REVIEW: Victoria Monét’s ‘Frequency of Love’
WRITTEN BY JAMARI SHELTON
✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩
Photo by MAR+VIN
With 22 tracks to her name on Frequency of Love, Grammy-winning R&B singer Victoria Monét continues to prove that her artistry extends far beyond the songwriting credits that first introduced her to the music industry for the likes of Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, and even Travis Scott.
Long before becoming a household name, Monét’s career took a major turn in 2023 with the release of her debut album JAGUAR II, succeeding JAGUAR (2020). With the success of her single ‘On My Mama,’ she quickly proved she was just as capable of creating hits as she was of writing them for others. Now with Frequency of Love, Monét builds on that momentum for the first time in three years, exploring an entirely new territory.
The era first made headlines with its leading single ‘Let Me’ back in February of 2026, which created the foundation that the album was certain to be about a devoted relationship. Monét is no stranger to expressing her sexuality, relationship status, and even her body within music (nod to ‘Ass Like That’). Jaguar II solidified Victoria Monét’s sound as being sensual and funky yet ever so alluring.
Monét has an incredible list of features, including Leon Thomas, Lucky Daye, SZA, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chlöe, and even her daughter Hazel Monét.
The album opens with “All I need (Intro)” in which she repeatedly sings “You’re all I need…to get by right here within the frequency of love,” a hot take on Ashford & Simpson’s version. The concept of the album is about yearning for this person. But Monét is no stranger to expressing she wants more, especially intimately. In the track “Almost,” which is a nod to Brandy’s 1999 Never Say Never album, Monét uses the line “I almost came, so loud/But everybody knows that almost doesn’t count.” Monét is also no stranger to incorporating humor into her music as well. Using the line to be provocative yet as a signal to her partner.
Monét also uses more iconic R&B samples like “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” and “In My Bed,” by Dru Hill. Yet in this frequency, Monét takes the opposite stance on “I want you,” singing about how even though her partner is lying in her bed, she craves someone else.
Track 9, “You Mean The World To Me,” where she teams up with Leon Thomas and her daughter, Monét is the most enchanting to enter her powerful funkadelic discography. She sings that with the love she has for this person, it makes her want to save the world for them.
While Frequency of Love has already experienced a lot of hesitation and criticism, as it’s completely different from the funky R&B sounds of Jaguar and Jaguar II, she’s proved she’s not afraid to step out of the box. As someone who's been closely following Monét’s career, this is her most mature album yet. However, maturity doesn’t mean perfection.
With 22 tracks, Frequency of Love struggles with length. While Monét’s alluring and silky vocals bring us in for more, there are moments when certain songs blend into each other, leaving not much for conversation. Songs like “Let Me” and “Head To Toe” create almost a repetition of each other. A more selective tracklist could have allowed for a more memorable album.
The album is still a beautiful addition to her discography. Monét has already shown she can make us dance, but this time she’s proven how far her vocals can really go.
In a 2023 interview with Teen Vogue surrounding the release of Jaguar II, Monét opened up about her approach to artistic growth, explaining that she views herself as her only competition. Rather than entering the studio with the pressure of outdoing her previous work, she prefers to focus on the creative process and evaluate her progress once the music is complete.
“I guess it's healthy to want to be better and progress, but I try to keep it out of my mind when I'm actually in the studio, because your brain gets busy, so I try to stay in that moment,” Said Monét. “But now that the project's done, I can sit back and be like, ‘Yes, I think it's better than Jaguar.’”
Three years later, that same mindset appears to carry over into Frequency of Love. Instead of attempting to recreate the groovy R&B sound that earned her widespread recognition, Monét allows herself to explore a different side of her artistry. And while that creative shift might not resonate with every listener, it’s a reminder that she has never intended to remain confined to one particular sound.
