Coco Jones gets world listening and seeing as she reshapes R&B

R&B is still alive and it's in the safe hands of Coco Jones. 

With a smash hit like ICU and five Grammy nominations, the US musician has emerged as a powerhouse redefining and reshaping the genre for her generation thanks to her distinctive sultry voice, reminiscent of 1990s R&B singers.

A former Disney child star, she first garnered attention in singing competition Next Big Thing in 2010 and later gained popularity for her acting in the film Let It Shine and sitcom Good Luck Charlie.

Now 25 years old, Jones is more determined than ever to carve her path as a global sensation.

“All of this is kind of hard to believe. I’m in France today and I was so shocked to see and hear people singing my songs… some of these people don’t even know how to speak English fluently. It’s just so powerful what music can do,” Jones told Sowetan last week in a Zoom interview.

“I always try to act like I’m not famous but what made me realise how famous I am was when Beyoncé knew who I was. I met her earlier this year at the Roc Nation brunch. I was going to introduce myself to her but she replied by telling me how talented I am and how much she loves my song ICU – that in a way made me see that I may be a bigger deal than I thought I was.” 

After her first stage performance at six years old during her pre-school graduation, Jones knew that she belonged there. After exiting Disney in 2015, she embarked on a journey as an independent artist, pushing boundaries. She then worked hard at honing her songwriting skills and independently produced her records.  She has since been signed to Def Jam Recordings.

“It’s very rewarding to be one of the artists who continue to put R&B on the map. I aim to hopefully make my generation feel how R&B was back in the day,” she said. 

“Growing up I was highly influenced by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Brandy, and Aaliyah but I believe I am in my Beyoncé Halo era.” 

Next year promises to be an even bigger year for Jones, especially at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Her  multiple nominations include the coveted Best New Artist; plus Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. 

“When I wrote ICU, every lyric just came to me so naturally. When I was in the studio with my producer and co-songwriter, I remember us looking at each other and thinking how good a song this was… it was only when my record label and the world heard it that we got affirmation of how good it was,” she said.  

“Having Justin Timberlake being on the remix was so cool. He’s such a legend in the game. We’re both from Tennessee and have a Disney background; we somewhat have the same career stories but he’s been around for a long time and that is my end goal as an artist."

This year Jones has collected many awards already, recognising her as a breakout act at the  BET Awards, NAACP Image Award and Soul Train Awards. 

“Being an artist in 2023 is learning to navigate through an era where we have TikTok and other social media platforms. A hit can be a hit that no one plans it to be,” she said. 

“Music travels faster with viral dance challenges… this has made me realise that there’s no formula anymore that will guarantee that you’ll make it. Everything is determined by the audience more than anything.”

In terms of her future, Jones hopes to collaborate with African singers and feature on a few Afrobeat songs. 

“The plan is wherever I go in the world, I want to be able to hear my music,” she said. 

“One thing I’m super happy about is how African music is popping off globally. We are being introduced to a sound that’s been an inspiration to various sounds and I’m glad it’s getting the shine.”