Victoria Monét Reveals She Contemplated Quitting Music

Check it out, back in the day before she was snagging seven Grammy nominations at the 66th annual Grammy Awards, Victoria Monét was grinding as a songwriter and up-and-coming artist. From dropping four EPs since the 2014 banger “Nightmares & Lullabies – Act 1” to hitting us with “JAGUAR” in 2020, she was hustling hard, but the spotlight wasn’t quite shining her way.

Jump to today, Jan. 31, and Monét’s chatting it up with Variety about her journey, spilling the tea on almost throwing in the towel despite penning hits for icons like Ariana Grande, Chloe x Halle, and Fifth Harmony. She kept it real, saying,

“At the time, I questioned it so much: Like, what is it about me that’s so lackluster? Why aren’t people seeing me? It was even to the point where I would sing demos and try to sound really great so rappers would keep me on the hook.”

But yo, she didn’t give up, and now in 2023, her major label debut “JAGUAR II” is blowing minds. With tracks like “On My Mama” snagging that sweet No. 1 spot on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and joints like “Alright” and “Smoke” featuring Lucky Daye becoming instant classics, Monét’s finally getting the love she deserves.

And peep this, she ain’t just dropping music bombs, she’s also keeping it 100 about her journey as a bisexual woman in the industry. From coming out in 2018 to confirming her romance with Kehlani in 2023, she’s showing us that authenticity is where it’s at. As she put it,

“I thought that conforming would make me go further,” the artist told the publication. “Being picturesque, straight… It almost felt like you didn’t want to add any more [weight] to your ankles trying to win a race. It’s like, ‘You’re already a woman, you’re already Black — you’d better pick a struggle.’”