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Following the release of her latest single “On My Mama,” singer and songwriter Victoria Monét joined Ebro Darden on Apple 1 to discuss various topics. Click inside to check out the interview!
Monét gave birth to her first child Hazel Monét Gaines on February 21, 2021. She shared how she was still dealing with postpartum depression when she created “On My Mama.”
“This record actually happened in 2021, probably… Maybe eight or nine weeks after I gave birth, right? So I’m in the mental space of, I was really having a hard time, I had postpartum depression, I was still breastfeeding, just adjusting to the life, but also in the midst of COVID. So we’re in a pandemic, everything’s a little bit risky, scary to even be in the studio with a child. And On My Mama was the first record I did that I actually liked. But it came while I was in a place of disbelief in what I was actually saying. So it’s almost like I had to speak it into existence. And I do look good, I do feel good, and I am deserving. And so, I think of the record as an anthem for affirmations, positive self-talk, manifestations, living in abundance, speaking things into existence, all of that is kind of in the song, but in a really cool hood way. And the sample just feels so good. It feels so good, we were debating on whether to use it because you know it’s expensive.”
Victoria continued by speaking on the difficulties she faced having to balance being an artist and a new mom.
“It’s really hard, honestly, and I know you can attest to that, just prioritizing certain things. Time is just the currency that you can’t get back, so it’s like, man, just, it really takes a team, and people who really support and believe in you and understand why you have to be at the studio until 2:00 AM, whenever you get home, and also a business team that understands why you have to be home and present and doing flashcards and spending quality time with family. So, it really takes a community, I think about the term tribe a lot, just having people around you that really support that, no negativity, just all support and hands on deck, it really takes a village for even just one child.”
Just like raising a child, making music also takes a village at times. Monét recalled reaching out to the legendary Buju Banton to collaborate on the track “Party Girls.”
“When D’Mile played the bassline is what started the song, and I just heard it differently than he heard it. He was thinking the musical “elevated soul’ cloth that we usually play with, but then when he played it, I was like, I just hear something else. And eventually when the hook was done and it had verse melodies, I was like, I really would love if Buju was on this. And I wrote it down in the tracklist, I just said, featuring Buju. And I finally dropped my balls and reached out to him via DM, because I usually would not do that at all. And I know him because my mom was listening to him around the house, and I always remembered his voice. And it was always on a good Sunday, when she’s cleaning the house, and it was really good vibes. So I really wanted that to be a part of this project, and he was down, and I was just blown away by that alone. So he sent me his verse and FaceTimed me… Well, he WhatsApp-ed me, because he is in the Caribbean. But WhatsApp-ed me and played me the verse, and I just lost my mind. So then we went back in the studio and changed the production to fit his vibe, and then it ended up having an outro part, that’s why the song is so long because we were like, we just want to stay in this vibe.”
After discussing “On My Mama” again briefly, Ebro asked if there was an official date for her upcoming “Jaguar II” album. Monét replied, “Not yet, but I will tell you that this is the last single before the album.” She confirmed that the album would be coming soon. Today (June 22) she announced on her socials that “Jaguar II” will be released on August 25th (almost three years after “Jaguar” was released on August 7, 2020).
Victoria Monét and Ebro Darden discussed numerous other topics during their interview. You can check it out in it’s entirety here. Let us know what you think about “On My Mama” in the comments and be on the lookout for “Jaguar II” in late August!
