• last month
At 14, Coco Jones was catapulted into stardom thanks to a role as teen singing sensation Roxie in the 2012 Disney movie Let It Shine. That rush of fame was short-lived. Jones was signed then dropped from a label before she was 16. The industry didn’t know what to do with the young girl with the big voice. She was too sultry, too confident, too Coco.

But in that short time, Jones had already managed to touch another girl halfway around the world. A young Nigerian named Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was looking to Disney movies as a road map to turn her own dreams into a reality. And she saw Jones’ Roxie as a role model.

Aderibigbe began singing, and would later take the stage name Ayra Starr. Her debut album, 2021’s 19 & Dangerous (and its 2022 deluxe counterpart), brought smash hits “Bloody Samaritan” and “Rush” — with the latter finding itself on President Obama’s end-of-year faves. Her mix of upbeat Afropop with a soulful vocal register brought her to the mainstream.

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Music
Transcript
00:00is I'm inspired, you know, not required.
00:03Let's write that down.
00:05Come on, come on.
00:06Word, word, word, word.
00:08She said, I'm inspired, not required.
00:23I met you when, 23 or 22?
00:25Girl, I don't even remember.
00:27I don't know.
00:28When was the first time we met?
00:29You were having a dinner thing in London.
00:31Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:32And you invited me.
00:33And you told me you knew Away.
00:34I was like, what?
00:35No, because that's my favorite song.
00:36I was like, you know Away?
00:37No, girl, I'm telling you, when I hear Away, I'm like.
00:40I was like, stop.
00:41Why?
00:42No, literally.
00:43I was so happy.
00:44I was like, stop.
00:45Stop.
00:46So yeah, then that was 22.
00:47And then you're 23.
00:48Then I was seeing you every red carpet I was seeing.
00:51No, I was like, no, literally.
00:52And then I feel like we kept being like, girl, we need to do something together.
00:55We need to do something together.
00:56And then we got to record together, which is such a bop.
00:59Yeah.
01:00What do you feel like were some of the things that in the year 23 were like, if y'all only
01:04knew, the things I go through for the crowd.
01:07I feel like it's always a lot.
01:10Because people only see the 1%.
01:12And that's like, it takes a village.
01:15Just one artist, it takes so much to get things and get it done right.
01:21There are a lot of things I can go into from recording after shows.
01:26Because I was in a lot of shows.
01:28I did so many shows last year.
01:34I'm crying.
01:35I was like, sometimes I'm just like, look at my mic.
01:38Before I go to sleep, I'll be like, God, save me.
01:41But I did so many shows last year.
01:44It was good.
01:45But I feel like I did a lot of stuff.
01:48What about you?
01:50The balance of finding time again for myself.
01:54Because it's so crazy.
01:56Sometimes I go back to my old TikToks.
01:58Because I feel like TikTok is really what gave me that second wave of like, hey.
02:03That start of something.
02:05And I just didn't expect it to.
02:07I had no expectations.
02:09I had nobody pressing me.
02:12Do you got to do this?
02:14And this?
02:15What is this?
02:16It was really just like, oh, I like this song.
02:18I want to make something of this.
02:19Oh, I'm just going to write today.
02:21You know what?
02:22It was just whatever I felt.
02:24And so I feel like I really felt in 23 like, oh, I need to get back to finding
02:30those times where it's not like I have to do something.
02:34I completely understand.
02:35It's like, I'm inspired, you know?
02:38Not required.
02:40Let's write that down.
02:41Come on.
02:42Word, word.
02:43Word, word.
02:44You said, I'm inspired.
02:46Not required.
02:47No, that's hilarious.
02:48But girl, I do feel you sometimes.
02:50This is another thing, too, that I feel like, dang, they just will never see.
02:53But then I think, OK.
02:54I'll tell you, you did it, too.
02:55You did it, too.
02:56It's like right before you go on stage, you're like.
02:59I'm like.
03:01Like, who knows all the things you had to do.
03:03Do you ever, when you're going on shows, also do radio and like also.
03:06Exactly.
03:07And like miss flights.
03:08And this like this happened.
03:09And that happened even before five minutes before stage.
03:12Maybe like my outfit.
03:13Something happened to it.
03:14Yes.
03:15Yes.
03:16Yes.
03:17Or the hair is not going the way I want it to be.
03:18Or the makeup.
03:19I'm just like.
03:20Or like you're sick.
03:21You're tired.
03:22Like actually.
03:23You know when you're sick and you still have to perform.
03:24Yes.
03:25Yes.
03:26And literally right before you go on, you're like.
03:27Hey.
03:28That's so true.
03:29Literally.
03:30I'm like behind that curtain.
03:31I'm like.
03:32Because that's me.
03:33That's me.
03:34Woo.
03:35Literally, literally.
03:36I'm like.
03:37How y'all doing tonight?
03:38Girl.
03:39That's so true.
03:40It is literally like.
03:41It's so funny because I feel like I love when I get to talk to other artists.
03:44I'm like.
03:45Girl.
03:46You're not going through it alone.
03:47Okay.
03:48Yes.
03:49It's not just like you.
03:50It's so different.
03:51But I feel like also too.
03:52My friends.
03:53I'm like.
03:54I wish y'all.
03:55I wish you guys could see and get it.
03:56You know.
03:57All the way.
03:58In all the ways.
03:59Like they get that sometimes I'm just like not available.
04:00And I'm not in town.
04:01I'm not available.
04:02So I miss things.
04:03Yeah.
04:04But I feel like unless I'm talking to another artist.
04:05I'm like.
04:06Some of these struggles.
04:07I don't feel like.
04:08I don't feel like I relate to y'all.
04:09You know what I'm saying?
04:10They don't understand.
04:11They don't understand nothing.
04:13Do you feel like.
04:14When was like the time where you were like.
04:15Oh dang.
04:16I really am.
04:17Like.
04:18In my bag.
04:19And it's costing me.
04:20Like.
04:21My personal life a little bit.
04:22And it's costing me relationships a little bit.
04:23Like.
04:24You know when you really were like.
04:25Oh it's either one or the other.
04:26You know what I'm saying?
04:27Every time.
04:28Every day.
04:29Okay.
04:30There's no.
04:31There's no specific time.
04:32Every day.
04:33Yeah.
04:34But I'm so grateful that I have like a family that understands.
04:35Yeah.
04:36So my.
04:37Everybody's grown up.
04:38But when I go back home.
04:39I still live with my family.
04:40So I don't feel like.
04:41Like.
04:42My brothers are making noise.
04:43Playing video games.
04:44Like.
04:45It's just.
04:46What?
04:47The house is still very much.
04:48Like.
04:49Very full.
04:50And my friends.
04:51Thank God for my friends.
04:52Friends I have.
04:53They don't allow me have no time.
04:54Like.
04:55We have group chats.
04:56Before I wear something.
04:57Should I wear this?
04:58So I still try to like.
04:59Involve them.
05:00Like.
05:01In my life.
05:02But they get it.
05:03Everybody gets it.
05:04Like.
05:05Sometimes I just disappear.
05:06And it becomes overwhelming.
05:07Yeah.
05:08Do you ever get like overwhelmed?
05:09Oh yes.
05:10I'm learning now.
05:11That.
05:12It's like.
05:13Burnout.
05:14Oh girl.
05:15You're just exhausted.
05:16Yes.
05:17You actually just need a nap.
05:18And like.
05:19Maybe a meal.
05:20Sometimes.
05:21I run out of cocoa.
05:22Cause I haven't taken care of.
05:23Haven't taken care of me.
05:24That's very normal.
05:25You know what I'm saying?
05:26Like.
05:27I'm gonna eat.
05:28You know?
05:29One thing I'm gonna make sure I do.
05:30When I'm on the road.
05:31Is have a TV show.
05:32I just need to disappear for like.
05:33Three minutes.
05:34To just go to my TV show.
05:35Really?
05:36And I'm just.
05:37Exactly.
05:38You'll go watch the TV show for three minutes?
05:39Yeah.
05:40Yeah.
05:41And I try to eat Nigerian food.
05:42Anywhere I am.
05:43Uh huh.
05:44Cause I feel like that kind of keeps me.
05:45Happy.
05:46Oh really?
05:47I don't have to eat burger again.
05:48I don't have to eat burger again.
05:49Like please.
05:50Wait.
05:51You said burger?
05:52Yeah.
05:53That's hilarious.
05:54So you'll be feeling like.
05:55When you're traveling to America.
05:56Like you feel like you're lacking.
05:57Yeah.
05:58Sometimes I just want like.
05:59To eat like.
06:00You know.
06:01I get what you're saying.
06:02My food.
06:03I get what you're saying.
06:04My food.
06:05Yeah.
06:06And sometimes I try to like.
06:07Stay in like.
06:08Stay home.
06:09So I can just like.
06:10Cook.
06:11Really?
06:12Cause I feel like that keeps me.
06:13That.
06:14Really?
06:15Centers me.
06:16Wow.
06:17That's so interesting.
06:18A lot.
06:19So even though I'm.
06:20I'm coming back from like.
06:21A show that is late.
06:22Yeah.
06:23If it's like.
06:249 p.m.
06:25Or 10 p.m.
06:26Or 11 p.m.
06:27I still try to cook.
06:28Are you serious?
06:29And I'll eat it in the morning.
06:30Or something like that.
06:31What?
06:32Girl.
06:33How do you have the energy.
06:34To cook after.
06:35After a night?
06:36Cause it's relaxing for me.
06:37I don't ranch.
06:38I don't ever.
06:39Like.
06:40Ranch.
06:41They're like.
06:42We have garlic ales.
06:43You only got no ranch?
06:44Please.
06:45I'm like.
06:46Can I have a chicken tender?
06:47Chicken tender?
06:48I'm crying.
06:49That is so funny.
06:50Don't do that.
06:51I told you I watched.
06:52I grew up like.
06:53Watching Let It Shine.
06:54Did you really?
06:55Girl.
06:56Let me tell you.
06:57Don't.
06:58Don't whine me.
06:59You know.
07:00You know we all did.
07:01That's hilarious.
07:02You know we all did.
07:03We all watched Let It Shine.
07:04Don't be like.
07:05You did.
07:06I'm not going to assume.
07:07People watch it.
07:08Yeah.
07:09We all did.
07:10We all did.
07:11Yeah.
07:12At the time.
07:13I was waiting.
07:14I remember sitting down.
07:15To watch Let It Shine.
07:16I remember seeing you.
07:17And everything.
07:18And now you're in my song.
07:19Wait.
07:20That is crazy.
07:21That is crazy.
07:22I had.
07:23Cause.
07:24At the time.
07:25I didn't know.
07:26What was happening.
07:27Yeah.
07:28I was just like.
07:29No.
07:30It was crazy.
07:31I didn't know.
07:32What it was going to do.
07:33We needed that.
07:34We needed.
07:35You were a baby.
07:36Yeah.
07:37I didn't know that.
07:38Yeah.
07:39So when I.
07:40When I did that.
07:41I was just like.
07:42Yay.
07:43I got to do something.
07:44Yes.
07:45Cool.
07:46I had no idea.
07:47How that was going to impact anyone.
07:48And I remember the first time.
07:49That I was like.
07:50Hmm.
07:51Was when this girl was my age.
07:52And she was like.
07:53I don't like to wear.
07:54Like bright colors.
07:55Or anything.
07:56I always want to wear.
07:57Like black.
07:58And da da da da.
07:59But when I saw.
08:00Roxy wearing this.
08:01And this.
08:02And this.
08:03Then I bought all new colors.
08:04And I was like.
08:05What?
08:06What happened?
08:07Who?
08:08What did I do?
08:09Me?
08:10It was just like.
08:11So.
08:12I don't know.
08:13But anyway.
08:14So when you.
08:15When you were younger.
08:16And you would watch like stuff on Disney.
08:17Like were you like.
08:18Oh this is me.
08:19Or you were.
08:20Were you more like.
08:21Oh.
08:22You can do that.
08:23Or you like.
08:24This is me.
08:25I was inspired to.
08:26I thought I was going to be a Disney child too.
08:27So I just.
08:28I'm going to be a Disney.
08:29I'm going to be the black Hannah Montana.
08:30I'll be like.
08:31Yeah.
08:32I'm going to be like.
08:33I'm going to be a Disney child.
08:34To like black.
08:35Young black girls.
08:36Do you ever feel like that?
08:37I think the same way that I was impacted.
08:39I'm impacting somebody.
08:41So yeah.
08:42I feel like I do.
08:43But to me it doesn't really bother me.
08:45Because I feel like.
08:46I have so many greats before me that have taught me a lot.
08:51Taught me a lot about being authentic.
08:53Being unapologetically whatever.
08:55Whatever it is.
08:56Standing on business.
08:57That I feel like.
08:59I kind of have a great formula.
09:00You know.
09:01that I was impacted by.
09:03Exactly.
09:03And continue to be as honest with myself
09:06and with my fans as I possibly can.
09:09I love that.
09:10You feel like you have a responsibility as well, right?
09:12I mean, we all do, in a way.
09:13Before, when people ask me that,
09:15I'll be like, I'll be like, please.
09:16Like, I'm just a baby.
09:18Like, I'm just a girl.
09:18Like, what responsibility?
09:20What do you want from me?
09:21You know, it's like, please, let me just do my thing.
09:22But now, like, I see the way the world is shaping
09:26and the world is forming right now.
09:27And there's definitely responsibility there.
09:30All the young girls, Nigerian girls,
09:32I never got to have somebody like me.
09:36Even the older Nigerian or African women,
09:40they're like, oh my God, we have a pop star.
09:42We have an African pop star.
09:44So I feel very responsible to do that.
09:47That's awesome.
09:48Do you feel like there was ever a time
09:50you had so many opinions in your head?
09:53Like, you were just signed and now there's a new team
09:56and you're kind of just like,
09:58okay, well, what do y'all think I should do?
10:01Or did you always feel like everything I'm creating,
10:03it's all me, it's all my, I'm confident in these choices.
10:08I'm confident in this, nothing,
10:10no one's telling me what to do here.
10:11You know, it's all my creative ideas.
10:14You know what I'm saying?
10:15Because I was younger.
10:16I definitely needed some guidance.
10:19You understand?
10:19I can't listen to the masses,
10:21but maybe like very close people around me,
10:24I definitely listened to them.
10:26I knew what I wanted creatively and everything,
10:28but from other, like, I always knew what I wanted to do.
10:31I always got freedom to create
10:33whatever type of music I wanted to create.
10:35So if you hear like songs in 19 and dangerous,
10:37you hear me like swearing.
10:39Like I just, I'm just, I'm just going crazy.
10:42Cause I was just left alone in the studio to just create.
10:44So I just do the craziest things.
10:47Yeah.
10:48But now I feel like it's very,
10:50as much as I love like people giving me advice,
10:53it's more important to me to understand what I really want
10:57and be very comfortable with the idea of not,
11:00of it not working out.
11:03That.
11:03So is this what you also stand on?
11:05Like I'm choosing this,
11:06this is the song I want to come out next
11:08or this is what I want to call it, the album.
11:10This is the visuals.
11:11Like, are you even saying it like that?
11:12Every single thing.
11:13Sometimes I'm so bad with like maybe my singles.
11:16Cause I'm like, I don't know.
11:17I like everything.
11:18If you leave me to leave singles,
11:20I want to leave like the outro, the outro of my album.
11:23That's the single I want.
11:25You know, like just something.
11:27I will take advice from people and be like,
11:29oh, let me listen to that.
11:31But everything else is all like,
11:34I trust my mind and I trust like my vision.
11:37But I also surround myself with people that I trust.
11:40Their vision and like,
11:41oh, they see what I want for myself
11:43and they are helping me get that.
11:45What about you?
11:46Wow.
11:47You ate.
11:48You really ate.
11:49Because I feel like that's such a wise principle to have.
11:51Of like, I trust myself and I'm okay if I'm wrong.
11:55But it has to be fully me.
11:58I do not feel like I had that until now
12:02with this album that I'm working on.
12:04I understand that.
12:05I understand that.
12:06I think too, like I was just so scared.
12:08For me, it was like, I had all these things.
12:11Let it shine.
12:12Oh my God.
12:13And then I'm like, and then it was gone, you know?
12:15And I just had to pick myself back up again.
12:18And that scared me.
12:21That scared me.
12:21And I didn't want to be wrong.
12:23So I feel like with my EP,
12:26I didn't make any decisions for real.
12:27Like not for real.
12:29I mean, cause I had also, my first time being signed,
12:32I was 14 and then I was dropped at 16.
12:35And then my second time being signed,
12:37I'm 23, 24, you know what I'm saying?
12:39Like that was so long in between.
12:42And I just was like, I don't even know.
12:43I don't even know how this works.
12:45Like even having a label that was like,
12:48we'll help you.
12:49What do you want to do?
12:50I'm like, huh?
12:50What?
12:51It was all like, what?
12:53So for me, I feel like I'm just getting that.
12:56I have to trust myself.
12:57Because what I realized when I put out my EP,
13:01so much good happened and so much change at the same time.
13:05It was just like, oh, wait a minute.
13:07There's no center.
13:09It was supposed to be me.
13:10I'm supposed to be the center.
13:11It's supposed to be my truth, my authenticity,
13:14my vision, my voice, the loudest.
13:17And it was just a bunch of other loud voices.
13:20All great people that I trust.
13:22And some that I didn't.
13:24But at the end of the day, I felt like my voice was like,
13:28what if we?
13:30Yeah.
13:31And now I'm like,
13:32I feel like that's normal.
13:32You know?
13:33I feel like that's very normal.
13:34I don't feel like you should feel any type of way about it.
13:37The way you feel now,
13:38like how you feel like you can trust yourself,
13:40that's perfect now.
13:41Because you had to feel that type of way
13:44to feel like this now.
13:45Exactly.
13:45You know what I'm saying?
13:46Because I felt like that before
13:47where I didn't trust my voice.
13:49I didn't trust myself
13:49and I had to get guidance from people.
13:52What is more important is that you get guidance
13:54from people that you trust and love you.
13:56When you start to listen to the masses
13:59and the internet, that's when it becomes a problem.
14:02Now, the internet, I don't even play with her.
14:03I'm like, girl, close that laptop.
14:05You will not get, you won't ruin my day.
14:06Like, I don't want to know.
14:09Absolutely not.
14:09I don't give a damn.
14:10Okay, I'm like, user 418, you got me completely messed up.
14:14But no, that's so true.
14:15I feel like right now is when I'm like,
14:17it's my voice, it's my choices,
14:19and I'm okay with failing.
14:21I feel that so bad.
14:23I remember recording Woman Commando
14:26and I remember like,
14:28so I usually don't like my songs after I record it.
14:30What?
14:31It's so bad, I don't know why.
14:32What?
14:33Because I just feel like it can get better and better
14:34and I just keep trying to go, go, go until it's perfect.
14:37But Woman Commando was that song that was like,
14:38okay, I went crazy on this one, this is dope, this is dope.
14:42I was like, okay, let's send it, let's send it to Coco.
14:43I think I had just seen you at,
14:45this was before VMAs, right?
14:46Yes, yes, because we had talked about it.
14:48Mm-hmm, this was before VMAs.
14:49I think I, I don't know, I think I just like,
14:52I was listening to, probably since I see you then,
14:54but I know you were, I was listening to you heavy.
14:56But then I was like, okay, can we send it to Coco Jones?
14:58And we're like, yes, we're gonna try.
14:59And I had your verse first.
15:01Yeah.
15:01So I had the song.
15:02I had the song for so long.
15:03I was like, get me in the video now.
15:06I had the song, I was like, I just kept listening to it.
15:08It was so good.
15:08I remember the first time I listened to it was
15:10at my show in Atlanta last year
15:12and we were listening to it in the tour bus
15:14and everyone was like, fire, it was crazy.
15:17You went crazy.
15:18You ate that shit.
15:19You ate that shit up.
15:22I was just like, this is girl,
15:23you want me to take my verse again?
15:24You want me to record my verse again?
15:27That's hilarious.
15:28No, I feel like one thing that I love
15:30about like collaborating with you
15:31and other collaborations that I've done is like,
15:33I've never had to pretend I didn't like anything.
15:37You know what I'm saying?
15:38Everything that I get to do,
15:39I get to have these collaborations with people
15:41that I've met personally that I really enjoy
15:44and songs that I'm like, yeah, yeah.
15:46So I just think that's so freaking awesome.
15:48No, you went crazy.
15:49Thank you, girl.
15:51I loved it so much and I was like,
15:52okay, I want another person.
15:53I just want it to be like Destiny's Child vibes.
15:56You know what I mean?
15:57Yes, and I love it.
15:58I was like, I want another woman.
15:59I love it, yeah, she ate.
16:00She ate.
16:01Women call, I know.
16:02Yeah, she went crazy.
16:02I need to work crazy.
16:03But how'd you feel about the song?
16:05It's literally my jam.
16:06Like, I feel like too,
16:07there's so much power in like,
16:10just women being that girl.
16:12You know what I'm saying?
16:13Yeah, exactly.
16:14And I also think it's so cool,
16:15how all of us are spreading to different demographics.
16:18You know what I'm saying?
16:19I just think that was a great combination.
16:20It's so fire.
16:21I've told you this multiple times,
16:23but Away, it just has a place in my spirit.
16:28I think also too,
16:30it was kind of in that time
16:31where I was discovering my voice as well.
16:35Like, what do I even really want to say?
16:36You know what I'm saying?
16:37And I just, I remember I saw the cover art
16:39and you just look so young and youthful and free,
16:43and I just loved it.
16:44We used the phone for that cover art.
16:46You're kidding.
16:47We were literally just like, having fun.
16:48And we just took a picture on like an iPhone.
16:49I'm like, oh, this is going to be the cover art.
16:51I loved it.
16:52Yeah.
16:53I really loved it.
16:53I just felt like I could relate immediately.
16:55Thank you so much.
16:56I just felt like I could relate.
16:57And then the hook, it just feels so big.
17:00You know what I'm saying?
17:01How many stacks did you do?
17:02What was going on?
17:03Because I feel like it's us.
17:04I went crazy.
17:05I went crazy.
17:06I just, I love stacking my vocals.
17:08It's just so fun.
17:09I just stacked it.
17:10I was like, probably like 20.
17:12What?
17:13Wow.
17:14I mean, it literally feels like that.
17:15It feels so big and powerful.
17:17I love that.
17:19Thank you so much.
17:19Yeah.
17:20I don't want you to feel like,
17:21okay, it's because I was popular,
17:22but I see you, is my jam right now.
17:24Yeah?
17:24Because it's just something that you could do.
17:27So.
17:28Oh my God.
17:31Please.
17:32Because why not?
17:34I know that's right.
17:34Why not?
17:35Facts.
17:38Thank you, girl.
17:39I appreciate it.
17:40I appreciate it.
17:40I can't wait to put out my album, girl.
17:41So when you put out your album,
17:42were you like, okay,
17:44you think they're going to like this the most
17:45or this the most?
17:46Or like, did you have like a guesses
17:47of what you felt like was really going to do it?
17:48And then were you surprised?
17:50To be honest,
17:51because I like trying different things.
17:52So I had different sounds.
17:53Yeah.
17:54In general.
17:55Like one minute I'm making a Afro dance record.
17:57Next minute I come into the studio,
17:58I'm like, I feel like making funk.
18:01Like, I'm just that person.
18:02Like, it's so bad.
18:03I just want to try different things.
18:04I get bored quickly.
18:05So picking songs for the album was hard
18:08in a way that we had so many good songs.
18:10But at the same time,
18:12I was like trying to make all the different sounds
18:13fit into one story.
18:15That's the only thing that was kind of hard.
18:17Cause I was like, I have trap in there.
18:19I have this.
18:20How would all of this fit into this story
18:22I'm trying to tell?
18:23Yeah.
18:24So yeah.
18:25I feel like you just have to,
18:27so Chris Martin showed me something.
18:28He drew a box.
18:29Like, he's like, this is your album.
18:32So if when it's hard for you to like pick songs
18:34or when it's hard for you to like understand
18:35like what exactly the album is trying to mean,
18:38just make sure everything fits into that box.
18:40Just write the emotions you're feeling,
18:42write the song names and make sure it fits into this story.
18:45And that just made sense.
18:48That helped me.
18:49I just learned.
18:49I've been learning from you.
18:51This is powerful.
18:52I know how to do this game.
18:53We actually need to kick it.
18:54Yeah, we need to.
18:55I really, really enjoyed this.
18:56We need to.
18:57I ate that outro for you.
19:01Segway us out.

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