Coco Jones is one of the best R&B vocalists of this generation and her breakout hit, “ICU,” is a testament of that.
In her recent Vevo performance (below), the 25-year-old seemingly floats on air as she rifts into the heavens, bellowing out her viral ballad. When catching up with Jones over Mother’s Day weekend following her performance at Mary J. Blige’s Strength Of A Woman Festival, the Bel-Air star discussed her feelings towards the record and fans’ reactions to it.
“I always get emotional, one, because I was even emotional recording the song,” she told VIBE.
“When you bare your heart like that as an artist, it’s hard for it to not affect you whenever you sing a song because you know exactly what you need. But also, I get so grateful when I can hear the crowd. So, to hear them sing, just like at the top of their lungs, is just always… It reminds me of how long my journey has been.”
She continued, “It reminds me of when I was a little kid and I had success and I was like, ‘Wow, what is this? How long is this going to go?’ And it just takes me back in time to me as a little kid and wanting to be right where I’m at right now, and it’s finally here and I’m finally here again. I didn’t know when it was going to happen, if it was going to happen. So there’s just a lot of feelings, a lot.”
As explained to Genius on their Verified series, Jones revealed the double entendre meaning behind “ICU.” The singer shared, “When you’re in intensive care, there’s a medical emergency and so turning my heart blue, I’m running out of oxygen […] I feel this is not a state of life that I can live without you. So I guess I need you here to survive. That’s why it’s ICU and I see you.”
Watch the live rendition above.