With 406 days since the release of the original album, Victoria Monét has released the long awaited JAGUAR II: Deluxe.
On Oct. 4, 2024, Monét re-released the 11-track LP [long-playing record], but with an additional 10 tracks, with production from, once more, D’Mile, Yogi, Tim Suby, Dready, xSDTRK, KAYTRANADA, Deputy, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman and Monét herself. To know more about production and crafting of the standard version of this album, check out my article, on thefuelonline.com.
As the deluxe portion of the album starts, it begins with a very potent horn blaring through the speaker, from a song called “****AtNight”.
With this song, Monét takes on a different approach to a genre that listeners haven’t really heard from her. At first sight of the title, you would think that the song would be similar in sound to the fourth single of the standard version, “Alright,” but that was definitely not the case here. “Alright” is an electric, bass-induced track that explores how the gender roles pertaining to sex would be if the roles were reversed, while “****AtNight” explores the same context, but in a jazzy, humorous way.
When the song first starts, it sounds like a mix of the introduction song to a 1960s sit-com like “I Love Lucy” and an infomercial for shampoo in the ‘70s. She then goes on to explain her desire of satisfaction from a man without any strings attached, since she is “newly single anyways”. As the song goes on, she sings on and on in a way that reminds you of singing while daydreaming, about her needing to be satisfied. As the song comes to a close, the track loses its jazzy instrumental and gains a whimsical, lowkey futuristic-like instrumental, while Monét continues to ramble on about her needs until the track’s end.
As the deluxe portion continues to advance, the second track from the deluxe, “Don’t Sleep”, starts with drums being echoed through the speakers. This song is one of three on this version with artist features. This one being the first with singer and producer, Thundercat, the second one being “SOS (Sex on Sight)” with Usher, and the last being a remix from a track from her previous project JAGUAR, “We Might Even Be Falling In Love” with Bryson Tiller.
In “Gen-Z slang”, the term “sleeping on” or “slept on” can mean many things. In the context of “Don’t Sleep” Monét uses this song as a reminder that she’s been the subject of conversation and the people who ever doubted her were definitely wrong. As Thundercat projects his verse, he has a sense of agreement with Monét and confirms with her that she is indeed bigger than what she could ever dream of. This song could be correlated with a track from the standard version, “I’m The One”. In both songs, they speak about how people have overlooked her for so long and that if they paid attention for a minute, then they would understand what and who she truly is.
While Monét used multiple instances of features in the album, she also featured multiple samples and interpolations from artists that she gained inspiration from through the album, and added two more songs with these characteristics to the mix. “1900’s” uses interpolation from Micheal Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, and a sample from Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture”. “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” is a cover of Sade’s original song.
Following Monét from when she went on tour with Ariana Grande for the “Dangerous Woman Tour”, until now, you would know that this isn’t the first time Monét has sung a cover to this song. She first released her official cover of the song on SoundCloud earlier this year, but because of her love for it, she took it off of SoundCloud and decided to put it on the deluxe version.
Victoria has commented on Michael Jackson and Anita Baker being an inspiration to her countless times over the years, and she showcases that inspiration in interviews, music videos, and performances. Monét included these samples in her project, allowing her to use things that she grew up with and add her own twist to it to make it her own.
As the deluxe come to conclusion, she ends it off with “The Greatest” and “The Greatest (Lovenotes Outro)”. On “The Greatest”, Monét sings about how she “feels amazing” and how freeing it is to be at a place where life is what “she made it”. The song ends with her daughter giving her praise and love for everything. The song then fades out into “The Greatest (Lovenotes Outro)”, which is a five minute track filled with people who Monét has taken inspiration from and who Monét loves that give her praise for all of her accomplishments, words of encouragement and advice for the future.
The deluxe was a well-crafted addition to an album that was already great. Her never-ending use of trumpets and her play on certain words and themes makes her an outstanding artist that many people don’t quite understand yet. You could definitely say that this has been one of Monét’s busiest eras yet. After Monét went on her sold out tour: The Jaguar Tour, she was in a constant state of work.
With Monét’s seven Grammy nominations (winning 3 of them: “Best New Artist”, “Best R&B Album”, and “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical”) being honored with the “Triple Threat Award” from “Variety” magazine, starting her own music grant, performing at Coachella, releasing a song with one of her inspirations, performing a tribute to that some person (Usher) at the BET Awards, winning “Video of the Year” and “BET HER Award” at the BET Awards, being listed as one of the 2024 Time100, being on the cover of multiple magazine covers, and releasing her first picture book in honor of her daughter, Hazel, you could say that these past two years have been her “breakout” years.
Those who have been fans of hers for years are excited to see all of the well-earned exposure and attention that she’s receiving. It makes fans excited, and a little anxious, as to where Monét will advance in her career with her talent, along with proper support. You can listen to JAGUAR II: Deluxe on all streaming platforms.