The music singer, born Victoria Monét McCants, was raised as the sole child of her parents in Sacramento, California. Her family’s passion for music made it natural for her to embrace it. According to The Guardian, her grandparents introduced her to traditional music, while her mother introduced her to contemporary genres like Buju Banton’s dancehall, Elvis Crespo’s merengue, and Uncle Luke’s loud Miami bass.
Despite her early interest in music, she began dancing. As a teenager, she trained in dance ensembles before focusing on songwriting. While working at a bank and an electronics retailer, her MySpace tracks drew the attention of R&B producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who was forming the girl group Purple Reign.
The group became an instant popularity and was signed to Motown Records, but were released amid a label head transition, leaving the girls “dead broke.” Monet said she remembers “singing in front of In-N-Out [Burger] with the girl group and a cup, getting people to put dollars in.”
Then she turned to songwriting as a means of survival. “I was still doing music for myself, but I didn’t have as much time. It was a method to make ends meet; I was simply doing what I had to do.”
She has spent over a decade composing for successful singers such as Selena Gomez, Blackpink, Chloe x Halle, and Brandy. Monét has collaborated with Ariana Grande on smash tunes such as 7 Rings, 34+35, and Thank U, Next, as reported by The Guardian.
Despite composing for some of the industry’s biggest names, she stayed on the outskirts until her breakthrough with her debut album, Jaguar II, and its lead single, On My Mama, a tribute to those who came before her.
The 35-year-old’s prowess in the music industry has earned her numerous award nominations. Three months ago, she got seven Grammy nominations, giving her the year’s second-most nominated artist.
In February, in addition to winning Grammys for best new artist and best R&B album, Monét won for best produced album. She is the first Black woman to receive the prize for her debut album, Jaguar II, and the fourth overall, following Imogen Heap, Trina Shoemaker, and Emily Lazar.
Monét, a mother, attributes her success to perseverance and patience.
“I didn’t go to college,” she told Vulture during an interview. “I just jumped in the field. I think that’s how I learnt the most: just diving in and navigating everything in real time.”
“I learned the most from my own mistakes, not to take certain things personally or learning what’s actually owed or what the right thing is to do,” she went on to say.