When Victoria Monét announced the dates for her first headlining tour, The Jaguar Tour, the response was so overwhelming that tickets sold out within minutes, prompting her to upgrade to larger venues in certain cities and move a few dates around. Consequently, Washington, D.C., became the tour’s opening city. Monét kicked off her tour on Friday (Sept. 15) night at the historic Howard Theatre.
Around 8 p.m., the lights dimmed and R&B newcomer Alex Vaughn emerged on the stage rocking her signature short cut. The Prince George’s County, Maryland, native was greeted with thunderous applause and shouts from locals familiar with her work. The LVRN signee began her 20-minute set with her Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins-produced single “So Be It.” Vaughn didn’t need to convince the audience to pay attention as they harmonized with her as she belted the lovelorn lyrics.
“It’s Friday. Y’all off work. Make some noise for yourselves. Make some noise for R&B,” Vaughn told the crowd after ending the opening number.
She continued her enticing set with a few more selections from her debut EP, The Hurtbook, including “Keep That Energy,” “IYKYK,” “Do You Ever,” and the fan-favorite “Mirage.” The latter performance was a standout moment, where Vaughn flexed her operatic vocal range.
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Following Vaughn’s opening performance, crew members ushered to the stage and began decorating with tall trees and plants, creating a jungle-like ambiance. Around 9:15 p.m., the house lights dimmed again as band members made their way to the stage. The crowd’s excitement had them cheering in anticipation for the lady of the hour. Monét stealthily emerged on the stage, donning a brown hooded robe with a rhinestone jaguar emblem.
Once she reached her mic-stand, she dramatically ripped off the robe to unveil her glimmering two-piece ensemble. With her blonde hair flowing from the breeze of a stage fan in a Beyoncé-like manner, Monét opened her hour-long set with “Moment” from her 2020 JAGUAR EP.
She then segued to other JAGUAR cuts, including “Big Boss” and “Ass Like That.” The audience roared at the sound of Trillville’s “Some Cut,” signaling that they would get to witness Monét’s viral dance break that leads into another JAGUAR favorite, “Dive.”
After treating concertgoers to the first installment of JAGUAR, Monét eased into the sentimental ballad “How Does It Make You Feel,” lifted from her debut album, JAGUAR II. The audience collectively belted every word with all their might. Although the song was less than a month old, everyone sang along as if it has been around for years. (JAGUAR II was released Aug. 25 via RCA Records.)
Both JAGUAR II and JAGUAR are informed by retro soul stylings from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Shefittingingly incorporated The Supremes’ classic hit “Stop! In The Name of Love” ahead of her tell-off anthem “Stop (Askin’ Me 4Shyt)” from II. Towards the end of the song, Monét cheekily added, “And stop re-selling my tickets motherf*****rs,” which had the crowd laughing hysterically as if it were a comedy show. Monét’s dig was toward those who buy concert tickets just to resell them at a much higher price, leaving many fans with the dilemma of paying more than the ticket — if they can even get a hold of the tickets.
While the scent of marijuana was in the air all night, it was more potent when Monét performed her Lucky Daye-assisted single “Smoke,” as well as “Smoke (Reprise).” The stoners anthem had the venue perfumed with varying strains of weed — and yes, Monét had her puff too. After taking her hit, told the crowd, “I’m feeling sexy,” before transitioning to sensual numbers like “Touch Me” and “F.U.C.K.”
One can imagine how difficult it was for Monét to determine her setlist. While the tour is in support of her new album, it’s her first as a headliner and she has four other EPs and standalone singles that were released before the JAGUAR era. Midway through her set, Monét treated fans with a throwback medley of beloved cuts such as the new jack swing-inspired “New Love” from Life After Love, Pt. 2, and her underrated bop “Freak” from Life After Love, Pt. 1. She even performed her 2019 Ariana Grande collab “Monopoly” and 2021’s “Coastin’.”
After “We Might Even Be Falling In Love (Interlude),” Monét exited the stage for a quick costume change. The band played a live rendition of OutKast’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” during the short intermission. Monét then returned donning a sparkling pinstripe suit and a wooden cane, a fitting ensemble for “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem),” another JAGUAR II track. Monét and her dancers delivered slick choreography to the confidence-boosting anthem. Once Monét changed to another outfit, she returned on stage for a high-octane performance of her Kaytranada-produced jam “Alright,” before transitioning with a mashup of Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Baby Boy” and her reggae-tinged “Party Girls” featuring Buju Banton. Towards the end of the show, Monét returned to JAGUAR to perform her disco-inspired “Experience” and ended with the title track.
When Monét and her dancers left the stage, the audience quickly noticed that one song in particular was missing from the setlist. In a matter of seconds, they began chanting the catchy hook of “On My Mama.” “Okay, so you guys want ‘On My Mama,’ right?” Monét asked the crowd before returning to the stage to close the show with her first Billboard Hot 100-charting single. Best of all, Monét stayed true to the intricate choreography as seen in the official video, which has amassed six million views on YouTube.
Monét’s opening night of the Jaguar Tour was a resounding success. She poured her heart and soul into the performance to create an unforgettable experience for attendees. The Jaguar Tour’s upcoming stops include Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans and more.
Victoria Monét’s Jaguar Tour Washington, D.C. Setlist
Intro
Moment
Big Boss
Ass Like That
Some Cut
Dive
How Does It Make You Feel
Stop In The Name Of Love / Stop (Askin’ Me 4Shyt)
Smoke
Smoke (Reprise)
Anytime
Touch Me
F.U.C.K.
Throwback Medley
Coastin
We Might Even Be Falling In Love
Cadillac
Alright
Party Girls
Experience
Jaguar
On My Mama
