Shedding the perceived image that others have of you from your childhood is a hard task, especially when you're a former child star and when you're an black female R&B artist. Here then lies the task at hand for Coco Jones, a former Disney Channel alumni and an underrated powerhouse vocalist in her own right. After signing her second major label deal with Def Jam and more precisely it's High Standardz subsidiary, Coco releases her 4th EP "What I Didn't Tell You". And as a long time fan (who already had the pleasure of seeing Coco mature as an independent artist before she blew up) I am excited to review it. Here we go.
Track #1 Headline - Strutting in with a track that Synth Bass and 808's it's way into the main view, "Headline" is a cute mid-tempo record about Coco confronting her man about his cheating and conniving ways and that she's not as innocent and naive as he may perceive. It's a nice but yet very simple record, especially for Coco. I don't dislike it. I think sonically it's not bad, and vocally Coco sounds nice, but it seems a bit stagnant and I feel like there could be more vocal nuances and seems a little demoish.
3.5/5 Stars
Track #2 Caliber -
An elegant expression of looking for a woke but bossed up nigga while being a baddie herself, Caliber glides in as a single anthem for the ladies and gents looking for somebody worth their time. It rides the fence of being classy and being sexy. It comes off as a more tasteful way of flirtation. I think it's a gorgeous record that's beautiful sung and orchestrated. I can see why it was chosen as the lead single, it has a unique sound and elegance to it, while also being a perfect blend of contemporary r&b and a splash of ratchetivity.
5/5 Stars
Track #3 Crazy For Me -
An instant earworm, the mid-tempo but feisty "Crazy For Me" details Coco's relationship with her man and how he's doing all he can to be in her good graces. A catchy mid-tempo bop with lots of sass and some slight hints of arrogance, it's instantaneously infectious. It's definitely a "she's telling her friends he's whipped" type record.
5/5 Stars
Track #4 Double Back -
Sampling SWV's "Rain" "Double Back" succeeds at balancing a classic R&B record and becoming it's own sonic vibe. The London On The Track produced record details a distraught Coco feeling confused but always running back to a man (almost sounds like she's talking bout God to be honest) after playing around on his feelings and their relationship. It's a nice juxtaposition between it's predecessor in that it adds some humility to Coco's tracklist.
5/5 Stars
Track #5 ICU -
After writing about this track previously, I up my stance on this record. It is so intimately beautiful. It's a classic record with a unique soul and raw honesty. The backgrounds reminds me of Frank Ocean and Daniel Caesar for some reason, but vocally and sonically Coco absolutely thrives with this one. It is a soul record with such massive Pop crossover appeal. Breath takingly beautiful.
5/5 Stars
Track #6 No Chaser -
A chill jam, "No Chaser" coos it's way in on what seems like a slight interpolation of "Pony" by Ginuwine. Coco dunks and scores with the harmonies and the smooth quality of this track alone. An awesome record.
5/5 Stars
Track #7 Spend It -
So...i don't dislike Spend It, but musically and in comparison to some of the other tracks, it's lacking a lil bit. Something about it reminds me of an older Chris Brown record and it sounds a little dated. It's playful at best, and slightly annoying at the least. Lyrically, it's probably the second most wholesome song on the project, but it lacks somewhat musically.
3/5 Stars
Total Score: 4/5 Stars
Overall,
"What I Didn't Tell You" is an impressive addition to Coco's catalogue. It stresses an importance on romance and in some ways, sexuality even more than on some of Coco's previous records, which did detail romance, but maybe not as straight forwardly. To be honest, it's kind of the go to for major R&B artist, so I'm not entirely surprised. As an independent artist, I would say there's more freedom to express other life experiences more. However, I do find the ways in which Coco expresses it to be refreshing and more intimate than more recent Contemporary R&B records as of late.
Support "What I Didn't Tell You" Here:
Also, check out Coco's previous EP "HDWY"Here:
What do you think? Thoughts?
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