Coco Jones is Passionate about her Sound

And her stage presence shows it.

By Kelsei Brianna

Coco Jones performing 'You' from her debut album at the Riviera Theatre on Chicago leg of 'Why Not More?' tour. (Courtesy of Sterling Hightower/Riviera Theatre)

In an ensemble consisting of a blinged out corset, rhinestone studded leggings and a long sleeve ethereal shawl, Coco Jones belted lyrics from her debut album. She danced and passionately sang on and off the stage in the Riviera Theater in Chicago last May. A short distance from the stage, I am reminded of how much devotion Jones has to her craft. 

Her facial expressions tell it all. 

Courtney Jones, more widely known as Coco Jones, has been a part of many childhoods since the release of ‘Let It Shine’ in 2012 and singing the National Anthem in Missouri at a Rams game in 2013. Jones was a model for young Black girls to idolize. In 2020, Jones pressed start on a podcast-like YouTube live ranting and airing grievances with the entertainment industry. This stream was preceded by a series of ‘song writing sessions,’ song covers and vlogs for subscribers. This iconic video is currently sitting at 1.7M views; Jones’ social media saw an inevitable spike in followers. 

Almost four years later and Jones has dropped her debut album, “Why Not More?,” and is on tour across the United States.  

The show opened with a mixture of R&B, line dances, love and pop songs to set the tone of the concert. The DJ had the entire venue two-stepping to “Before I Let Go” by Beyoncé and screaming “Love” by Keyshia Cole across the room. American rapper and songwriter, 

Lady London switched up the vibe with a self-confident sound and a handful of unreleased rap songs before passing the mic to Coco Jones.  

The setup of the stage is connected to Jones’s outfit and album art. Airy white curtains flow on all three sides of the stage. A white arch displayed visuals of clouds floating in a blue sky, thunderstorms and pulling into Jones inner self. These visuals felt as if they were pulling at the phrase of calm before the storm. It also could be interpreted as the listeners being let into a soft side of Jones, considering this is her debut album.  

Coco Jones at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago smiling with the crowd before singing “Thang 4 U”. (Kelsei Brianna) 

The space felt safe as Jones graced the stage singing “Taste.” Background dancers slowly joined her as she snapped into the opening verse. Jones slipped off stage after a few songs for quick outfit changes or additions. Her presence on stage was felt throughout the show. She was interactive with the crowd making calls and responses that flaunted her vocal range and love for singing. As expected, many artists rehearsed their concert flow. Whether choreography or stage placement is important. It was obvious that this set was practiced to perfection but still had a few hiccups with the speed of the tracks. Compared to concerts that I have attended in the past, I appreciate it when the artists stick to what was rehearsed but toss in unplanned moves or call out to the crowd in a way that feels natural. Concertgoers pay for an experience and have expectations to be wowed while also hearing their favorite songs. Jones had a favorable blend of the two.  

Songs are often remixed in concert— veering away from the studio version— one of my favorite live versions was the heavy guitar in “Keep It Quiet” during the chorus. Another mix worth mentioning is the songs where she did impromptu vocal runs like “Forever Don’t Hit Like Before” and “Here We Go (Uh Oh).”  

During “By Myself” is when I realized that Jones is made for this.  

Coco Jones performing 'Keep It Quiet' at the Riviera Theatre on Chicago leg of 'Why Not More?' tour. (Courtesy of Sterling Hightower/Riviera Theatre)

Jones is open about how this album is about wanting more for yourself and grabbing and not letting go of your self worth. While performing all songs, but specifically “By Myself,” Jones sang with a fire that showed her personal connection with the music. Lyrics from the chorus like “When it’s just me, I wanna feel comfortable by myself” and the verse “On my own, need to know I can be without you” stand out as Jones and the crowd are both singing the lyrics. The mixes of emotions and past experiences bounce off the walls of the theatre. 

I place this performance in the top five of concerts I have been to in my solo concert-going streak in the last couple of years. Coco Jones is a powerful singer who has a lot of emotion behind her lyrics. You will experience a show with many layers on top of her chilling—and hard to mimic—vocal runs. I applaud her for continuing the trek in the music industry and look forward to her prosperous run.