Ayra Starr and Coco Jones, who are both creative stars in Afrobeats and R&B respectively, recently sat down with Rolling Stone for a candid conversation about their careers, personal lives, and their exciting collaboration.
Coco Jones is a 26-year-old Grammy-winning singer/songwriter from South Carolina and is best known for her role in the 2012 Disney movie “Let It Shine.” She has been active in the entertainment industry, both as an actress and a musician, for close to two decades now. Jones’ trajectory in her field has already inspired many, including 22-year-old Nigerian singer, Ayra Starr.
While it’s a fact that some people may never have the chance to meet their role model in their lifetime, Starr, known for hits like “Bloody Samaritan” and “Rush,” had that opportunity when she met Jones at a dinner in London. Not only did they meet, but Jones also collaborated with Starr on the track “Woman Commando,” from the latter’s album ‘The Year I Turned 21‘.
Afterwards, the two have continued to support and inspire each other.
In their “Musicians on Musicians” interview released by Rolling Stone on Wednesday, October 24, Coco Jones and Ayra Starr talked about the challenges they faced while chasing success. Jones explained that she had to find a means to balance her personal life with her career. She said, “I really felt in ’23 I needed to get back to finding those times where it’s not like I have to do something. The balance of finding time again for myself.”
Starr agreed, saying that it was important for artists to have a strong support system. She also shared how hard it was for her to perform while dealing with her own personal issues.
“People only see the one percent. It takes a village. It takes more than a village. It takes a nation behind us. There are lots of things I can go into — from recording after shows, because I was doing a lot of shows. Sometimes I’d just look at my mic before I go on, sort of like, “God, save me.””
Starr pointed out that having her family and friends kept her grounded and supported her when things got tough. Jones, on the other hand, looked back on how TikTok played a big role in her career. She mentioned that going back to her old TikToks reminded her of a time when she regained her confidence and creativity without any pressure. According to the American songwriter, it was a simpler time for her, driven by pure enjoyment.
Ayra Starr and Coco Jones also talked about the pressures they face in the music industry. Starr revealed that she still manages to stay true to her own vision even though she gets varying opinions from those around her.
According to the “Bad Vibes” singer, she learned a lot from mentors like Chris Martin, who gave her some great advice.
“Chris Martin showed me something. He drew a box. He’s like, ‘This is your album.’ When it’s hard for you to pick songs, or when it’s hard for you to understand what exactly the album is trying to mean, just make sure everything fits into that box,” Starr explained.
Starr found that sticking to this advice helped her stay focused on what she wanted to say through her music.
As their conversation flowed, the two couldn’t help but reminisce about old times. In one sweet moment, Starr excitedly gushed about how much she admired Jones’ role in “Let It Shine.”
“I grew up watching Let It Shine…Let It Shine was like a gospel, so we were waiting for it. In Nigeria, there’s something that happens where you don’t have electricity sometimes, and I was just praying, “I pray we have electricity today…I remember sitting down to watch ‘Let It Shine.’ I remember seeing you… and now you’re on my song!” she said, beaming at how everything had come together so perfectly.
Meanwhile, both artists have dreams to inspire the next generation of Black girls. Jones spoke passionately about wanting to create opportunities for young Black girls, focusing on mental health and self-care.
“When I think about my legacy, I feel like I want to make it easier on the next young Black girl to just get here. I want it to just be more common that we are the leads in things,” she stated.
Starr, too, admitted during the interview with Rolling Stone that she wishes to be a role model for young African girls and women. She said,
“I never got to have somebody look like me. All the young girls, Nigerian girls, even the older Nigerian, African women, they’re like, ‘Oh, my God. We have a pop star. We have an African pop star.’”
The interview wrapped up on a fun note—talking about dating in the spotlight! Ayra Starr, who sets high standards and is super focused on her music career, likes to keep her personal life private. “It is hard because you have to be very careful about who you give your energy to. And I’m so happy I wasn’t really dating before I started music,” she explained.
They both agreed that it’s important to find someone who respects and understands their busy lives.
Jones reflected, “I went through my ‘Oh, my God. What is my life? What happened?’ phase. But I also got to live. So I really feel like I got to date as a regular girl in a way.”
Starr added her thoughts on the matter, saying, “If it’s gonna be hard to meet it, it’s gonna be bye-bye. But also, I don’t have time for myself, talk less of a boy.” Jones humorously wished for Starr’s dream of a billionaire on a yacht in Dubai. “Girl, but ain’t nothing wrong with him being on your caliber,” Jones said.
You can watch the full video on Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” below.
