Coco Jones says fans can expect “a range of emotions” with Harlem Festival of Culture performance

Fresh off rocking the stage in the rain at the Broccoli City Festival, and her heartfelt acceptance speech at this year’s BET Awards, Coco Jones is focused on her next big moment. 

For her next gig, she’ll perform at the Harlem Festival of Culture on Sunday, July 30, and she shared with ABC Audio what the audience can expect from her set.

“I think it’ll be a range of emotions, kind of like me, the different sides of me,” she said. “I like to get turnt and do my dance songs and then I love, you know, to really get emotional and have my ballads and my vocal moments.”

On how she feels to join the star-studded list of artists who’ll appear at the three-day event, Jones said she’s “very honored.” 

“I feel like, we are blessed with this platform, and if we don’t use our audience and our listeners and our voices to say something of substance, then I feel like it’s a waste of the light and the platform.”

“I’m happy to be part of such a great cause,” she added.

A reimagined version of the historic 1969 Harlem Culture Festival — the focus of Questlove‘s 2021 Oscar-winning documentary, Summer of Soul — the 2023 fest will, too, celebrate Black music, arts and entertainment. In celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary this year, HFC’s roster includes the genre’s heavy hitters such as Adam Blackstone, Mase and Bell Biv DeVoe.

Despite the many stages Jones has already graced, the R&B newcomer admitted she still gets nervous for big crowd performances. 

“I just want everything to go perfect,” she said.

Fans can go see Coco Jones perform live on Randall’s Island in Harlem, Sunday, July 30.