something, we stay so dope.

So then wait, I saw images. Did you see some of the comments under the images of you and Usher?

People? People are crazy on my nerves.

No, people are crazy.

Some of them were funny in light though there was a little because you know, it's like it's tricky with Usher because he's the sex symbol.

He's he's in Vegas.

I mean, I saw what happened with Kiki, He's so happened.

With you see what happened with all the girls.

But then he's also married, so this is like a respect that everybody has, and so everybody in the comments was was I don't know, I feel that's happening.

I feel like it's expected when honestly, every almost every collaboration I've had, I get those types of comments, like my features with Kaylani, my future was lucky, my future was ushers.

They want to pair you as if it's a romantic thing happening.

Yeah, but I guess it's because of the song, your subject matter, and like people, they're allowed to fantasize.

Yeah, it's a free country.

So sure it's part of the experience too, right, that's part of the art of like creating a song and visuals.

Is there gonna be a video? Is there?

We did a visualizer with his schedule, probably not a video. He actually made time to do, you know, photo shoot and visualizer in the midst of his tour and everything else he's doing, so super appreciative for that.

So you don't want to push it, be like, so, well, there's a second song.

So I'm like, well, maybe I save that ask for the other songs, you know, and then hopefully we can have time to actually do biography because I feel.

Like, yeah, you can't do a videos and not have core.

You gotta dance, So like, I'm excited to do that.

You've been dancing your whole life, right.

Almost a lot of it, probably since I was I took it serious, maybe starting at like twelve. I literally just found this when my cousin sent me this video of me on the news.

Oh my God, it was eighth grade.

I was on the news because I started a drill team in eighth grade and so they named me the Unsung Hero. And I've never seen the footage since, but it's like me talking about how I had to write this, you know, this proposal to Coca Cola to get sponsorships and like bringing uh, you know, people to help. But there's like eighty people signed up for this drill team.

Not Grammy common hated at too. It's crazy.

I love that you did our little question, our green room Q and a oh.

Yeah, oh so we're bringing this in the interview.

I wasn't planning to, but I saw some of these things that I wanted to ask you about and but one year celebrity crushes Halle Berry. Yes, I believe it's probably everyone's right.

Have you met her?

No, but she did repost when I won the Grammys, like my speech and I was freaking out, and she was like something to the likes of like you know that little girl and you was so proud somewhere around that. But I was just like, oh my god, Holly Berry reposted me it's crazy.

Is that why she's your crush or she's your crush?

No, she's been.

She's actually been the she was inspiring as a kid. She played Dorothy Dandridge. I feel like that was the first time I was like, oh my god, I love her.

I love you.

Yes.

Bucket list is Bali. Everybody's going to Bali. Now this is the thing. Yeah, are you going to go there?

To what heel or just to I mean, I just want to see what's up, what's over there. At the end of the day, we're like, we should do a group trip because everybody's there.

We want to go. We want to just like be nosy and see like what is.

What is happening?

Is the thing.

But my friends did go. Then they were like, yeah, we got the best massages for two dollars.

I was like, what, I got two dollars? Yeah?

Literally, but I guess that's like a lot of money.

You know what surprised me about your Q and A, there's no. One of the questions is what is your go to CAO karaoke song? You have none?

No, I don't really like karaoke. What no?

I like seeing people do karaoke, but when I get into the karaoke it feels like, Okay.

This is my workspace. I need a performance.

I need choreography, I need like script visualizers, like I need light, low lying fog. So I'd rather like just like have to see people around me and like y'all saying it.

You know, so you've never do you ever do it? Or you don't? Not really? Will?

I know? Interesting like this, maybe you can change it.

This is not fun for me?

Is work?

This is funny too. What's the last thing that sent you down a TikTok rabbit hole? And you went down a life rabbit hole?

How did that? It's such a mom thing?

Why is it on my for you page? First of all?

Because what did I type in to make y'all think I want to see this, but I do want to see it.

I kind of you actually see the you.

Get to see like great because now you're talking to me now my phone, you're gonna go now it's gonna be on my phone.

Yo.

The phones are wilent. My assistant said something the other day and she didn't summon Sirie or anything.

Her phone said, that's not nice.

No, it happens all the time. It does. It's crazy. No, it's crazy.

But yes, she wants to see some lights video.

I don't want it anyway.

Well, post the wrestler, people could see all these other things for you. But congrats on the song. What do people need to know? What's coming up? What's the next phase of this? Well, Victoria Monet, is there a deluxe album? I'm hearing is deluxe?

I was debating about it because I thought the Grammy wind would be like a nice like bow on the chapter. But I did promise fans that I would have a deluxe And there's so many songs that I've made. It's happening on October fourth.

Oh like soon like okay, good.

Like almost exactly one month from now?

Wow?

Yeah, yeah, super exciting.

And what is it? What's on there. What are we going to get? Well?

Sos is the first single off of it. After that, I'm kind of letting people side. Yeah, what do you want to hear more of? What do you want you know to us to focus on? Would you want a video?

What are you still recording?

I'm always recording as long as I can get into the studio. I just want to keep making stuff, you know.

So all right, so the Deluxe, we get the Deluxe on October four. Yes, the video, there's no video there. Maybe a video for the second Usher.

Song, I hope.

So the Usher song is out and touring shows what? What's what about that?

I think that I would tour, do my own tour after the next album, Okay, which I don't know when is coming.

I'm still working on that.

Girl, you got to get on it. I know I want it.

I know I want it now.

Well, you know what I think the soonest way for me to tour is if someone asked me to open for them.

Okay, let's put that in the air. Who is the person who would be the dread?

But Yonce, she don't need no opener, She.

Doesn't need an opener, but she ever wanted one?

Right?

Also, she also needs a break because she went from tour to tour to you know, tour.

To album album.

Yeah, yeah, you know, she's incredible.

Okay, Beyonce would be the dream? Is there anybody? I mean, there's probably a few others that.

Oh yeah, I mean there's quite there's quite a few artists that I really like. But I think timing and well, I think majority of the of it is like timing when we could go and if I'm done with the album, because I want to make sure I'm done with that before I just hop on the road unless we have a studio set up on the road.

Making sure I can get the work, get it all. Yeah, yeah, and I can't.

Next time, you should bring Hazel Oh to tour to the show so we could talk to her, to talk.

To her here.

Okay, she's going to be ready soon. No, seriously, she's on her way. Yeah, no, she's ready.

It's so good to say, baby everything. I don't know anything. People need to know anything you want to leave them with. October fourth.

October fourth is really the jam. Potentially Christmas things okay too late now, yeah, Christmas things potentially, and then new music after the deluxe of course. Oh I have features coming out too, with like some approbeats artists, so I announce on their own time.

It feels like.

Great video like visuals, video content. I just TikTok videos, dances.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, I have to come in next time and we'll do a TikTok together.

Oh God, Okay, I'm gonna do it. I'll do it. Yeah, I'll do it.

Man, I'm talking about that everybody.

But I want to pay point one. I don't know what the hell. I just committed to you. Yeah, I committed