Billboard Explains: Victoria Monét’s Rising Star

Kyle Denis
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

When a star rises as slowly and as steadily as Victoria Monét‘s, you know they’ll be around for the long haul. After making a name for herself as one of the most in-demand songwriters in contemporary pop music, Monét has built an impressive career for herself as a recording artist. From sexy tracks such as “Freak” and “Ass Like That” to culture-shifting anthems such as “On My Mama,” Monét’s lush takes on the vast expanse of R&B subgenres have earned her not just three Grammys, but also the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Rising Star honor

Joining an illustrious list of Rising Star honorees that includes Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Chloe x Halle, here’s a brief overview of the major waves Monét has made as she continues to level up throughout her career.

More from Billboard

Monét first made her Billboard Hot 100 debut back in 2019 with “Monopoly” (No. 69), a bubbly duet with Ariana Grande, who was named Billboard Women in Music’s Rising Star in 2014. Four years after her first appearance on the Hot 100, Monét landed her first unaccompanied hit on the chart, the Grammy-nominated “On My Mama,” which peaked at No. 33 and spawned an acclaimed music video featuring original choreography by Sean Bankhead. Before “On My Mama,” however, Monét placed 22 tracks on the Hot 100 as a songwriter, including two No. 1 hits performed by Grande, “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings.”

At the top of 2024, Monét earned her first career Grammy wins: best new artist, best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. She picked up the latter two awards for Jaguar II, which peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Already beginning 2024 with honors from music’s biggest awards shows, Victoria Monét is sure to continue her evolution from rising star to superstar.

After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.

Best of Billboard