Victoria Monét Reveals The $150K Decision That Changed Her Career – Essence

In an industry where new artists often feel pressure to maintain a luxurious image, Grammy-winning artist Victoria Monét took a different approach with her first major publishing deal advance. As she explains it plainly in a sit down interview with Visa CMO Frank Cooper: “I didn’t go buy a fancy car or house… I took that money and I spent it on a tour.”

The decision came at a pivotal moment in her career, and Monét approached it with remarkable practicality. With the $150,000 advance in hand, she created her own support system from scratch. “I didn’t have a management team, I didn’t have a hairstylist. I was doing my hair, doing my makeup,” she recalls. Taking DIY to the next level, “I brought my cousin on tour to take the photos and make sure that the footage got everywhere.”

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Her resourceful approach extended to the nuts and bolts of touring. Together with her mother’s help, she handled tour routing herself, securing spots opening for major acts like Fifth Harmony and eventually Ariana Grande on her Dangerous Woman Tour. The investment proved transformative: “I think it became a place where a lot of people discovered who I am,” she reflects, “just building on that fan base and building on that fan base and slowly converting them into my world.”

Not everyone understood her choices at the time. “Maybe to some people they’re like, ‘You just got this deal. Why aren’t you in a good apartment? Why is your car like that?’” she remembers. “But then you’re on tour with the biggest pop star.”

This wasn’t her first strategic career move. As she built her career, Monét demonstrated the same practical mindset: “I was a struggling songwriter and artist, and so I learned how to vocal produce and engineer… since songwriters aren’t paid, you know, their rates in the studio, but the engineers are.” This adaptability helped sustain her while pursuing bigger dreams.

Now, with multiple Grammy wins under her belt, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album in 2024, Monét’s message to upcoming artists remains grounded in her experience: “If you don’t invest in yourself, how could you expect anybody else to want to? You have to put your money where your mouth is and do it yourself.”

For artists facing similar crossroads, Monét offers encouragement through her own journey: “Sometimes it takes a lot of sacrifice. Sometimes it may be dark and lonely and embarrassing, but you’ll get the payoff. The sunlight is coming.”

Through her strategic choices and unwavering commitment to her goals, Victoria Monét has proven that sometimes the path to success means choosing tour vans over luxury cars, and DIY solutions over premature splurging. Her story stands as a masterclass in playing the long game in the music industry – and winning.