Victoria Monét will join Bruno Mars as the opening act for the European and UK leg of his ‘The Romantic’ stadium tour, starting June 18, per nme.com.
The high-profile support slot, which includes a performance at London’s Wembley Stadium alongside Anderson .Paak’s DJ Pee .Wee, marks a full-circle moment for Monét, who signed to Atlantic Records as Mars’ labelmate in 2013.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s early career involved writing hits for Ariana Grande, including “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings,” alongside a 2019 collaborative single, “Monopoly,” which secured Monét her first Billboard Hot 100 hit as a lead artist. She achieved mainstream solo success with her August 2023 debut album, Jaguar II. The project earned her three Grammy Awards in 2024, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album.
Following her Grammy success, Monét faced online criticism regarding her age and industry longevity. The 34-year-old artist used the experience to deliberately pace the rollout of her upcoming second album, aims to distance herself from previous work and avoid industry pressure to release music hastily.
In February, Monét soft-launched her next musical chapter with the five-minute R&B single “Let Me”. Her upcoming, untitled album will feature an anthemic track addressing her relationship status and personal freedom.
Alongside her musical preparations, Monét graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education on May 4. She balanced the intensive training programme with a rigorous schedule of 4am workouts, vocal lessons, album production and motherhood. Monét stated the culinary pursuit helped her find personal value outside of the music industry and establish a healthy creative equilibrium ahead of her tour and album release.
Monét’s deliberate creative choices and multi-disciplinary pursuits reflect a strategic shift in how modern pop stars navigate post-Grammy scrutiny and long-term career sustainability.
•Featured image: Victoria Monét/Dalvin Adams
