Victoria Monet Talks Making of 'On My Mama', Grammy's, New Music Coming & More!

Victoria Monet joined Angelina via zoom to talk about her recent Grammy wins, making new music, and more!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
It's the new hitlist. I'm Angelina. I'm here with singer, songwriter,

(00:04):
performer, three time Grammy winner VictoriaVonet. How we felt great? How
are you? I'm doing good.You know I've been following you since the
Maiden China days, so I'm justso incredibly proud. I feel like you're
just like finally getting the flowers thatyou deserve three Grammys. How does that

(00:25):
feel? It feels really really great. It's like, you know, when
things have happened where it takes along time to get somewhere, you value
it even more. And so that'swhere I'm at. I feel super grateful.
It wasn't handed to me, soit just feels extra special. Yes,

(00:47):
I'm my mama. I feel likewhen fans heard this, we knew
right away it was one of thoseones I knew you talked about, you
know, when you first originally wroteit, you were dealing with postpartum.
When I first heard that, Iwas like, how the hell did she
even do that? But it's alsotrue. All my mama is like daily
affirmations. You know, I'm inthe mirror getting ready for that song about

(01:11):
with my girls, So that kindof made it even that much more powerful.
How did the song help you inthat process? And like what does
it represent to you now? Ireally think that what you say and what
you hear seeps into your subconscious evenif and I think especially when you pair
it with melody. So that's whyyou know, when people talk about what

(01:34):
you consume, like with food,what you consume on TV, what you
can consume musically, all really mattersbecause even in those moments when you're not
thinking about it, your brain andyour cells have like absorbed it. So
when I wrote on My Mama,I really was just trying to change my
mind about myself and like make somethingfun. And the more that I listened

(01:57):
to it myself and sing it andlike started rehearsing to the song, it
just seeped into my subconscious And I'mhoping it did the same thing for other
people because I do feel like theway that you speak about others and about
yourself is what either comes true orhow you present and how you appear,
and the frequency that you vibate onit changes so much. So I was

(02:19):
happy to be able to put outa song that had a positive message but
also doesn't feel like preachy, youknow, it doesn't feel like you have
to do this and do that.It just kind of like fits in the
club. You can have you know, have your fun, but also have
a positive mindset about yourself. No, Ye, it's totally not preaching at
all. It's a fly record.Like you just feel like, I feel

(02:42):
like that girl when I hear it, you know what I mean? I
love that? Yeah, jackber twois just so good. I feel like
this has grown monet Like obviously Ilove the first one, but you really
just took it other level. Ido want to talk about the range a
little bit because and this is horribleby the way, but I feel like
a lot of our face artists,like they go through a breakup, We're
like, okay, we've about toget these breakup anthems or you know,

(03:04):
becoming a mom, getting married.I think I'm gonna get all these lovey
dovey songs. But it kicks offwith Smoke, which is just such a
sexy fun record. You know thatwe got party girl songs like all Ride
and Stop. Was that like apriority for you? Like, how important
was having that range on this albumfor you? Well, when I create,
I'm not really thinking too much aboutthe final project, and like trying

(03:27):
to make sure that I every markNecessarily, I just really am genuinely picking
my favorite songs that I've done.And a lot of times when I'm in
the creative process, everything that I'mexperiencing that day may not come out that
day. It could be like,for example, like all right, I
didn't feel experienced the night before,you know, me and a club and
whatever, like it was something inmy subconscious that I had experienced that I

(03:50):
brought with me that I just finallyfound the perfect music to bring that feeling
to the surface. And so alot of my my song writing and is
not linear. So when you maybea do do something, the next album
may not particularly be just about thatmoment in my life, and it may

(04:11):
happen like two albums now. SoI kind of try and leave that freedom
open to explore past feelings, futurefeelings, imaginative imaginative feelings, and present.
So like it's just a full openscape of creative flow. You know.
Yeah, I love that you wereable to like be selfish in your
songwriting with this one, because weknow, like after Jaguar was like a
little break and your pen was doingovertime for everyone for somebody. So we

(04:36):
definitely heard that in Jaguar too.I want to talk about one of my
favorite songs, Hollywood. It's sucha comforting song. Also, I need
to know everything, like just aboutworking with Earth Wind and Fire. How
did that collabse even come about?Oh my gosh. So when I was
doing Jaguar one, I was referencingEarth Wind and Fire a lot, and
I was telling my team and producerslike, I want to make something that

(04:59):
feels like this, something that feelstimeless, something that feels like it uses
live incentation. So I was talkingabout them a lot. And when I
was just setting on the tracklist forJaguar two, Hollywood, we were just
so certain that Earth Wind and Fireshould be on the song. We would
that was on our wish list,So I wrote it down when I was

(05:21):
writing down the track list, likejust to see what it looked like.
My manager was able to make ithappen through their team and let them hear
my music and they were down.So obviously a dream come true. But
once you get into the studio withthem, it's you know, you're talking
about legends. It can be prettyintimidating. But the way that they made

(05:43):
me feel was like, now we'rein the studio together on an even playing
field just as creatives, and we'reable to, you know, like collaborate
with certain notes and asking me questionsand it just felt really really cool.
And not every every successful artist hasthat. I don't know, that feeling
Like maybe some people get become successfuland they're like, what the world is

(06:04):
mine? And you do what Isay. They are a complete opposite,
which I think has a lot todo with it. See has been so
long as that they're open and theyeven themselves out with whoever's in the room
creatively, and it doesn't feel likewhat we're earth wind and fire, So
you know what I mean right reallyabout them and it helped me a lot
in the process because I was verynervous, but I haven't feel even more

(06:27):
pressure too, like oh, you'reasking me for direction, you know,
Like it's true, that's true.But just the way I think their approach,
they just have like this serenity aboutthem that they're just comfortable in their
greatness that they don't have to beintimidating to prove how great they are.
And I think that's what it stemsfrom, is that confidence that's so dope.
It's such an amazing record. Peopledon't talk it up about the transitions

(06:49):
on this album. Oh man,that Dmile really does his thing. It's
like it's truly when I put iton, like I have to hear it
all the way through, you knowwhat I mean? Oh love that.
Thank you for listening from the topto bottom, because I almost like there.
I know. I heard about apoint where Adele like took the shuffle

(07:10):
button off of her album or something, and I was like, I wish
I could do that, because Iwant people to experience it top to bottom,
even though by the time the albumcomes out, Smoke will have been
out Party Girls too, but thereare transitions in between make them be unique
and cohesive. So thank you forlistening in that way. Oh and it
makes those songs even better because it'slike, oh, I had to have

(07:30):
heard that song before I heard thissong, you know what I mean.
Full But we talked you getting yourflowers finally, you know, with the
Grammys and just every like I feellike Exaccolade after accolade at this point,
like it's so up for you rightnow. But something I personally saw it
before that, before all that happened. Was this past tour. I feel
like so many people were like,oh, she is a performer, Like

(07:53):
through where does that aspect come from? I actually started a damn to first
and like junior high, my momtook me to this convention that was like
our Kings basketball team halftime show.You can like pay two hundred dollars and
have your kid performing the hat timeshow. And she took me to this

(08:13):
convention and I went out there withthe rest of the kids and my kids
jersey at halftime, and after Icame off, you know, the court,
I was like, I love thisshit. I want to do this
so many more times. So Ipursued dance dancing in high school and dance
a dance group called Boogey Monstars,and so like a lot of my performances

(08:35):
are dance based and it's a superimportant element to me to bring to the
forefront, especially in an R andB space, because it's such good music
to dance too. So I reallyI think I attribute my performance ability to
my dance background. Now amazing,and like I said, this towards totally

(08:58):
proved that do you feel like you'rein a space finally where you're not looked
at as being underrated or do youfeel content with where you're at right now?
Well, I guess I feel likeI've made it now because I'm getting
like Aluminati like assumptions. I'm gettingpeople are like people are like, oh,

(09:18):
she's the industry plant. I'm like, okay, negative comments, here
we go. That means we madeit because before now everyone was like you're
underrated. Everyone was super nice.So I think when you get more people
outside of your natural fan base's,they're mean. And I'm like, instead
of looking at it like okay,I'm sad about these comments, I'm like,

(09:39):
all right, this means we're reachingpast my demographic and it's good.
Yeah, so industry plan is crazy. I'm like what I mean. I'm
like, I did say it wasa plan on my Grammy speech, but
I didn't mean like that, right, I'll no, And I love that
you're from Sacramento. I know sacis not the Bay, but we still

(10:01):
kind of claim you. That's fine, thank you. Got We do have
the same like similar cultures and things, but like we can't claim the Bay
because there's no bay around us.So we're like we're now we try to
keep it, keep our name,our title correct. In that, but
I do there was I went toschool with so many people from Oakland because

(10:24):
I went at a time in highschool where everyone from Oakland was moving to
Sack. So we do have alot of the same isms and like music
tastes and everything. So I dofeel like nor Cal has it has a
world of its own, right.I definitely growing up. I feel like
I would like be hated on Sack. You know, everyone was my Baby
fans and Kings fans. But andI like call it Gotham City. But
I recently went to Sacramento's Coming.Sacramento is so fun. I love that

(10:50):
it's up. It's up for Sack. I feel like I moved before the
right, the real rising. Sothat's why I try to represent so hard
because I feel like so many peopleare unaware how many talented people are there,
and like how colectic the city iswell rounded, like it's so beautiful

(11:11):
too, So I always try toremind people like don't sleep right right right,
And I know if I was fromSack, I've been claiming you all
day. I'm like, we goton it. No. I love it,
though, so what if next foryou? Because I feel like I'm
so happy that you were like beingable to be so selfish in this album,
and everything's coming for you right now? Do you still want to like

(11:31):
get in the near future? Rightfor other people? What's next for you?
I feel like there's more of aopen timeline on writing songs for other
people, So I'm more focused onart right now. My schedule doesn't really
even allow for much else. ButI do eventually want to get back into

(11:54):
collaborating and writing with and for otherpeople. But right now, it's like
the world. I've kind of donea lot of writing previously, so now
it's like I'm flipping into a newchapter. I want you to stay in
your selfish air right now. Sowe're not going to get a Jaguar three
though we kind of is this kindof the end of the but I do

(12:16):
want to put out a deluxe Jaguartoo, so kind of not Yes,
Okay, so fans expected the likes? Yes, yes, right now?
Do we know this year? Okay? Well, I'm so excited for you.

(12:37):
You got to come back to theBaby, You gotta come in the
studio. I would love that You'renot far from La at all, so
I'll play up there. I meetyou too. Okay, I'm a party
girl. Let's go. Well.Thank you. I'm so proud of you.
And yeah, you got to cometo the bank. I can't wait
to see you again. Thank you. I'll see you soon then. All

(13:00):
right, so nice talking to you. Bye. Thank you.