Nearly three months after winning her first Grammy, Coco Jones is still processing the achievement.
“It’s very much still a ‘did that really happen?’ type of feeling, but very grateful, of course,” Jones tells Rated R&B over a video call on an April afternoon.
The multitalented singer and actress won Best R&B Performance for her breakout single “ICU.” The Camper-produced hit bolstered Jones into the mainstream R&B arena, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B Digital Song Sales charts.
The sultry track, which spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 chart, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for achieving over 500,000 equivalent sales units.
“ICU” was the second single from Jones’ 2022 debut EP, What I Didn’t Tell You, which was reissued in early 2023 with a deluxe edition. What I Didn’t Tell You, released on High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings, paved the way for Jones’ first headlining tour. Due to overwhelming demand, Jones embarked on a second leg of the tour last fall.
Each triumph lays the groundwork for Jones’ promising journey ahead as the next R&B mainstay. Even with everything she’s accomplished thus far, particularly in the last couple of years, Jones is more tenacious than ever.
“I’m very inspired to do more,” Jones declares as she prepares to release her highly anticipated debut album sometime this year. The album’s first single, “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” is out today. The soul-stirring tune, produced by Cardiak and Wu10, samples Lenny Williams’ 1978 classic “‘Cause I Love You.”
“Here We Go” finds Jones stuck in an endless loop with an ex whom she can’t shake off. Even though Jones has attempted to move on, part of her still longs for that connection.
“I wanna love another person / Can I please love another person this time? / Oh, oh, me / I been puttin’ all this work in / And you still got a place in my mind,” Jones sings.
In our interview below, Coco Jones talks more about “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” her upcoming debut album, her experience performing at Coachella and more.
You recently made a surprise appearance at Coachella. How was that experience for you?
Yes, I got to come out on Reneé [Rapp’s] set and sing “Tummy Hurts,” our remix version of her song. It was just so fun. I feel like I got the best of the Coachella experience for me. I’d never been before and I’ve always wanted to go, but I was like, “I’m only going up there if I’m working” — just the Capricorn in me. But I got to come out and sing my verse. I got to walk around with my team and experience all the different shows.
It really showed me there is a fan base for every artist. There is a tribe for whatever you’re putting out into the world. I was thinking to myself like, “Girl, don’t be over here overthinking this. Renee has her people. Victoria [Monét] has her people. Sometimes they cross and other times, they don’t — and that’s fine. Just do what you do, and your supporters will be yours.”
You’ve launched your debut era with “Here We Go.” What was your intention for that record?
I think my intention was urgency. I feel like the reason I even proceeded to write “ICU” was because that music felt unskippable, you know? That’s my goal with anything that I do. So, when I heard the Lenny Williams sample, I immediately was like, “Huh?!” That was urgent. The record in itself just feels like a whole world — a whole thing is happening, you know? I just ran with that feeling.
What inspired you to write “Here We Go”?
I think the music inspired the song concept because I feel like with the sample, it feels like this orchestra and like a mystery. [It’s] like this mission is happening like 007 or something. I was like, “What could be the mission here?” And the mission, I feel like, is to be free from this person that constantly comes back in — to get over that hurdle.
In what way does “Here We Go” set the tone for the rest of the album?
I feel like the tone is a cohesiveness that I learned from my audience what was next. The EP was really, “What do y’all want from me? What do you like from me?” For “ICU” to be the one where they’re like, “This one.” I was like, “Got it. Let me run with that feeling. Y’all love when I sing. You love to sing with me.” That’s kind of what I keep in mind with every song. There are still going to be uptempos. I want to dance more on this tour, so that means I need more uptempo songs. But the themes I’ve learned from my fans of what they love from me is the tone that I’m trying to keep throughout the whole album. These are songs where you still got to put that vocal work in. These are concepts that you feel are super vulnerable. Also, that feeling of urgency. That feeling of “you’re right there in my soul.”
Is there anything you discovered about yourself from your What I Didn’t Tell You era that you wanted to explore more on your debut album?
The EP made me want to explore different sounds [and] different genres, seeing how I could mix them. I felt like a scientist whose one experiment did really well, and it’s like, “Oh damn, okay.” Now I’m getting all mad creative, just trying a bunch of different things because I’m like, “That was good. Let’s see what else I can do.” [I’m] just motivated.
In the streaming era, the distinction between an EP and an album is sometimes blurred. How will this album compare to What I Didn’t Tell You?
I differentiate this from my EP because of where I’m at in myself. I feel like my EP where I was in myself was a freshman in college: “I hope they like me. Where do I sit in the cafeteria? Who’s gonna be my friend?” I was very unsure. Now, I’m more certain of me. More certain that I deserve to be here. More certain that I am an artist. I really am a good songwriter. I really do have great creative impulses and run with it. It’s so different to believe those things and not see the world encouraging that belief at all versus to believe those things and see it materializing that the world agrees and that you are good at those things. It just feels different.
How many songs did you record for your debut album?
I feel like it’s at least 40 or more. One thing that I realized is as much as you try, the more you’ll get to choose from. I would rather have tried out all lanes, all the combinations [and] all the emotions than be like, “Did I record enough?” I can’t deal with the what-ifs. I can’t. I just want to walk away feeling like I did it all.
When do you plan on releasing your debut album?
My goal is to have the album out at the end of summer [or] the beginning of fall.
Followed by a tour?
Yes.
You will reprise your role as Hilary Banks in season three of Bel-Air. How would you describe your experience filming this new season?
I would say it feels very second nature now. I’ve been seeing my cast and crew for years now, which is crazy how fast time flies. I feel very comfortable in my work environment and also [it’s] really exciting because there’s a lot of new chapters and a lot of new things that Hillary’s bringing to the table this season.
Stream Coco Jones’ new song “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” below.
