Victoria Monét came close to quitting music.
The songwriter has penned huge hits for the likes of Ariana Grande, Blackpink and Fifth Harmony, but when it came to her own music, she struggled to gain any real traction until her 2023 debut album Jaguar II, featuring the hit single “On My Mama.” It is nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Monét is nominated for six other categories, including Best New Artist.
“At the time, I questioned it so much: Like, what is it about me that’s so lackluster? Why aren’t people seeing me?” she told Variety of her start in music. “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. I feel like maybe even that is a part of what was so hard. I had something to prove. It wasn’t just handed to me. So, it’s all a part of why I think things are coming to fruition now: It’s just time. It’s almost like, ‘Alright, girl — you didn’t give up. We’re going to give you something.'”
The chart-topping star also admitted she considered not coming out as bisexual because she feared it would be another “struggle” that, along with being Black, would hold her back.
“I thought that conforming would make me go further,” Monét admitted. “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.’”
