NEW RELEASES
Victoria Monét puts her own groovy spin on Christmas classics on her new holiday album, A Jaguar II Christmas: The Orchestral Arrangements, which she released on Wednesday (Dec. 11) via Lovett Music and RCA Records.
The eight-track project reimagines her fan-favorite tracks such as the Grammy-nominated hits “On My Mama” and “How Does It Make You Feel” from her critically acclaimed debut album Jaguar II as orchestral pieces and blends them in with timeless festive jingles including “Let It Snow” and “Carol of the Bells.” A Jaguar II Christmas: The Orchestral Arrangements was arranged and conducted by Maurice “Pirahnahead” Herd and played by his Soulchestra in Detroit.
“A gift from me to you (and family friendly for the kids, I promise)!!! I hope this fills you and your family with much needed holiday cheer and the Christmas spirit!” Monét wrote on X Wednesday.
The albums arrives four years (to the date) after A Jaguar Christmas: The Orchestral Arrangements, which transformed “Moment,” “We Might Even Be Falling in Love,” “Touch Me” and more tracks from her 2020 EP, Jaguar, into Christmas tunes.
She originally released Jaguar II on Aug. 25, 2023, and the 11-track project reached No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 60 on the Billboard 200. The LP won two Grammys this year for best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical, while the R&B singer-songwriter also took home the coveted Big Four trophy for best new artist.
Listen to A Jaguar II Christmas: The Orchestral Arrangements below.
Anyone hoping Tyler The Creator is about to release a full jazz album may want to lower their expectations. The Odd Future founder has long incorporated jazz elements into both his music and production style. No matter which creative direction he chooses for a project, traces of jazz can be heard throughout much of his discography. Because of that, many fans have spent years wondering what it would sound like if he fully embraced the genre for an entire album.
Recent hints have sparked speculation that new music could be on the horizon. However, when an Instagram account suggested that a "new era" was approaching and claimed Tyler would dive further into his jazz influences, the rapper quickly dismissed the rumor. "not at all lol and do not get stuck on this idea please," he responded.
One reason fans began theorizing about a possible new project was a subtle update to Tyler's Instagram bio. According to Complex, the bio now says, "Satchmo, Sag Harbor," a phrase that appears to reference Louis Armstrong's famous nickname, Satchmo, as well as Sag Harbor, New York, a village known for serving as a refuge for Black families during the Jim Crow era.
While there is still no confirmation that Tyler will release new music this year, fans can look forward to the return of Camp Flog Gnaw. The annual festival is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on November 14 and 15. As is tradition, the full lineup has not yet been announced, but Tyler's attention to detail and track record with the event suggest attendees will have plenty to be excited about.
We will continue sharing any developments involving Tyler The Creator as they emerge. In the meantime, fans remain hopeful that new music will eventually arrive as a follow up to Chromakopia and Don’t Tap The Glass. Check out his comments above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
