WOMEN WE LOVE: Coco Jones

The world first met Coco Jones when she was just 14 years old as the star in the 2012 Disney film, Let It Shine. Since returning to the limelight in 2020, she is back and better than ever! As for 2023? It has been a huge breakout year for the star. Here is what Coco Jones has been up to!

1. Best New Artist at the BET Awards

Coco's beautifully-worded acceptance speech was definitely a tear-jerker! After thanking her family, team, and fans, she concluded with an inspiring message: “I just wanna thank God so much for keeping me when I didn’t understand. And for all of my Black girls, we do have to fight a little harder to get what we deserve, but don’t stop fighting even when it doesn’t make sense and you’re not sure how you’re gonna get out of those circumstances. Keep pushing, ’cause we are deserving of great things.”

Other nominees up for the award included Lola Brooke, Ice Spice, GloRilla, FLO, Doechii, and Ambré. After taking home her very first BET Award, Coco then put on an incredible performance of her hit song “ICU”!

2. Peacock’s "Bel-Air"

With respectful nods to the original Hilary Banks, portrayed by Karyn Parsons from the beloved '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", Coco brings a fresh spin to her "Bel-Air" character. Alongside her co-stars Jabari Banks, Olly Sholotan, Adrian Holmes, and Cassandra Freeman, the re-imagining of the classic from the streets of West Philadelphia is a smashing success!

3. Hit Single "ICU"

Coco’s hit single “ICU” landed the No.1 spot on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop charts back in May. Shortly after in June, she announced that the song was officially RIAA Gold, selling over 500,000 units!

This summer, Coco took to social media to post a series of clues for fans to guess who would collaborate with her on the “ICU” remix. The clues? A '90s boy band, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and a river – yep, you guessed it: Justin Timberlake! Given that Jones and Timberlake are both Disney alumni, this remix is an unexpected crossover moment between the two accomplished multi-hyphenates — a duo fans never knew they needed!

4.The What I Didn’t Tell You Tour

With shows across 16 cities in the United States and one show in Toronto, this is Coco’s first headlining tour. The setlist includes all the singles from her EP, What I Didn’t Tell You, plus covers of songs from Lauryn Hill, SWV, and Beyoncé. Several of Coco’s supporting acts include Ebony Riley, Haben, and S!MONE, aka her Bel-Air co-star Simone Joy Jones.

The first show kicked off at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, on August 5. Although several of the shows quickly sold out, Coco assured her loyal fans that this is only leg one of the tour and leg two is on the way soon!

5. What's Next

If it’s not clear that Coco’s 2023 has been one for the books, just wait! She’s already cooking up exciting projects set for next year, as revealed in a recent interview with EBONY. “I’m also working on my debut album, which hopefully comes out at the top of 2024. It’s going to be one of the most important projects that I put out, so I’m taking my time with it.” She mentioned possible features on the album, including an idea for a “girls anthem” with artists such as Chloe Bailey, Ella Mai, and Summer Walker.

In other exciting news, Billboard unveiled its list of predicted Best New Artist nominees for the 2024 Grammy Awards, and Ms Coco Jones is on it! The official list of Grammy nominees will be announced on Friday, November 10.

While we all “patiently” wait, give a listen to some of Coco’s top tracks!