Albums
SOS (Sex on Sight)
2023
Release Date: 2023
By Pitchfork
Reviewed August 27, 2024
Getting laid is basically an emergency on the sultry new single from the forthcoming deluxe edition of Monét’s Jaguar II.
Whenever someone mentions responsive desire, I immediately think of dead prez’s stic.man suggesting on their 2000 single “mind sex,” “Before we make love, let’s have a good conversation”—a sapiosexual’s dream. On the other side of the spectrum is spontaneous desire, a more immediate urge—what Victoria Monét explores in her new collaboration with Usher, “SOS (Sex on Sight),” the first release from the upcoming deluxe version of last year’s Grammy-winning Jaguar II (release date TBA). Monét described the feeling in a statement: “Sometimes that desire can feel as urgent as being rescued from a natural disaster, or in this case, rescued from your own sensual urges.” If Usher is Glen Powell in Twisters, I guess Monét is the storm?
“SOS” presents a simple mantra for choosing instant gratification over slow-burn intimacy: “I am way too sexy to be alone.” Monét’s signature luxe horns burst through a slinking bassline on the Camper-produced track, with the usual pre-bedroom banter in play: “Hope you’re ready for the rain”; “Wonder which one of my lips gon’ be your first kiss?” Her and Usher’s sleek textures do a lot to freshen those clichés. His soft raps flow into cursory smooth talk, while Monét’s vocals sail effortlessly over the bridge. For a longtime Usher enthusiast like her, “SOS” is a quiet coup. For him, it’s a strong addition to his collection of duets with R&B’s foremost women (previously: Summer Walker, H.E.R., Yuna, and Muni Long) that feels like the lovechild of Jaguar II and Confessions.