The 2024 Grammy Awards are less than a month away, and R&B is expected to win big. SZA currently leads with a total of nine nods, while Halle Bailey, 6LACK, Summer Walker and more are also vying for major categories.
Coco Jones, who had her breakout in 2023 thanks to “ICU,” was nominated a whopping five times. She’s competing for Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Today (Jan. 26), Jones spoke to Billboard about being recognized for her success. The singer particularly acknowledged how it felt to see her name next to contemporaries in the genre. She stated, “It feels surreal. And to see these other amazing women like [fellow nominees] Victoria Monét, SZA and Janelle Monáe, who are paving different lanes for a modern R&B that can be so flexible and genreless.”
“I commend us. But in another way, this feels like confirmation of my journey, that there can’t always be a storm. The weather has to change,” Jones added.
“ICU” appeared on the musician’s 2022 project What I Didn’t Tell You. Spanning seven songs, it also featured records like “Double Back” and “Caliber.” The deluxe edition added four more records, including “Simple” with Babyface and “Put You On.”
In a separate interview with AP News, Jones said that she didn’t foresee a Grammy nomination when creating the EP. “I was only focused on what was in front of me, who I wanted to present myself as in front of the world. I hadn’t released music with a label since I was 16 years old, so my expectations were all over the place,” she explained. “I don’t even think I really understood how it works as an adult to release a project and what it means to have a rollout.”