what I didn’t tell you
Coco Jones
2022
The former Disney kid star turned 20-something triple threat proves how exhilarating it can be to hear a grown woman develop a sound that’s bound to take over R&B.
R&B/Trapsoul/Pop&B
BY HARPSICHORD
APRIL 12, 2023
Since the 2010s, audiences have been trying to reconfigure the notion of what it means to be a Pop&B diva extraordinaire. According to those invisible rules and ever changing criteria, the sound of those candidates needs to contain the storied tradition of R&B, while also not sounding too pop. At the same time, if the music is not pop enough to chart on Billboard, these individuals will not be able to avoid the hellhole of being labeled a “flop.” Performance skills need to be up to par, and their persona better match the music. Sex appeal also plays a role in expectations. What’s displayed requires being sensual enough to not be perceived as overbearing or “doing too much.” We’ve seen various artists dabble in and out of this world, ranging from Tinashe to Normani to Chlöe. Coco Jones’s fifth extended play, What I Didn’t Tell You, further thrusts her into this mold, and levels her up with those aforementioned peers.
It’s by the fifth track of this EP, that the sound of Coco Jones finally clicks! Listeners are gliding on ticking hi-hats in an intergalactic utopia titled “No Chaser.” There exist various fragments of What I Didn’t Tell You’s overall sonic direction. A slick delivery of her first verse highlights how exhilarating it can be to hear the softness in her voice, before she belts the hook. “No Chaser” falls in line with bar lingo that's rummaged through social media, as the singer metaphorically compares herself to straight shots of tequila, Hennesy, and vodka. Like those alcoholic delights, the EP’s fifth track creeps into its addictive qualities.
What I Didn’t Tell You is Coco Jones’s first project under Def Jam– a departure from her previous Disney imprint (Hollywood Records) and independent releases. And for the first moment, in quite some time, it seems as though Def Jam has finally developed a female artist that’s capable enough to live up to expectations. What I Didn’t Tell You possesses an effortless cool that’s full of vulnerability. “I got him under my finger right now,” enunciates the singer-actress on her opener, “Crazy For Me.” “Crazy For Me” contains a string and flute filled rush that mirrors what FOX primetime musical dramas Empire and Star aimed for. With a staggered delivery and boastful demeanor, “Crazy For Me” seems like a textbook play from the UK’s eccentric pop persona, Bree Runway.
Displayed on What I Didn’t Tell You is an overarching ‘90s presence that leads into how R&B soundtracked plenty of midnights in the 2000s. “Double Back” finds fault in letting a romantic partner come in and out of your life. With a sample of SWV’s “Rain” and the production of London On Da Track, “Double Back” recalls a template best exhibited by Summer Walker. “Caliber” hits smoothly like a glass of Courvoisier on the rocks. There is a slight bossa nova seduction to its nightcap intentions, as Coco Jones’s vocals mirror the work that Teyana Taylor did on 2014 LP, VII. Ironically enough, VII (like What I Didn’t Tell You) was released under Def Jam.
As the EP progresses, the lyricism gets more vicious and detailed about trusting in a two-timer. “Headline” pushes this agenda further, offering a yodeling of “you”-- slightly taking on the country&B cadences of K. Michelle. After all, Coco Jones is a southern belle, being born in Columbia, South Carolina, and hailing the outskirts of Nashville. Those yodeled “you’s” enhance the ending track “Spend It,” which at this point of the music industry continuum would be considered standard trap&B.
Currently, Coco Jones is experiencing the high of debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 with “ICU.” With the success of Jazmine Sullivan this decade so far, it makes sense how slower-tempoed R&B that contains a soulfully-rooted sway is breaking back into the mainstream. It’s the sad-girl vibes that listeners have been craving a lot lately. However, “ICU” is far from the highlight of What I Didn’t Tell You. In fact, it might be the weakest track for how off-BPM it is from the rest of the EP. It’s the side of Coco Jones that we don’t experience often on the project, but nonetheless it represents the potential the singer has to go far in the game Def Jam has thrusted her in.
Winter’s Diary 4
“Crazy For Me” for its frantic urgency in the production and the buyable confidence displayed by Jones in less than 30 seconds once the EP starts.
“No Chaser” for its addictive mastering of danceable R&B that’s meant to take over urban and rhythmic radio formats.
“Headline” for how it contains a contrast of a yodeling vocal style against warped production that prompts a two step in suede Manolo Blahnik booties.
Key Tracks
While this EP is a straight listen, it does call too much into what’s already being done on the scene. Usually students are given this grade when they understand the assignment but could offer more. At this point, we’re seeking what can distinctly bring Coco Jones forward so that her sound is distinguishable from the rest of the pack.