Victoria Monét’s ‘Frequency of Love’ won Billboard’s new music poll with 40% of the vote, beating Noah Kahan, Miranda Lambert and Drake
Victoria Monét‘s long-awaited return has won the first popular vote. Her sophomore album, ‘Frequency of Love‘, topped Billboard’s weekly new music poll, collecting 40% of the vote after the poll opened on Friday (Oct. 2) and closed on Sunday. The result puts the 22-track set ahead of fresh releases from Noah Kahan, Miranda Lambert and Drake, and signals a strong start for one of R&B’s most closely watched follow-ups.
The race was not entirely one-sided. Kahan‘s new single ‘Draw You Out’ finished second with 29% of the vote, while Lambert’s ‘Crisco’ took nearly 7% and Drake’s ‘HABIBTI (FOMO)’ deluxe edition drew almost 6%. Still, an 11-point margin over one of pop’s most devoted fan bases is a clear statement of demand for Monét’s next chapter.
A Follow-Up With High Expectations
‘Frequency of Love‘, released via Lovett Music/RCA Records, carries real weight. It follows ‘Jaguar II’, the debut studio album that earned Monét three Grammy Awards and turned a respected songwriter into a front-line star. In the years since, she kept her profile high through features with Bryson Tiller on ‘Persuasion’ and Davido on ‘Offa Me’. Fans first previewed the new record through three singles: ‘Let Me’, ‘Reach Out’ and ‘Juicy’.
The rollout began with a calculated risk. Rather than opening with an uptempo track in the vein of her breakout hit ‘On My Mama’, Monét led with the ballad ‘Let Me’, which went on to top Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart in June. She told Variety the choice was a chance “to be vulnerable and lead with voice,” a notable statement from an artist who has spoken about overcoming vocal issues while making the album. The follow-up ‘Reach Out’ reunited her with longtime collaborators KAYTRANADA and D’Mile.
A Deep Bench of Collaborators
The 22-track album leans on a strong guest list. SZA, Bruno Mars, Lucky Daye, Bryson Tiller and Chlöe all appear, and Leon Thomas features on ‘You Mean the World to Me’. Her five-year-old daughter, Hazel, also makes an appearance, continuing a family thread that ran through ‘Jaguar II‘. Billboard’s own track-by-track ranking described the album as a love letter to the breadth of Black music, moving from gospel to Motown to house while keeping R&B at its core.
The Bruno Mars collaboration feels especially pointed. The duet opens with a snippet of Bruno Lauzi’s 1963 bolero ‘Ritornerai’, and it arrives soon after Monét served as a supporting act on Mars’ Romantic Tour. For an artist who once framed her ‘Jaguar’ video as a playful audition for a Silk Sonic tour, it is a full-circle moment.
Taking It on the Road
Monét will now test that momentum live. The headlining Frequency of Love Tour launches Oct. 27 at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater and runs through North America, with stops in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle, before closing in December at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
Fan polls are not sales charts, and the album’s first-week numbers will tell a fuller commercial story. Billboard 200 data will show whether that enthusiasm translates into units. But the early signals are strong: a chart-topping lead single, a high-profile tour spot alongside Mars and a fan base ready to vote with enthusiasm. In a crowded release week, Monét made sure her return was the one people talked about.
