Victoria Monét is here to remind Us why we love music videos with the visual accompaniment to her latest single, “Alright.”
The R&B star, 35, dropped her new video on Tuesday, June 11, after teasing the clip via social media earlier this month. The track, produced by Kaytranada, is from Monét’s debut album, Jaguar II, which won Best R&B Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February.
In her visual adaptation, Monét paid homage to Janet Jackson’s music video of the same name, which was released in 1990. Similarly to Jackson, Monét sports a modern take on the classic pinstripe zoot suit, mimicking the exaggerated choreography of Jackson alongside backup dancers.
Monét also made sure to honor Janet’s brother, taking inspiration from the unmistakable style and dance moves of Michael Jackson in his 1988 video for “Smooth Criminal.” Monét even strikes some of Michael’s classic poses at the snap of the beat.
In the latter portion of the video, Monét and her dancers vogue in the rain, recalling Beyoncé’s video for her debut solo single “Crazy in Love.”
Monét promoted the video prior to its release with a teaser in which she catches a “Jaguar Cinema Premiere” of the “Alright” video, sporting a Thriller-inspired varsity jacket. Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC commercial can be heard ahead of the mellow beat that introduces the song.
“Y’all I am speechless!” Monét said while announcing the video’s release via Instagram. “My heart is fluttering, I am so honored to have made this visual with some of my favorite people on Earth!”
Monet’s Jaguar II is the sequel to her 2020 EP Jaguar. In 2021, between the release of her EP and first album, Monet gave birth to her first daughter, Hazel, with boyfriend John Gaines.
“There was a lot of fear projected on me when I told everyone I was pregnant, just about career things, it was hard,” the “On My Mama” singer told Variety in January. “I feel like having it all with Hazel is the best part of it.”