Sitting down with her over Zoom, Im excited to discuss the album.
It was February 2021, and Monet and her partner, John Gaines, had justwelcomedtheir daughter, Hazel.
After an unexpected C-section, Hazel emerged, but she had breathing complications.
Photo courtesy of RCA Records/Amanda K Bailey
They took her to the NICU after Ibreastfedher for a little bit, Monet recalls.
The moment her strength came back to her, she made her way right to Hazel.
Monets birthing experience paralleled my own.
I also had an unexpected C-section.
Monet remembers how extreme her experience was too.
I had episodes of screaming, crying, she explains.
[My] hormones were out of control.
I just didnt understand why I was feeling this way, she says.
Thankfully Hazels breathing steadied, and Monet recovered too.
Once she was feeling up to it, she went back to work.
I went home with her after four or five days in the NICU.
Six weeks later, I was taking her into the studio, Monet says.
In this way,Jaguar IIis quite literally a labor of love.
The project captures Monets cross-genre singing abilities and the writing skills shes fine-tuned over her decade-long career.
After I had Hazel, I went into a fulldepression.
[But] you have to think forward.
Its been a battle to be okay with whatever size I am at the time.
In essence: Forget living in the past.
Shes owning her magnetismright now.
[Going back to work with Hazel] made me even thank my mom.
I was like, I had no idea.
This is what you went through to have me?
Thank you so much.
Both Hazel and Monets mother, LTanya Chestang-Cubit, appear in the video for On My Mama.
Songwriting was a way that I could get my voice heard and my ideas out there, Monet says.
Now, Monets solo music puts her not onlyout therebut front and center.
It was night and day, she says.
Monet suspects thatJaguar IIis just one accomplishment that will come out of what childbirth taught her.
Thats a nice marker of reality and how strong we are.
As she discovered, We can conquer whatever.
Thats what we put our mind to.
Its like, baby in hands, breastfeeding, and the studio recording.
And its just a sign from Godconfirmation that we really are the shit.
Shes Rocky, after alla mom, a daughter, a star, and above all, herself.
