Coco Jones Wants You to Expect the Unexpected

Coco Jones describes this current stage of her career in six words: “New levels. New success. New lessons.”

And the adage is more than appropriate. Just a few short weeks ago, the musician and star of Bel-Air earned her first Gold RIAA certification for her hit single “ICU,” which recently landed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. She also just released a live performance video for her new single “Crazy For Me,” a song that her fans have quickly gravitated to. “It’s been such a learning experience to see what songs people love,” she says. “Before this, I hadn’t dropped any music in years and I didn’t know what was going to happen. But now I see that the world is really eager for more quality and authenticity.”

This weekend, Jones will be performing at the BET Awards where she’s nominated for Best Actress, Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, and Best New Artist. And a few weeks later, she’ll be hitting the road at music festivals like Made in America, Essence Festival, and Broccoli City, to name a few.

All of these performances, she says, are practice for when she eventually headlines her own tour which kicks off this fall. “I just can’t wait to become more confident,” she says. “I want to see what happens when I open up my heart and really go there. I want to feel like a more outspoken and more transparent version of myself.”

By the end of this year, she hopes to display this confidence in even more new music. “I definitely want to put out a little something, something,” she says. “A little snack. Maybe a couple of songs.” And the goal? To make music for everyone. “I don’t want to write a song that only I can relate to,” she says. “Music is a universal language, so I’m always trying to keep my songs as universal as possible.”

Here, she speaks with ELLE.com about going Gold, reaching new heights, and working to become the best version of herself.

Where were you when you first heard that “ICU” went Gold?

The producer texted me. He’s always super obsessed with how the record’s doing. But I was super excited. It’s been such a long journey, so it feels very rewarding to see the world’s approval. And I actually just got to see it in person. My label surprised me. I walked in and there was a whole party, girl.

Where do you keep the plaque?

I want to put it in my mom’s house. My mom was the team before the team, so this is a win for the whole family.

Let’s get into “Crazy For Me.” You just dropped the live performance video. How are your fans responding to it?

They’re living for it. They’re like, “You’re eating it” and I’m like, “I told y’all this was a buffet.” And, actually, it’s so crazy. We literally had a wardrobe malfunction the night before. It was supposed to look completely different, but the show must go on. But I was really happy with the pearls [I wore in the video] because they matched the interior. It was supposed to give a jewelry box feel. It really just shows how important my team is and how elevated I am now because of all of the help I have around me.

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Do you get the idea for your visuals while you’re recording the songs? Or does that part come later?

I’m so visual when I record songs. When I hear a track, if I don’t see a music video in my mind, I’m not gonna want to write to it. I love to watch other artists and see what they’ve done. Michael Jackson has some of the best videos. Victoria Monet’s are also really good. I can tell that she’s involved. I love to watch other artists and get inspired.

You’re performing at the BET Awards on Sunday. What can your fans expect?

Well, obviously I’m gonna eat it up. But I’m always thinking, “What can I do that I haven’t done before?” I don’t want people to ever know what I’m gonna give. It’s going to be something different every time. Expect the unexpected, girlies.

How does it feel to be nominated for three awards—across both acting and singing?

I don’t really have the words. To have both of these things pop off at the same time is so crazy.

How do you balance the acting and singing portions of your life?

Music is more flexible. Acting’s very rigid. When you’re filming a TV show, you’re not the only character. What you do affects the rest of the storyline and the other things we need to film. So it’s really tight and planned out. So, in knowing those dates ahead of time, music can be like water and just flow in between all of the rigidness.

You’re going to be performing at tons of different music festivals this summer. You’re doing Essence Festival in New Orleans and the Made in America lineup just dropped. How excited are you to be on the road and see your fans?

Super excited. Performing is my favorite part. I do love being in the studio, but performing is adrenaline. It’s a rollercoaster ride. I learn so much about myself when I’m performing. I watch the different crowds to see what they love. It helps me to put on a better show to learn what people live for. I’m gathering data for the one day when I go on my own tour, which will be around this fall. And then my favorite part, the icing on the cake, is always seeing my fans sing “ICU” at the top of their lungs. I’m always like, “Here, you all take the mic ‘cause y’all are carrying.” It’s so beautiful. And I like the challenge of a festival because I look forward to performing for people who don’t about me. You’re gonna get the show of a lifetime.

Is this your first time going to Essence Fest?

Girl, this is all so deja vu because I literally performed at Essence Fest when I was 17. I did a full set, but I didn’t have any songs so I was doing covers like Ciara’s “1, 2 Step” thinking to myself, “How did I get up here?” So it’s full circle. Now that I’m here, I understand why the journey took so long. Because, at the end of the day, as a child star, you really don’t know yourself. You know the characters and you know how to sing the songs. They tell you to sing everything, but you don’t really have an identity. So I feel like I was prepared for the work and the execution. But I had to learn who I am to get to this point where I’m more myself.

In addition to performing, what else are you looking forward to this summer?

I definitely want to win some awards. I want to gain new fans. I want to see my songs up higher on the charts. I want to travel with my friends and family. I want to date more. But, overall, I want to practice living in the moment. With this new success, I’m always like, “Oh my gosh, what’s next? I wanna keep this going.” But I don’t want to obsess over it anymore. These things came to me because I was being the best version of myself. I just want to keep my hands open so that great things can continue to come in.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.