Jaguar II - an album review
A seasoned songwriter in her own right, Victoria Monet has released her highly anticipated debut album.
Victoria Monet subverts expectations with this album, not talking about motherhood and being in love but speaking to emotions that all women feel. Co-produced by her longtime collaborator, D'Mille, Monet brings a mature and regal sound to the sequel of her beloved EP.
Jaguar II is described by Monet in her interview with Apple Music as "the older, more developed, voluptuous older sister." The horns throughout truly show themselves as the sound of the album. "Smoke" is a good opening track and was a great single to begin the rollout with. With a solid feature by undercover deadbeat, Lucky Daye, he glides on the track with catchy lyrics and a subtle flow. Keeping her theme of interludes that are not only criminally good but criminally short; "Smoke (Reprise)" turns down the horns and is a sexy retelling of the previous song.
"Smoke (Reprise)" transitions perfectly into "Party Girls," which is the second single on the album to be released. Another great single and an even better song for the summer. It sounds like summer. The feature from Buju Banton and the Afrobeats production set everything off. The next song, "Alright," features production by KAYTRANADA. I must ask; WHY WASN'T THIS A SINGLE? Anything made by KAYTRANADA during the summertime is sure to be a hit. I hope she releases a music video for this song very soon. In my head, the music video takes place primarily in a club setting with a lot of choreography involved.
Speaking of music videos and choreography, "On My Mama" the last single on the album, has one the best music videos I've seen. A tribute to southern hip-hip during hip-hop's 50th year, the music video is expertly choreographed by Sean Bankhead. Known for choreography for "Up" by Cardi B and "Wild Side" by Normani, Bankhead perfectly fits in meme references and southern hip-hop dance moves into the choreo. While listening to the song, I noticed subtle gum-popping in the background of the production. The bold horns reign in the overall sound of the album.
In my "Album of the Summer" post, I claimed two songs from this album. Those songs were "Cadillac (A Pimp's Anthem)" and "Hollywood." "Hollywood" subverted my expectations as I expected something upbeat and filled with horns. I was surprised by the acoustic, but still funky production. The Earth, Wind, and Fire feature was as great as I thought it would be. The song features Hazel, Victoria's daughter, laughing at the end after the last lyric. While I do like "Cadillac," it's not my favorite song on the album. The horns are good and I have no issue with the lyrics; I just wish I could claim another song. The song I wish I could claim instead is "Stop(Askin' Me 4Shyt)." I love this song. I think it's so catchy. It sounds super similar to Silk Sonic but more authentic and mature. Along with Victoria, James Fauntleroy also has writing credits as well as credits for background vocals. With a smooth and slowed break as the second verse, Monet wants you to understand to stop asking her for shit.
With a lot of new female pop and R&B artists entering the scene like Flo and Coco Jones, Victoria Monet has stamped herself as a force to be reckoned with. As a proven triple threat, singing, songwriting, and dancing; the future looks more than bright for her. Her sold-out North American tour starts on September 11th in Boston and I look forward to seeing the videos online. My overall score is 4.5/5.
Favorite song: Alright
Least favorite song: Cadillac (A Pimp's Anthem)
Overall Score: 4.5/5