Category Archives: Uncategorized

Chris Christie Taunts Trump With The ‘One Thing He Cannot Stand’

Posted on by
Reply

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie boasted that he’s living “rent-free” inside Donald Trump’s head after the former president launched another attack on him.

Trump on Tuesday fired off a rant on his Truth Social website saying Christie “SHOULD DROP OUT OF THE RACE.”

Christie, one of a number of candidates running against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said that won’t happen.

“He only wishes I was going away,” Christie said, saying Trump was “obviously” watching as he criticised the former president on TV when he posted that message.

“I was laying out the truth about him,” Christie said, saying the “one thing he cannot stand” is when someone credible calls him out.

“He knows I’m not just some politician talking about his problems. I’m someone who’s done it, and done it well,” Christie said, noting his 130 wins and zero losses in prosecuting political corruption cases when he was a U.S. attorney.

“I know how deep his problems are, and how much they’re damaging both the Republican Party and the country,” Christie said. “I’m not getting out this race. Maybe he should think about getting out of the race since he’ll be spending most of March and half of April in a courtroom in Washington, DC.”

That’s a reference to the March 4 start of Trump’s election interference trial, one of four criminal cases against the former president.

Christie is polling in the low-to-mid single digits, far behind Trump and behind a number of other candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy and former United States Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Yet the former president seems to devote outsized attention to Christie, frequently responding to his TV appearances by attacking him on social media despite the fact that the two were once close allies.

In 2016, Christie became one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump, and remained a loyal insider for the duration of Trump’s presidency, but turned into a critic afterward.

See his full conversation with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins below:

Share Button

Thousands Of Russian Soldiers Refusing To Fight In Ukraine As Morale Plummets, Says UK

Posted on by
Reply

Thousands of Russian troops are refusing to return to the frontline in Ukraine as their morale plummets, according to the UK.

Two soldiers were last week sentenced to serve at least two years in a penal colony after being convicted of disobeying orders to fight.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was reported last month that nearly 100 Russian soldiers a week after being convicted for refusing to go into battle as the war drags on.

“If this trend continues, there will be approximately 5,200 convictions a year for refusing to fight,” the MoD’s latest intelligence update said.

“The high rate of convictions demonstrates the poor state of morale in the Russian Army and the reluctance of some elements to fight.”

The MoD said that was a result of a “lack of training, motivation and high stress situations” faced by Russian forces in the war.

They added: “Although some soldiers have refused to fight and attrition rates remain high, Russia highly likely mitigates their loss by committing a mass of poorly trained soldiers to the frontline.”

It emerged yesterday that Russia is failing to hit its army recruitment targets despite a massive rise in forces’ pay.

Russia is estimated to have suffered more than 200,000 casualties so far in the Ukraine war.

The MoD revealed last month that up to half of Russian fatalities in the war could also have been prevented “with proper first aid”, while crude battlefield medical treatment is causing a huge number of preventable fatalities and amputations.

Meanwhile, at least half of the elite 30,000 Russian paratroopers deployed to Ukraine have probably been killed or wounded.

Share Button

Russia Failing To Hit Army Recruitment Targets Despite Huge Boost In Soldiers’ Pay, Says UK

Posted on by
Reply

Vladimir Putin is unlikely to hit his target for recruiting volunteers to the Russian army despite massively increasing their wages, according to UK intelligence.

On the eve of the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, a Russian lieutenant earned 81,200 rubles – around £672 – per month.

According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), by October last year, even those ranked as privates were being paid 195,000 rubles – around £1,615 – a month as Putin tried to boost the numbers signing up to serve.

In their latest intelligence update on X, formerly Twitter, the MoD said some in the junior ranks of the Russian army are now on more than 200,000 rubles – £1,650 – a month

“This is over 2.7 times the Russian national average salary of 72,851 rubles,” they said. “By way of comparison, 2.7 times the average UK salary would equate to over £90,000 a year.

“It is highly likely that the salary and additional benefits are a strong incentive for personnel to join up, especially to those from the poorer areas of Russia.”

However, the MoD said Russia was still “unlikely to meet its targets for recruiting volunteers to the ranks” despite the massive boost in soldiers’ pay.

Russia is estimated to have suffered more than 200,000 casualties so far in the Ukraine war.

The MoD revealed last month that up to half of Russian fatalities in the war could also have been prevented “with proper first aid”, while crude battlefield medical treatment is causing a huge number of preventable fatalities and amputations.

At least half of the elite 30,000 Russian paratroopers deployed to Ukraine have probably been killed or wounded.

Share Button

Hannah Waddingham ‘Respectfully Steps Down’ As Host Of BBC Proms Event

Posted on by
Reply

Hannah Waddingham has told fans she pulled out of hosting a BBC Proms event this week out of solidarity with the ongoing actors’ strike.

On Friday, the BBC announced that the Ted Lasso star would be fronting the Fantasy, Myths and Legends Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, which was recorded on Monday evening.

However, shortly before the event was due to get underway, Hannah revealed she would no longer be taking part, as a show of “support” with her colleagues in the entertainment industry who are currently on strike.

“Hey guys, I very sadly won’t be able to host tonight’s [BBC Proms] Fantasy, Myths and Legends,” she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“It will be a magical night, but due to my ongoing support for the [SAG-AFTRA] strike I must respectfully step down. I look forward to being back at [the Royal Albert Hall]!”

Members of the Screen Actors’ Guild have been on strike for over a month now, with the union taking action shortly after it was announced that the Writers’ Guild of America was also on strike.

This marks the first time in over 60 years that both unions have been on strike at the same time.

Among the key concerns behind the ongoing actors’ strike include streaming residuals, minimum pay and the “use and potential abuse” of artificial intelligence within the film and TV industries, per the Los Angeles Times.

Due to the strikes, a number of major films and TV shows have now shut down production, with some studios now pushing back release dates for key projects that have already completed filming while its cast are striking.

Share Button

‘This Was A Conservative Policy’: BBC Presenter Skewers Minister Over Tory ULEZ Hypocrisy

Posted on by
Reply

A Conservative minister was left squirming after a BBC presenter highlighted the Tories’ hypocrisy over London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

Transport secretary Mark Harper was skewered by John Kay on the day the controversial scheme is expanded across the whole of the capital.

The decision by Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, has been criticised by the Tories.

But on BBC Breakfast this morning, it was pointed out to Harper that ULEZ was originally the brainchild of Boris Johnson when he had Khan’s job in 2015.

Kay told him: “There are millions of people waking up this morning inside the ULEZ charging zone in London.

“I just want to read you a quote from the mayor of London: ‘The world’s first ULEZ zone is an essential measure to help improve air quality in our city and protect the health of Londoners’.

“That was former mayor of London, Conservative Boris Johnson. This was a Conservative policy originally, however critical you are of it now.”

Harper replied: “No, the expansion of the ULEZ zone to cover the whole of Greater London is a decision by the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, supported by the Labour leader.

“If you look at the mayor’s own impact assessment, it will have a minor to negligible effect on air quality. So it’s very clear, despite what the mayor says, this isn;t about improving air quality in Greater London, it’s about raising from Londoners for him.”

Kay then went on to point out that expanding ULEZ from central London was backed during the pandemic by Harper’s predecessor as transport secretary, Grant Shapps.

He said: “It wasn’t just Boris Johnson though, was it? Former Conservative transport secretary Grant Shapps, your predecessor in your job, he wanted the congestion charge in London expanded three years ago.”

But Harper hit back: “No he didn’t, this has been put around by the Labour Party. This was about the expansion of the ULEZ to the north and south London circular area, which was something that was a manifesto commitment by the mayor.

“The government does not support the rollout of the ULEZ to the whole of Greater London – we’ve been very clear about that.”

Under ULEZ, drivers of polluting vehicles are charged £12.50 per day.

Khan has insisted that its expansion is necessary to improve air quality across the whole of London.

However, the move was blamed for Labour’s failure to win the recent Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, which prompted Keir Starmer to urge the mayor to re-think the policy.

Share Button

‘Just Another Gimmick’: Government Slammed Over Plan To Put Electronic Tags Immigrants

Posted on by
Reply

Government plans to put electronic tags on immigrants to prevent them from absconding have been slammed as “just another gimmick” by Labour.

Home secretary Suella Braverman this morning refused to rule out the move, which was reported by The Times and the Daily Telegraph.

Asked about the plan on Sky News, Braverman said the government “needed to exercise a level of control” of migrants.

She added: “We are exploring all options to ensure that we have that level of control over people so that they can flow through our system swiftly to enable us to thereafter remove them from the United Kingdom.”

But shadow employment minister Justin Madders accused the Home Office of planning to treat asylum seekers like “criminals”.

He said: “The only people you tag are criminals, so my understanding is that people who are coming into this country seeking asylum are not criminals, they’re usually people fleeing persecution.

“If there’s a problem absconding this is the first I’ve heard about it and clearly the solution to that is to get on and process the asylum applications a lot quicker than is happening and this is just another gimmick that is not dealing with the root of the problem at all.”

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The Times: “It’s treating people as objects rather than vulnerable men, women and children in search of safety, who should be treated with compassion and humanity.”

The plan was even called into question by right-wing Tory MP John Redwood.

He told Times Radio: “I would need to be persuaded about the role of the electronic tag.

“I’m grateful for the clarification that it’s only going to apply to those who have been found to be illegal migrants. I think the bigger problem is to work out how many people in the system are illegal migrants and therefore need a safe place to return them to, and how many are asylum seekers.”

Share Button

Stormzy And Maya Jama Spark Reunion Rumours As They’re Snapped Holding Hands On Holiday

Posted on by
Reply

Stormzy and Maya Jama are at the centre of speculation they’re back together after they were seen holding hands while on holiday in Greece.

The award-winning rapper and Love Island host were previously in a relationship for four years, before going their separate ways in 2019. In the years since, they’ve repeatedly been rumoured to have reunited, which they have previously always denied.

Over the weekend, the rumour mill went into overdrive when fans began to suspect that Stormzy and Maya were on holiday together, after their followers began to pick up on some similarities between the pair’s social media posts.

A post from TikTok user Georgina Ball – which suggested Stormzy had “soft launched” the reunion – even racked up as many as 4.2 million views.

While neither Stormzy nor Maya commented on the speculation, the Daily Mail later published photos of them walking around Hydra Island together hand-in-hand.

In the pictures, posted on Sunday, the two are seen smiling as they walk through the town holding hands, in matching white ensembles.

After the photos were shared on Sunday, fans were quick to share their reactions over on X (formerly known as Twitter):

Maya Jama’s team had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.

We have also contacted representatives for Stormzy.

Stormzy and Maya Jama pictured together in 2017
Stormzy and Maya Jama pictured together in 2017

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

Stormzy previously referenced his break-up from Maya on his third album This Is What I Mean, which reached number one upon its release last year.

The former Glastonbury headliner later opened up about the split during a sit-down interview with Louis Theroux.

“My break-up, that was probably the biggest catalyst for growth as a man,” Stormzy said. “It was like, OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you.

“That’s probably the biggest loss a man can have, isn’t it? Away from someone passing away, that’s the biggest loss you can have.

“The whole fucking palaver that surrounded that situation, do you know what I mean? There were other things in terms of mistakes I’d made. I didn’t do what a man should do to fully appreciate love, and care for his woman.”

Share Button

Trump Legal Spokesperson Undercuts One Of His Defences, Live On Fox News

Posted on by
Reply

Critics mocked Donald Trump’s legal spokesperson Alina Habba on Sunday after she appeared to undermine a reason the former president’s lawyers have given in a bid to delay the ex-president from facing trial before the 2024 election.

Fox News’ Shannon Bream asked Habba how Trump’s legal team — from which Habba was dropped in July ― handled the logistics of “prepping a client for all of those different trials” while running for president.

Trump is currently the Republican frontrunner.

“Yeah. If it was a normal person, honestly, Shannon, I could understand the concern. President Trump is not your average person,” Habba replied. “He’s incredibly intelligent and he knows the ropes. He also knows the facts because he lived them.”

“What is going to have to be prepped for? The truth?” Habba added. ”You don’t have to prep much when you’ve done nothing wrong, so that I’m not concerned with.”

On X, aka Twitter, users suggested Habba had contradicted Trump’s lawyers’ attempts to delay any legal proceedings until after the 2024 election, citing the complexity of the various cases he faces.

Share Button

Joe Jonas Reflects On Public Reaction To Story About Pooping His Pants Onstage

Posted on by
Reply

Joe Jonas may not have expected a candid story about once pooping his pants onstage to explode on the internet.

In an article published on Thursday, the Just in Love singer told People that the headlines and wide response to his accident were actually “quite fun” for him.

“I like people to come up with their own idea of what it was,” he said.

Joe had previously discussed the poopy incident during an appearance on the Australian podcast Will & Woody in July.

He told hosts Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw that it had taken place about four years prior — though he didn’t share the specific date or location of the concert in question.

“There’s a point in your life where, as an adult, you can remember the last time you shit your pants,” he said, later adding that it was “a bad day to choose to wear white clothing”.

The Jonas Brothers member recalled that the unfortunate event prompted him to change his wardrobe in the middle of a set.

“I feel like I’ve paid my dues and I’m a part of some secret club now,” Joe said at the time.

From left to right: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas perform in Boston on Aug. 15.
From left to right: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas perform in Boston on Aug. 15.

Boston Globe via Getty Images

Still, he told People this week that the ordeal onstage was “a scare”.

His younger brother and bandmate Nick Jonas expressed amazement at how quickly the news had spread. “This story went everywhere,” he recalled.

The Jonas Brothers are currently on tour, with their next concert in Missouri on Sunday.

Kevin Jonas, the eldest member of the group, celebrated the ongoing tour in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

“Can’t believe we get to do this every night with all of you and the best band out there!!” he told followers.

Share Button

Victoria Monét Has Perfect Timing

Posted on by
Reply

“I Run This” is a weekly interview series that highlights Black women and femmes who do dope shit in entertainment and culture while creating visibility, access and empowerment for those who look like them. Read my Teyonah Paris interview here.

Victoria Monét arrives for our interview amid what’s likely her busiest project rollout to date. Her team buzzes around to primp and prime the songstress by fixing the slightest stray hair or crooked collar. We joke about her not wearing her signature chocolatey brown and instead opting for a trendy denim two-piece. She notes that she’s feeling more vibrant in this chapter and wants her wardrobe to reflect it. At last, Monét is releasing a debut album after nearly a decade in the music industry.

The R&B singer has a gentle, steady glow and subtle glimmer about her. She knows how to flip the switch effortlessly between when it’s time to put in work and show the hell out like fireworks on the Fourth of July whenever she hits the stage. This moment in Monét’s career is a testament to how much of a virtue patience is. And that’s on her mama.

If you feel like you’ve never heard of Monét, you probably have heard her work. She’s written for Ariana Grande, Nas, T.I., Lupe Fiasco, Fifth Harmony and more. She even sang on Grande’s Monopoly and wrote and recorded an original song for Insecure. However, her 2020 EP Jaguar grew her fanbase and put her on a new level as a singer-songwriter. Now, with nearly 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, she’s just released Jaguar II on Friday and is gearing up to headline her first tour — which is completely sold out — in two weeks.

“There were a lot of times that I wished for moments like this,” the 34-year-old said, dubbing this her “light era”. “I’ve just seen so much darkness and been alone in a lot of the process and doing my work and my due diligence in the dark, like rehearsals and investments and the business parts. So I feel like the curtains are opening. It’s showtime; the lights are on.”

Jaguar II puts listeners in a time capsule to tour the sounds of different eras but roots a lot of her sound in the 1960s and 1970s (apparent on the triumphantly groovy horns blaring on her hit single Smoke). She added that there’s some futurism on the album, too.

“I like that it kind of covers a lot of bases, but you can still kind of uncover that the root of it all comes from earlier music in the ’60s and ’70s,” she said of the sound on her upcoming album. “Even though you may hear the early 2000s influencing On My Mama, you can still connect back to the ’70s because of the horn lines, and it feels like when Earth, Wind and Fire would use their horns. So I’m excited to take people on that journey from top to bottom, just whatever they want to relate it to whatever area you could probably find just multiple, you know, timeframes to relate it to.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="3558" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":9,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"VictoriaMonétVEVO","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCItZNGarpVTVrPaxUXi_qQ","cache_age":86400,"description":"Listen to \"On My Mama\" Here: \nhttps://victoriamonet.lnk.to/onmymama\n\nFollow Victoria Monét:\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriamon…\nTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@victoriamonet\nTwitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaMonet?ref…\nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaMonet/\n\nDirector: child.\nProduction Co.: 44 Content\nExecutive Producers: Missy Galanida, Isaac Rice, Andrea Saavedra\nProducers: Missy Galanida, Andrea Saavedra\nProduction Managers: Natasha Pierson, Kelo Thompson\nProduction Coordinator: Cariella Smith\n1st AD: George Harkness\n2nd AD: Arielle Zolezzi\n2nd 2nd AD: Jasmine Claypool\n\nDP: Jon Chema\n1st AC: Joseph Soria\n2nd AC: Harry Heng\nCamera Operator: Nick Muller\nDIT: Kyle Hoekstra\nCrane Operator: Bogdan Iofciulescu\nCrane Tech: Jeff Wessels\nMatrix Tech: Simon Shin\nKey Grip : Marlow Nunez\nBest Boy Grip: Paul Reynoso\nDolly Grip: Taylor Casebeer\nGrip: JQ Silva\nGrip Driver: Abel Soto\nGaffer/CLT: Marlon O’Brien\nACLT: Alice Becerra\n\nSLT/Driver: Raul Morales\nSLT: Mike Duong\nSLT: Mike Viera\nSLT: Dan Eckert\nProgrammer: Harry Schroeder\nLCP/Board Op: Tyler Sanderson\nBoard Operator: Harry Schroeder\n\nProduction Designer: Tyler Evans\nArt Director: Brendan Sheley\nSet Dresser: Theo Cohn\nSet Dresser: Corey Glenn\nArt Coordinator: Ciara Flynn\n\nCast Stylist: Rasheeda Ameera\nCast Hair/Make-Up: Julie Dinh\nCast Hair Assistant: Jessica-Amber Pineda\nCast Wardrobe: Aunna\nDancer Make-Up: Vicky G.\nDancer Styling: Damien Lloyd\n\nArtist Make-Up: Angie Mar\nArtist Hair: Tokyo Stylez\nArtist Styling: Kollin Carter\nStyling Assistant: Francesleslia Millien\nStyling Assistant: Juan Ortiz\nStyling Assistant: Jesstia Usher\nArtist Nails: Ween\nArtist Management: Rachelle Jean-Louis\nCreative Director: paradhime\n\nChoreographer: Sean Bankhead\nChoreographer Assistant/Dancer: Ahsia Pettigrew\nDancer: Luz Remigio-Frias\nDancer: Briana Morrison\nDancer: Tacir Roberson\nDancer: Shaq Reed\nDancer: Jasmine ‘JB’ Badie\nDancer: J Blaze\nDancer: Lyle Beniga\nDancer: Dario Boatner\n\nBuff Man: Tyrone W\nBuff Man: Therin M\nBuff Man: Corey R\nBuff Man: Quincy J\nHorn Player: Jarmal T\nHorn Player: Carter S\nHorn Player: Jamil A\nVixen: Daesha J\nVixen: Derri A\nVixen: Destinee\nKid: Blaze M\nKid: Nasya N\n\nBTS: Carlos Dupouy\nEditor: Vinnie Hobbs\nColorist: Joseph Bicknell @ Company 3\nVFX: Chroma VFX\nVFX Creative Director: Warren Paleos\nVFX Executive Producer: Andy Hamill\nVFX Managing Director: Lexi Jarman\nLead Flame: Mikey Smith\nSenior Flame: Marcus Wood\nDesign Lead: Nate Soto\n\nRCA Commissioner: Camille Yorrick\nLabel: RCA Records\n\nMoho Driver: Christina C. Lewis\nPA – Jose Chavez\nPA: Anthony Vega\nPA: Jack Galanida\nPA: Suren Arakelyan\nSet PA: Malachi Barnes\nPass Van PA: Vanessa Gonzalez\nTruck PA: McKay LeDuke\nTruck PA: Preston\n\nC\n\n#VictoriaMonet #OnMyMama #RnB","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KdJ-Qwu3y4Y/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Victoria Monét – On My Mama (Official Video)","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJ-Qwu3y4Y","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"featured","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"64e8c352e4b03cccf419d2f9","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/victoria-monet-interview-jaguar-ii-journey-music_uk_64e8c352e4b03cccf419d2f9","entryTagsList":"ukmusic,victoria-monet,@black_voices,@queer_voices,@voices,@widget-imported,@womens_voices","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":true,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":1},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"64e8c352e4b03cccf419d2f9","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukmusic","slug":"ukmusic","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukmusic","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic/"},{"name":"victoria monet","slug":"victoria-monet","links":{"relativeLink":"news/victoria-monet","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/victoria-monet","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/victoria-monet"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/victoria-monet/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

For the album, she tapped Earth, Wind and Fire, Lucky Daye, Buju Banton and Hazel Monét, her two-year-old daughter with boyfriend John Gaines. Monét reportedly started dating Gaines after shooting the Moment video from her 2020 EP. She told radio personality Angela Yee that a day after Gaines asked her to make it official, Monét found out she was pregnant with Hazel. She said while expectant and eager to give birth, their daughter taught her about the value of being patient.

“It taught me a lot about the timing and the right timing of everything, which applies to my career as well. Because as much as I wanted it to happen nine years ago, it all happens at the right time, in the perfect time, and in God’s timing,” she said.

Nine years ago, Monét believed that her career on the stage was gearing up to take off when she signed to Motown with a girl group called Purple Reign. Growing up in Sacramento, she had always tapped into her passion for the stage. Reluctant to lean into her voice as a shy kid initially, she honed her dancing skills, starting a drill team in middle school and attending a performing arts school for high school.

Monét, who had grown up singing in the church choir, began studying songwriting and production, which led her to add Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins as a friend on MySpace. When he invited her to Los Angeles to audition for Purple Reign, she packed up and decided to take a leap of faith toward her dreams in music. Within a year of being signed, however, the group was dropped from the label without even being able to release the album they had been working on.

She said breaking that news to her family was “really hard.” They were supportive and offered for her to return home to Sacramento, but she knew that wasn’t an option for her.

“I refused. I didn’t have a plan B. And a thing in Black families is you gotta have a plan B. And I think, because I didn’t have a Plan B, Plan A has to work, and it has to work, and it still has to work,” she said. “So I’m just still planning the journey of it all.”

Singer Victoria Monet performs on Day 2 of the Sol Blume Festival 2022 at Discovery Park on May 1, 2022, in Sacramento, California.
Singer Victoria Monet performs on Day 2 of the Sol Blume Festival 2022 at Discovery Park on May 1, 2022, in Sacramento, California.

Steve Jennings via Getty Images

Her first songwriting placement came on Diddy Dirty Money’s I Hate That You Love Me, which opened the doors for her to write for other artists. Her friendship and working relationship with Grande led to her getting the opportunity to open up for the pop star on Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour. She released her debut EP Nightmares and Lullabies Act 1 in 2014 under Atlantic Records and went on to release three other EPs. During this time, Monét was strategically collecting infinity stones, so to speak, and honing in on her sound before releasing Jaguar as an independent artist.

“Being an independent artist allowed me the space to really deep dive and find exactly what I wanted to say and the sonics I wanted to use with no upperclassmen telling me, ‘No,’” she explained. “I just did what I wanted to do. And luckily, people were receptive to it. I think it’s really important to just be your authentic self, even if it’s a little bit different and left of center than what’s going on in mainstream or what you’ve been instructed to do.”

The finesse and artfulness that Monét writes with can’t be replicated. The soft power of her voice harnesses a sensuality and divineness that puts you in a trance. And the energy in her dance style makes it impossible to deny your body its seemingly instinctive desire to move with her.

“I always really felt like this was what I was meant to do,” she said. She compared her journey to The Wizard of Oz, traversing her way to Oz after a storm and picking up the experiences and skills she needed to succeed. She admits that she may not have been ready to take center stage before, but now she certainly is.

“Now’s the time. Now, I’m mentally mature enough. Now, I’m confident enough and unapologetic enough to kind of do and experience some of the things that I’m experiencing now that maybe it was best that I didn’t have these things early on,” she admits. “It all just makes sense in retrospect, and you know, it’s really hard when you’re in the middle of a tornado to see outside and be like, ‘No, this is for a reason.’ Everything leads to where it’s supposed to be, so if you’re on a journey, don’t question it. There’s a reason for everything, and you’re gonna make it right on through to the other side.”

Share Button