You might know Victoria Monet, 24, as one of Ariana Grande‘s longtime collaborators and Dangerous Woman Tour opener. Well, Victoria’s songwriting skills come across just as much on her solo material, and when you hear her new song “Freak,” you’ll be head over heels. She breaks it down for us here, and gives an update on everything she’s been working on!
Is “Freak” inspired by anyone in particular?
It was inspired by a breakup that I had. I was feeling really insecure about things that girls [tend to cite as reasons] for being broken up with — being cheated on, not getting enough attention, or whatever else went wrong.
What’s the meaning behind it?
I made a song that basically is saying, “What is it about our relationship or our sex life that you feel like you’re missing? And if there’s something that you need, let me provide that.” It’s about becoming more confident and overtly sexy, running into better habits, and making sure you are 100% a baddie. Do you want a freak? Because I can do that, too. The other girls aren’t the only girls that can be “Sasha Fierce.”
What do you want fans to take away from “Freak?”
I really want people to feel empowered, sexy, confident — like the world is theirs. I want women to feel like it’s okay to be sexy. I know a lot of men in music have a little bit more leeway when it comes to talking about sex, but I think it should be an equal playing field, where women are allowed to talk about it, too.
Can you tease the upcoming video at all?
There’re some clips that I’ll be sharing through an app called Cheez that showcases some of the choreography from the “Freak” music video. We’ll be launching the #FreakChallenge for a chance to win $5,000 and a date with me in LA, so make sure to download the app to get the full details!
Is Valentine’s Day a thing for you? How are you celebrating this year — or not?
I think that anytime there’s an opportunity to show love, you should, and Valentine’s Day happens to be one of those days where everybody falls into a loving mood. This year, I’m doing a free show on Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles, which is my way of showing love to my fans. You can come whether you have a date or not! I’ll serenade you and we can vibe out.
Any other new tracks coming soon?
Yes! My project Life After Love Pt. 1 comes out on Feb. 23rd. “Freak” is one of seven songs that will be on Part 1. And of course, Part 2 will come a little later, so look out for more info on that soon. [Ed. note: You can stream Life After Love Pt. 1 below!]
What can you tell us about Life After Love Pt. 1?
The songs are in the order of feelings I went through after a really hard breakup. I was in a relationship for years, and Life After Love Pt. 1 reflects the dark aftermath. It gets into details — a lot of details. I have a song called “Ten New Friends” that speaks about self-pleasure. There’s a really emotional song called “Waterfall Out of Love” that gets into the heart of a breakup. It has ‘90s-inspired vibes — Aaliyah, Missy, and the darker R&B songs of that time. It’s really emotional and I’m excited to share.
What was a particularly amazing time during your tour with Ariana Grande?
There’s no way that you can top One Love Manchester. It wasn’t necessarily part of the Dangerous Woman Tour, but it showcased so much dedication, fearlessness, love, and community. It showed how much music can bring people together regardless of the danger, or whatever anybody says, or any differences — or even when it’s the result of something tragic. All of the hugs, all of the tears, all of the healing that it was able to provide; it was definitely my top day of tour. There’s no better way to heal from something like that than to share love with the world through music.
Who do you want to collaborate with?
I’d love to go in the studio with Sade. I think she’s legendary and her voice is an instrument like no other! Beyoncé, of course — she’s the queen of all queens. Janet Jackson, always. I’d love for her to take me under her wing. I would love someone as experienced and seasoned as Janet to really show me the ropes. That’s really a dream of mine.
What’s something you’ve been passionate lately outside of your work?
I really love travelling! 2017 was the most travelling I’ve ever done. Although I got to go to a lot of countries, I didn’t fully experience all of them. Since I was touring, the schedule’s really tight, so I’d love to redo it all to really explore the cities. It was super inspiring to see all of the different people of the world and how different cultures can be. When you’re in LA and working in the studio, you have your head down. When you go on tour, you finally have the opportunity to look up and explore and see what’s out there.
There’s something else I’ve become really passionate about that you’ll see in the “Freak” video, too! It’s a surprise.
Anything else in the pipeline?
I’m definitely going back into the studio now to write my next project and for other people. I took a little bit of time to just focus on me as an artist and the songs that I want to produce and put out there. Now, I’m going back into writing mode and sharing that with other artists. I’m excited to see what comes out of that as well.