Victoria Monet’s star power is undeniable with her magnificent dance moves, powerhouse voice, and ability to create songs that require true longevity within the music industry. With “Jaguar” being Monet’s fourth album she proved to the world why she should be taken seriously as a musician. The album embodies everything an artist should have within the album from the theme to the flawless transitions and lyricism. As we enter the magnificent brain of Monet we discover her ability to consistently produce exquisite songs that have no relativity.
At the beginning of “Jaguar”, her voice is the highlight of the first three songs titled “Moment”, “Big Boss Interlude”, and “Dive”. Monet possesses the talent to cultivate a soothing vibe throughout these songs as she rides the instrument’s heavy beat. The horn instruments are used quite frequently in “Jaguar” compared to others such as the violin or drums. For example, at the end of “Dive”, Monet’s voice and the trumpet play together as she imitates the instrument to close off the song. Within her music, you’ll even hear samples of old prominent songs in the 90s like the song “Some Cut” by Trillville.
As we continue to dive deeper into “Jaguar”, the tempo begins to pick up and she now invites the listeners into a realm mixed of pop and R&B. “We Might be Falling in Love” starts this off with the rhythmic bells and horns welcoming all open ears. Since this is a short song we quickly transitioned over to the album titled song “Jaguar” where we are engulfed in upbeat pop and feel-good music. This greatly reminds listeners of the Soul Train Awards with the sprinkle of funk added into the mix, which makes her listeners gain the urge to get up and move with friends and family. Especially at the end where the trumpet solo piece could’ve been included within the Soul Train line dance playlist because of the old-school vibe it encompasses. Afterward, Monet transitions over to a fun and funky track titled “Experience” featuring Khalid and SG Lewis. All three have fun with this funk-influenced song, while their vocals dance together creating a fantastic romantic song. As stated before the horns such as the trombone and the trumpet are greatly influenced within this album, so of course it was incorporated in “Experience”.
Next listeners are introduced to a smooth hype song mainly for women titled “A** Like That” where her lyricism shines brightly within the song. She begins the song by stating “Said his name was gym and that// He’d make me better than before” to introduce the topic of the track. Monet creates a story between the gym and a woman like a platonic love song to hype those in the gym. Listeners were able to connect with themselves and form a healthy relationship between them and the gym. This was one of many Monet’s songs to go viral on TikTok and became a trend for users on the app. As the album closes to an end Monet’s second to last song ends the funk influence involved within her album. The track titled “Go There With You” is a simple song where the instruments are the highlight. There’s even a section where an electric guitar has a solo alongside the trumpet. She closes out the album with an R&B song titled “Touch Me”, which some say is the best song of the album. The beat is simple and consistent, but Monet’s voice adds something to the track that can make any song complex. Listeners can ride the song like an ocean wave as her voice rises and falls with the tempo.
Throughout this album, Victoria Monet stirred within the realms of R&B, pop and funk with complete and utter ease. Her sultry and smooth voice is her main tool when cultivating a delightful atmosphere for listeners without the need for complex beats or instrumentals. Monet’s ability to consistently create award-winning tracks should’ve been recognized way before her hit song “On My Mama”. Only superstars like Victoria Monet can make an amazing body of work like “Jaguar” and continue to produce hits back to back.
