Jaguar II (album)

In February 2021, after the release of the Jaguar EP, Monét released the single "F.U.C.K", along with a western-themed music video.[4] Around the same time, she would also give birth to her daughter Hazel Monét Gaines.[5] Later that year, the single "Coastin'" was released, along with an accompanying music video featuring Rickey Thompson.[6][7] In June 2022, Monét performed "Coastin" at the 22nd BET Awards pre-show and announced she was working on the second instalment to her planned Jaguar trilogy, titled Jaguar II.[8]

On March 24, 2023, Monét released the album's lead single "Smoke" (featuring Lucky Daye), which was also her first new single since 2021.[9]

This was then followed by the album's second single "Party Girls" (featuring Buju Banton) May 10, In addition, a dancehall remix of "Party Girls", remixed by Michaël Brun was released on May 26.

Following the second single, the album's third single "On My Mama" was released on June 16, 2023. The single's music video was released August 25, 2023.

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.7/10[10]
Metacritic	86/100[11]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
Clash	8/10[13]
Financial Times	[14]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[15]
Rolling Stone	[16]
HotNewHipHop

Jaguar II received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, a website that aggregates reviews of music albums, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 7 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]

AllMusic's Andy Kellman wrote that it "nudges contemporary R&B forward as it mixes inspirations spanning continents and generations" and "Monét always comes across as an everywoman at heart, no matter how fantastical or personal she gets, followed closely by her ability to sound authoritative without increasing the volume or toughness of her dulcet voice".[12] Shahzaib Hussain of Clash felt that Jaguar II "preserves an almost anti-algorithmic approach in sound; it draws on musical touchstones but is a poetically a modern enterprise", also calling it "a compressed listen with only 11 tracks but still packs in dimensionality and texture".[13] Pitchfork's Anna Gaca found that its "plush R&B and live-band arrangements strike a tone that's classic, sexy, and understated", describing it as "the rare species of pop-soul that evokes a real sense of spiritual uplift".[15] In a rave review, HotNewHipHop’s Demi Phillips referred to the album as “a testament to the singer affirming her musical self-discovery,” also labeling it “a glittery R&B delicacy that awakens every human sense.”[17]

Musicians

• Victoria Monét – vocals (all tracks)
• Lucky Daye - vocals (1)
• Buju Banton - vocals (3)
• Arnetta Johnson – trumpet (tracks 1, 11)
• Elena Pinderhughes – flute (5, 6)
• Kyla Moscovich – horns (5, 7), background vocals (10), trumpet (11)
• Marcus Reddick – bass (6)
• Carlin White – drums (6)
• Peter Lee Johnson – strings (6, 7, 10, 11)
• Verdine White – bass (10)
• Tommy Parker – background vocals (11)
• Chris Payton – guitar (11)

Technical

• Colin Leonard – mastering
• John Kercy – mixing (1–3, 6, 8–11), engineering (3)
• Neal H Pogue – mixing (4, 5)
• Patrizio "Teezio" Pigliapoco – mixing (7)
• Todd Robinson – engineering (5–11)
• Kyle Mann – engineering (5, 6, 8–11)