Victoria Monét and Kelly Rowland have a lot in common.
The songbirds recently sat down with each other in Rolling Stone’s latest Musicians on Musicians episode.
Monét kicked things off by praising Rowland, noting that seeing a brown-skinned girl like herself in Destiny’s Child gave her “someone to look up to” and how much their first time meeting in 2021 meant to her. Monét said during her short time in a group with two other girls, they continuously performed “Say My Name” and “Cater 2 U.”
“I have to give you your flowers just for being a great human being in addition to being a great musician,” she said to Rowland, who returned the admiration.
“I always feel like there’s so many levels to your music and when we get that version of you, as a mom, as a writer, as an artist, as a performer — like, ‘She’s the truth,'” Rowland said, adding that Monét’s music “really transcends through generations.”
Surprisingly, Monét and Rowland realized they might sit on the same family tree. During their sit down, Monét shared how she learned that Rowland’s dad’s last name is Lovett and her family’s last name is Lovett.
“We have Lovett Funeral Home in Mobile, Alabama,” Monét said.
Rowland clarified, “L-O-V-E-T-T?”
Monét jokingly replied, “Yes. So I’m like, we might need to do a little 23 [a.k.a. 23andMe] real quick, because your family’s from the South.
After discovering Monét’s association with the surname was through her mother, the two shared they didn’t have traditional relationships with their fathers.
Rowland and Monét experienced meeting their fathers later in their lives. Monét met her father in her twenties at a hotel in Atlanta. Growing up without him left her with several questions, including, “Why don’t I have what other kids have?”
“Mine was always, ‘Am I good enough?'” Rowland responded.
They also share the same preferences for recording music. Rowland declared, “I love the booth. I’m a booth b**ch.”
Monét replied in agreeance regarding the dim creative space. “You can hear my voice. No one can see me, though,” she said. “No one knows how I’m pushing these notes out. It’s just my space. Then, come out and act surprised. Like, “What, did you like it?”
The two also spoke about how their children are finding their footing in music. Rowland’s oldest son Titan has a playlist consisting of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, 21 Savage and Maroon 5.
Monét’s 2-year-old daughter, Hazel, isn’t at the age where she can pinpoint others but has no trouble recognizing her mother’s voice.
“She knows Mommy, though. She knows my voice,” she said. “It’s really sweet. She’s like, ‘I wanna hear Mama’s song.’ So I’m like, ‘Well, my songs, baby, are talking about smoking.’ Like, I need a Kidz Bop.”
The songstresses went back and forth about how their voices have changed since motherhood.
Monét claimed her voice had dropped an octave after having her daughter. She asked a more seasoned Rowland, “How can we get it back up?”
While Rowland didn’t have an answer regarding her vocal changes, she let the singer know she “adored” her and would help her “behind the camera, in front of the camera, next to the camera.”
The intimate conversation between the two is just one of several hosted by Rolling Stone. During the series, rappers Snoop Dogg and Latto speak about hip-hop’s current state. Other one-on-one chats include Rema with Swizz Beatz, Grimes with Aespa, Becky G with Thalia, and Omar Apollo with Lindsey Buckingham.
Check out Monét and Rowland’s full conversation below!
