El Segundo, CA - September 19: R&B singer and actress Coco Jones poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 in El Segundo, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

AMERICAN SINGER, ACTRESS AND SONGWRITER ‘COCO JONES’ CHARTS OUR AOTW

Courtney Michaela Ann “Coco” Jones is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, born on January 4, 1998, in Columbia, South Carolina, and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee. She showed a deep love for music at an early age—singing by age six and performing in public by nine, including an audition for Disney that marked the beginning of her entertainment journey. In terms of her personal life, Coco comes from a supportive family—her father is former NFL player Mike Jones, and her mother, Javonda, is a session vocalist. While she keeps much of her love life private, Coco has occasionally hinted at past relationships in her music, choosing to focus publicly on her growth, career, and artistry. Today, Coco Jones is recognized not only for her powerhouse vocals and emotional depth but also for her role as Hilary Banks in the Bel-Air reboot—showing that she’s more than a triple threat. Her journey reflects resilience, authenticity, and a clear vision for longevity in the entertainment industry.

Four: Double Back

“Double Back” is a smooth R&B track by Coco Jones, officially released on November 4, 2022, as part of her breakout EP What I Didn’t Tell You. The song instantly caught attention for its nostalgic feel, heavily sampling SWV’s 1997 classic “Rain”—a move that positioned Coco as a fresh voice with deep respect for ’90s R&B. Lyrically, “Double Back” explores the complicated emotions of revisiting a past relationship—that moment when old feelings resurface and you’re torn between moving on or circling back to what you once had. It has garnered over 8.8M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. The track received critical acclaim for its maturity and musical direction. It was praised by publications like Rated R&B and Essence for showing Coco’s ability to balance classic R&B influences with a modern, sultry delivery. Although “Double Back” didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, it made a mark on R&B-specific charts. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart and gained momentum on Apple Music R&B playlists, especially following her live performance with SWV at the 2023 Soul Train Awards, which went viral and brought fresh attention to the track.

FYI

  • Coco Jones and NBA star Donovan Mitchell announced their engagement on July 11, 2025, via Instagram, sharing romantic photos and videos from a beachfront proposal. They confirmed this after two years of quietly dating, choosing to keep their relationship largely private.

Three: Here We Go (Uh Oh)

Released on May 3, 2024, “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” marked a defining moment in Coco Jones’ post-Grammy era, serving as the lead single from her debut album Why Not More?. Produced by Cardiak and Wu10, the song taps into the emotional soul of Lenny Williams’ 1978 classic “’Cause I Love You”, which it samples masterfully to create a heartfelt, vintage R&B soundscape. Lyrically, Coco unpacks the emotional weight of being caught in a loop with someone who keeps trying to re-enter her life, despite her growth and boundaries. She calls it an “impossible mission to move on,” drawing parallels to a 007-level emotional journey.  It has garnered over 34M streams on spotify and over 28M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. The single earned widespread critical acclaim for its raw vulnerability, rich vocal performance, and emotional depth, with Coco herself emphasizing that it reflects her desire to remain grounded and intentional in her music. Commercially, it became her first No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay, holding that spot for five consecutive weeks, while also topping Mediabase R&B Radio and debuting at No. 8 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales Chart. The track also secured Grammy nominations for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2025 Grammy Awards, officially solidifying Coco’s evolution from breakout star to a leading force in contemporary R&B.

Two: Taste

Serving as one of her most recent release, Coco Jones returned in full force with “Taste”, one of the standout tracks from her 2025 debut album Why Not More?. Produced by London on da Track, the song boldly samples Britney Spears’ iconic 2003 hit “Toxic”—but don’t get it twisted, Coco doesn’t just borrow, she reclaims. The familiar high-pitched strings are flipped into a slow-burning, seductive beat layered with heavy bass and playful melodic runs, giving the track both nostalgia and freshness. It has garnered over 8M streams on spotify and over 3.3M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. Lyrically, Taste is flirtatious, confident, and dripping with that “main character energy.” Coco leans into a metaphor of taste—literally and figuratively—to paint a picture of a woman who knows exactly what she brings to the table. Critics immediately took notice. Publications like Glamour, Vulture, and Rolling Stone hailed it as a “modern R&B banger with crossover appeal,” praising both the Toxic interpolation and Coco’s vocal delivery. Taste proved Coco could also flex her seductive, pop-flavored side with ease. On the charts, Taste made a solid splash. It debuted at #3 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales Chart and Climbed to the Top 10 on Adult R&B Airplay.

Awards/Nominations

  • Coco Jones officially entered her award-winning era with her breakout hit ICU. In 2024, she won her first-ever Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, cementing her place in the R&B elite. That same year, she also took home Outstanding New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards and snagged the Best New Artist award at the BET Awards 2023, where she gave a heartfelt speech that had everyone rooting for her.
  • She’s also been nominated for several other big categories including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards and Best New Artist at the Soul Train Awards. Each nomination and win highlighted her rise as a vocal powerhouse and authentic storyteller, especially after years of being underrated in the industry.

Discography

  • Coco Jones has only one studio album with a variety of EPs.
  • Why Not More? (2025)

Bonus

Woman Commando by Ayra Starr ft. Coco Jones & Anitta

“Woman Commando” is a bold, genre-blending anthem by Nigerian Afropop sensation Ayra Starr, featuring American R&B star Coco Jones and Brazilian pop icon Anitta. The track was released on May 31, 2024, as part of Ayra’s second studio album The Year I Turned 21, and it quickly became one of the album’s most talked-about collaborations. The song fuses Afrobeats, R&B, and Latin pop, serving as a celebration of female power, autonomy, and global unity. Each artist brings her own cultural flair and vocal strength, with Coco Jones delivering a standout verse that leans into her smooth, soulful delivery. Her lyrics emphasize owning your voice, standing tall in your femininity, and commanding respect. It has garnered over 10M streams on spotify and over  1.5M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. From a critical standpoint, “Woman Commando” was widely praised for its global appeal and star-powered chemistry. Music critics highlighted Coco’s ability to seamlessly adapt to the Afrobeats rhythm without losing her R&B essence. Her inclusion in the song was seen as a bold crossover moment, showing her versatility and expanding her audience to the Afro-Caribbean and Latin music scenes. Chart-wise, the song made notable appearances across several regions. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart, Hit #43 on Spotify Nigeria Top 50, And landed on Apple Music’s Global R&B playlist.

One: ICU

Released on October 21, 2022, ICU is the emotional R&B breakout single that fully introduced the world to Coco Jones’ powerhouse vocals and soulful depth. Taken from her debut EP What I Didn’t Tell You, the song is a slow, heart-tugging ballad about the painful beauty of still being connected to someone you can’t be with—due to timing, distance, or personal growth. It has garnered over  82M streams on spotify and over 83M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. ICU resonated widely, climbing to #21 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs, hitting #1 on Urban Radio, and earning her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 2024. It also helped her bag the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist, and the track was later certified Gold by the RIAA. Critics hailed it as a revival of authentic R&B and a strong declaration that Coco was no longer just a former Disney star, but a serious artist stepping into her own. With ICU, Coco Jones proved she wasn’t just here to impress—she was here to stay.