5 Things To Know About March’s BET Amplified Artist Coco Jones
Coco Jones is BET’s Amplified Artist for the month of March, so to celebrate, we sat down with the Tennessee-born actress-turned-singer to ask her about a myriad of topics.
The What I Didn’t Tell You artist discussed everything from the singers who inspired her, to her come-up and going from being an actress to a career in music. Almost a year ago, the 25-year-old announced she had signed a new artist deal with Def Jam with her major label debut single “Caliber” being released just a few weeks later.
A month prior to her EP release in November, Jones was featured on Babyface’s ninth album Girls Night Out as she contributed vocals to the song “Simple.” In January of this year, she released the Deluxe version of What I Didn’t Tell You, which included three new tracks.
Now, Coco Jones is looking to make 2023 her year. Here are 5 things to know about her.
Coco Knew She Wanted To Be An Entertainer After A School Play
After performing a role in a school play for The Sun Don’t Come Out Tomorrow, Jones knew that she wanted to make entertaining a crowd her profession.
“The audience was freaking out and I was living for it,” she describes. “I was like, ‘I wanna do this and figure out how to get paid for it.’”
Prior To Landing Her Role Breakout Role In Disney’s “Let It Shine”, Jones Says She Wasn’t Good At Auditioning
“I was not good at acting,” she explains. “My auditions were a little cringe but with time I got better and better and at the same time I was working on my music and it was kind of like right opportunity meets preparation – and then I got Let It Shine and life changed.”
Coco Says Meeting Beyoncé Changed Her Life
“One of the personal moments, honestly, that has been career-altering for me was meeting Beyoncé I think because I’ve always seen [things] from afar, assumed from afar, what it’s like to be Beyoncé,” she explains. “But when I met her she had this effect over me that made me feel like powerful, inspired, and that shifted my career mindset because I want to be able to look at the next girl who looks like me and she can carry that feeling with her for the rest of her life.”
Coco’s Current Playlist Includes Brandy’s Third Album “Full Moon”
“I’m always going to throw some Brandy in the mix,” she notes. “That Full Moon album just reminds me to keep my adlib game up.” Jones also noted that artists like Aaron Ray, Keana Laday, Alex Isley, Alex Vaughn, and PARTYNEXTDOOR are in her current rotation.
The Point Of “What I Didn’t Tell You” Was To Introduce Herself To A New Audience
“I don’t think a hit was where my head should be at. Everyone told me don’t worry about that – like it would mess with the creative process. So what I did focus on was who do I want to introduce myself to this new audience as and I think that’s why the EP is called What I Didn’t Tell You.’
