Music/Live Reviews

Who: Victoria Monét
Where: History, 1663 Queen St. E.
When: Thurs., Oct. 26
Vibe: Electric and intimate
Next: The Jaguar Tour continues in the U.S. with the next show in Boston
Highlight: The entire audience singing and dancing along with the funky soul performance of Jaguar, the title track off Monét’s last project.
Rating: NNNNN (out of 5)

THE FIRST THING I notice when I arrive at History is a healthy line at the Victoria Monét merch table and an even healthier crowd. After speaking to some of the audience members, it’s clear that some didn’t know that there was an opener and thus came an hour earlier. But Winnipeg-raised and Toronto-based R&B singer Lavish is a pleasant surprise for the crowd. The charismatic crooner gets us ready for Monét’s set with lovelorn songs and strong vocals.

Soon enough, Monét makes her entrance. Once her bedazzled jaguar mask and robe come off, she gives us her all till the very end of the show. Every song is uniquely choreographed with every beat perfectly punctuated by Monét and her two dancers. Together, they make a dangerous trio with effortless allure and maximum sensuality, especially on F.U.C.K (Friend You Can Keep). Monét will also give a stellar performance of Stop (Asking Me for Shyt), with a comedic outro that changes at each show. The themes of self-love and setting boundaries stay the same, but it never fails to make the crowd laugh. But what stands out most is how deftly Monét moves between genres, choreography and moods, making the show a truly immersive experience.

For the Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem) performance, she and her dancers dazzle in sparkling trench coats, complete with a cane to simulate a pimp walk. With a funky, trumpet-heavy groove punctuated by sounds of the jungle, Monét takes us to sonically and visually rich territory. For Party Girls, Monét makes up for the absence of her collaborator, Buju Banton, by starting the performance of the dancehall-reminiscent song with some classic dancehall tracks and moves. This, of course, gets the islanders in the crowd singing along with surprised glee. When she does start singing, she makes another bold decision by remixing the production with that of Baby Boy by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul. The crowd goes wild.

What Monét possesses in skill, she also possesses in disposition. She starts by thanking her fans for their patience with the album and the tour, which was supposed to happen almost two months ago. She also shows appreciation for Lavish — typical for most main performers, but she goes above and beyond by asking us to follow him on social media and support him because after all, he is “our own.” Her humility towards her success and her gratitude for her fans may be the reason why this crowd isn’t just filled with fans from her recent viral hits on TikTok and Instagram. Old hits like Jaguar and New Love are still given similar energy as record-breaking hits like On My Mama, with which Monét closes the show.

After the show, I’m too late to get some merch because it is all sold out. Fans begin to reminisce as they sing along to Goodbye, the final track on her debut album Jaguar II and a fitting exit song. The only complaint I hear is that this show was far too short — she played under an hour. As one fan put it, “I could listen to her sing for three hours.”