Victoria Monét: “Smoke” [ft. Lucky Daye] Track Review

Steeped in a vaporous blend of ’70s funk and reggae, Victoria Monét’s new single, “Smoke,” keeps within the grand tradition of carefree and catchy weed tributes: think Rick James’ “Mary Jane” or, more recently, Jhené Aiko’s “Sativa.” Inaugurating part two of her Jaguar series, the song is full of silly 420 one-liners—“It’s a bisexual blunt it could go both ways”—but Monét’s silky delivery elevates the overripe premise. “Keep it in rotation, it’s a celebration every time we smoke,” she sings over a syrupy bassline, acing the Mathew Knowles boot camp for breath control. As the song progresses, she’s amplified by a melange of piping horns, organs, and glittering electronic accents.

New Orleans crooner Lucky Daye tags along for the sesh, contributing a few verses and backup vocal runs. His wordplay can be corny—insert COVID cough joke here—but their joint performance on the bridge sticks like glue. “Lucky and V. Monét/ Sound like a lucky day/ Roll up and let it play/ That’s that shit you smoke to,” they sing, locked in like they’re performing a secret handshake. In the extended, music video version of the track, Monét dims the lights: Floating along a soft current of guitar strums and a whispering sitar, she gingerly proposes, “Let me hit that pipe before the pipe or….” It’s a slow-burning, stripped-down reprise, the ultimate comedown to the high.