On Sunday (Aug. 20), Coi Leray performed at Detroit’s Afro Nation festival. With a lineup that boasted big names like Davido, Latto, Ari Lennox, and Burna Boy, the New Jersey rapper left the crowd excited. Soon after, she tantalized fans with glimpses of her performance on Instagram and teased the upcoming release of a new project.
Reportedly titled Blue Moon, the EP is slated to drop later this year. On social media, she wrote, “This EP is for all the unapologetic, carefree, self-love, doing what makes YOU HAPPY type of b**ches. FIVE SONGS LOADING.”
It served as the latest move in a dynamic year for Leray, who already released her sophomore LP, COI, back in June. The 16-track album brought forth collaborations with notable names such as Saucy Santana, Giggs, Lola Brooke, Skillibeng, David Guetta, and the late James Brown. It also contained standout cuts like “Bops” and “Players,” the latter of which received a remix from Busta Rhymes.
Check out the EP announcement below.
Speaking on the recent LP, Leray told Numéro, “The main message of this album is just COI. It’s just me. I wanted to show people who I really am as an artist. I wanted to show people that I’m not afraid to be versatile and that I can work towards any and all genres.”
“It’s tough out here, and you have to be your own biggest fan, or else how do you expect anyone else to be your fan?” she shared with the publication on Aug. 13. “Female empowerment promotes fairness and equal opportunities for women. Being in the hip hop space as a woman isn’t always easy, so for me, it’s important to make sure I do my part and fight for us to have a bigger presence in the sea of men.”
COI debuted at No. 102 on the Billboard 200 chart. The project sold approximately 10,000 units in its opening week. In response, the artist tweeted, “Grateful to have an album on the top 200 for [the] first week of my album release, again.”