Coco Jones is fearless on debut album 'Why Not More?'
Entertainment
One of the faces of the new generation of R&B, she doesn’t shy away from the pressure
NEW YORK (AP) — What music would you create if there weren’t any outside influences or self-imposed creative restraints? That’s what singer-actor Coco Jones contemplated.
“What would I do if I didn’t have any fear of comparing myself to ‘ICU’ and my EP? Or if I thought there was some formula that people wanted from me?” Jones wondered. “That was kind of the mood: just be fearless.”
The R&B star attempted to answer herself on her debut album — “Why Not More?,” — releasing Friday. It follows her 2022 breakout EP “What I Didn’t Tell You.”
“I’m just proud of every version of myself that I’ve been, and who I’ll become after this album,” said Jones, who took home her first Grammy earlier this year with “ICU” winning best R&B performance. “And really proud of putting together a project that I feel confident in.”
The 14-track album from the “Bel-Air” actor traverses through a spectrum of R&B sonics and vibes, from introspective to seductive, Pop&B to Trap&B. Writing on every song, Jones secured production from StarGate, London on Da Track and Jasper Harris and features from Future and YG Marley.
One of the faces of the new generation of R&B, she doesn’t shy away from the pressure that can come with attempting to replicate the success of a song like “ICU.”
“There was a pressure to outdo myself. But I also have to remind myself that I wasn’t trying to win anything … I was just doing me,” explained Jones, who said for the first time, she was patient with herself during studio sessions for her debut, not focused on leaving with a completed song each time. “I was just doing what felt right. I was being honest, I was just being vulnerable.”
“Why Not More?” highlights Jones’ vast range of melodic styles. Four singles have been released including “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” which earned Jones her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, and “Taste,” which contains an interpolation of Britney Spears’ hit song “Toxic” and is currently at No. 15.
