While singer/songwriter Victoria Monet has made a name for herself as a songwriter thanks to her work with Ariana Grande (“7 rings” and “thank u, next”), her solo music has often been overlooked. Today, I decided to rank Victoria Monet’s two-part album Life After Love ahead of the release of her new project Jaguar in August. Read the full ranking, with a few explanations, below.
16. “Water Fall Out of Love” (Pt. 1)
15. “Love U Better” (Pt. 2)
14. “Intro” (Pt. 1)
13. “Open Your Eyes (Interlude)” [Pt. 1]
12. “Do You Like It” (Pt. 2)
11. “All You Need” (Pt. 2)
10. “New Love” (Pt. 2)
9. “Freak” (Pt. 1)
8. “No Good” (Pt. 1)
7. “Let Her Go” (Pt. 1)
6. “Next Thing - Bet You Didn’t Know” (Pt. 1)
5. “When You Say You Love Me” (Pt. 2)
Coming in at #5 on our list is the old-school love song “When You Say You Love Me.” Monet’s dreamy vocals combined with the retro production make for an amazing album-closing track. The old-school energy is refreshing after an overall lacklustre EP comprised of reggaeton-inspired beats, with the occasional R&B “magic” that Monet always slays. Regardless, “When You Say You Love Me” will forever be one of the most memorable songs on Life After Love thanks to its retro flair.
4. “Still Miss You” (Pt. 2)
“Still Miss You” has so much going for it: mesmerizing harmonies, smooth production, Monet’s writing… the list goes on and on. Its downfall is that Monet is SO talented that she was able to create 3 songs better than this one. Impressive, right?
3. “Ready” (Pt. 2)
I don’t think anyone was “Ready” for this song… see what I did there? “Ready” is the opening track on Life After Love Pt. 2 and is the perfect female empowerment anthem. Monet sings “Ladies, if you're single and you out here tryna catch one / Baby girl, our time is coming, there's gon' be someone that complements the vision” in the first verse of the song. The lyrics combined with Monet’s vocal performance and the clean production make this song an undeniable swipe right.
2. “Ten New Friends” (Pt. 1)
I’m not gonna beat around the bush with this one: this song slaps. While Monet’s vocals sound amazing (as always) on this song, the production really steals the spotlight on this track. The throbbing bass and hard drums complement the lyrics of the song ("I got a meeting in my bedroom / And I might've lost one / But I got two hands that's gon' touch me till I'm through”) and the extra percussion in the choruses take this song to the next level. “Ten New Friends” was very close to taking the top spot…
1. “Wish I Never Met You” (Pt. 1)
When I came up with the concept for this article, this song immediately popped into my head as the winner - and for obvious reasons. Monet’s voice sounds powerful and the dark trap production cannot be matched. Not to mention that the moments of silence in the chorus make me gasp every time. While there are tons of amazing songs on Life After Love, “Wish I Never Met You” is in a league of its own.
In conclusion, while Life After Love has its low moments, its R&B-pop perfection tracks cannot be matched. Stream Victoria Monet on Spotify and Apple Music.
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