Coco Jones Talks To Bossip About Never Giving Up

There’s a whole lot of talk about Ciara’s prayer but can we bring Coco Jones’ prayer to the altar?

Source: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Teen Vogue / Getty

2023 has been GOOD to Coco Jones and we are so happy to see it. All in the month of November, Coco performed with living legends SWV, paid tribute to Mariah Carey at the Grio Awards, earned five Grammy nominations, a Best New Artist Soul Train Award, and the R&B songstress is gracing the November/December cover of Teen Vogue.

We caught up with the ‘Bel-Air’ actress at this year’s Teen Vogue Summit. After performing ICU, Fallin, and Double Back from her hit EP What I Didn’t Tell You , Coco sat down with Teen Vogue entertainment editor, Kaitlyn McNab for a conversation about her journey from former Disney star to R&B powerhouse and the hard work she put in along the way. During the conversation, Coco discussed what success means to her.

“It’s not giving up, it’s doing something every day towards your end goal and maybe that something is writing a song that you will never put out, but you became a better songwriter that day like you did, become a worse one that day. Or maybe that’s creating a piece of clothing that doesn’t look like anything else you see out there. Who knows how it’s going to get made. But you’re being a visionary,” she said.“Success to me is doing something rather than doing nothing and failure to me is doing nothing forever.”

Source: Vivien Killilea /Getty Images for Teen Vogue / Getty

If you ask us, success looks like earning five Grammy nominations before releasing a debut album and Coco did just that at 25 years old. In an exclusive interview with Bossip and HelloBeautiful’s Social Media Manager, Char Masona, Coco Jones talked Grammys, being a role model, chain restaurant dates, and more. Check it out below:

Where were you when you found out you were nominated for five Grammys for an EP?

I was actually on a plane. I had my sleep mask on and when I put that on, it’s lights out. Goodnight. So I was like, OK, who is driving this plane? Because the vibrations are going. And I was just like the turbulence, it’s getting medical. So, I had to open my little sleep mask and I realized it was my phone. Girl, I just got to scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and I knew what it was about.

So I was screaming internally. Of course, didn’t want to alert the rest of the passengers, but yeah, I was shook. I was responding to everybody and just sending them a picture of me on the plane. I was like, sorry. They’re like, “call me back!” I’m like, “I’m on a plane. I’m on a plane!” But yeah, it was crazy.

I saw your social media video of you talking to your mom and she was talking about being proud of you for never giving up. So what would you say to someone who is just waiting on that dream and it just feels like it isn’t happening yet?

I would say, consider yourself already successful because you haven’t given up. Success is just not walking away from whatever you’re passionate about and continuing to have faith that you’re working towards something that’s happening. Like sometimes me and my friends will be like iit’s FedEx, it’s FedEx, which means it’s on the way. Like it’s already on the way. So just how would you act if you knew you had an amazing package coming? You’d be pretty excited. You’d be preparing for that thing. That’s how you have to live. You have to live like whatever you want is on the way.

Source: Jon Kopalof/Getty Images for Teen Vogue / Getty

How do you feel about your Co-captains, your fan base? How do you feel about them looking up to you and your story now [that] you’re a role model to young women and other people?

Honestly to me, I’m a big sister in real life and so to me it’s like I just have a bunch of sisters that you know are inspired by my journey. And I feel like if I get this platform and I don’t inspire somebody, then what happened? You know, that’s just not worth it to me. So I feel like I would go through my whole journey again just to inspire young Black women.Keep going.

OK, so now I’m just gonna ask you some fun questions. This is gonna be quick. No chaser [a lil homage to Coco’s song]. Chain restaurant dates. Yes or no?

Yeah, absolutely. Cheesecake Factory pops off, and so does Applebee’s. That 2 for 20? Hello?

Cheesecake Factory goes hard and it’s not even cheap so I dont understand [the drama]

Very hard. I know by the time I ordered 7 apps baby you just clocked it. Hello. And I’m getting a lemon Drop Martini or 4.

If you were on a photo shoot, would you pick bad makeup or a bad wig?

Oh, my God. No! Bad makeup, bad makeup, bad makeup, you know, cause this face will still serve even if I’m giving casket sharp.

OK, last question, what is your biggest dating ick?

My biggest dating ick is pride. If you think you’re hot ish and you just keep telling me about the things you’ve done and what what. Like ew. Because I’m just so I don’t like even acknowledging my own accolades. I’ll be like “ please, gross.” So anyone who just does that, I’m like I’m going to vom immediately. Are you OK?

Coco Jones is a fun and hilarious time and we’re thrilled for her success. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Ms. Jones!