Courtesy of Evening Standard

Isolation is eating away at everyone’s playlists, and now people need something new to listen to. If you enjoy classic 1990s and early 2000s throwbacks, addicting lyrics and the vibe of Ariana Grande’s last album, then meet the woman who created it: Victoria Monét is still a fresh name in the music industry to audiences, but she’s been in the game for years. Behind the scenes, she has created a name for herself as a strong songwriter after working heavily on Ariana Grande’s “Yours Truly.”

Born in Georgia and now living in San Francisco, Monét started her career working with famous music producer Darkchild. She gained notoriety writing songs for a variety of artists from T.I. and Nas to Fifth Harmony and her most notable collaborator, Ariana Grande. Her background is just as pop-heavy as it is R&B, and it’s this balance between the two genres that explains the new sound on Grande’s “sweetener” and “thank u, next.”

In Monét’s 2018 projects, “Life After Love Part 1 & 2,” her inspiration comes from classic R&B from the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s evident in the tempo and chord progressions, and the projects have an energy that is reminiscent of Janet Jackson. This is not surprising, since her mentor Darkchild gained his fame by working with 90s R&B queens like Brandy, Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child. Her songwriting is as raunchy as it is delicate, relatable as it is catchy and vocally she can hold her own. Her vocals range from low octaves to high notes, and she effortlessly flexes that ability on her own tracks as well as in features. In her latest singles “Moment” and “Ass Like That,” she gives listeners goosebumps by taking on the male personas of the 1990s R&B era, like sex icons Keith Sweat and Usher.

With two million monthly listeners on Spotify and the title of Apple Music’s Up Next Artist under her belt, Victoria Monét is definitely one to listen to if you haven’t already.