It’s been said that you should never dim your light for those who can’t handle the glare. Singer/songwriter/actress Courtney “Coco” Jones has had about enough and is using her art to reveal her painful yet common truth. For her fiery single “Just My Luck” she sings of being rejected despite her best efforts. Upon first spin, you’d think she’s referring to romantic struggles. However, though the subject matter and lyrics can certainly apply to relationship drama, the box she’s concerned with fitting into is that of the entertainment industry. Her tone is full of frustration and fervor as she asks, “Does my confidence offend you? / Cookie cutter enough for you? / Is my melanin offensive? / Do I talk more than I should? You tell me / Do I meet the standard, well? / Do I fit in the box? / Or am I just too much to handle? No, I'm just too much to stop.”
The accompanying music video directed by Jake Steven brilliantly captures all the emotion of the song. We flip between scenes of Coco curled up in a ball distraught from disappointment, to shots of her sitting at a makeup table reciting the rebellious lyrics to herself in the mirror. There are also flashes of her in a more stripped down view with her hair pulled back and donning only a white bodysuit, symbolizing her beauty and her spirit in their purest state. She sings passionately with balled fists and tears in her eyes staring straight into the camera, making it impossible not to feel how close to home this all hits for her. On an Instagram post she explains, “In this moment in time my mindset was destroyed because I had thought, ok I’m talented, I can sing, I’m out here, I love this and I didn’t know it wasn’t gonna to love me back, this industry. I was at a point where I was like, what do you do? Do you just give up? Do you go home? ‘Cause that wasn’t an option.”
It seems a few closed doors and turned up noses hasn’t deterred the former Disney actress from her destiny. Not only has she released new music, she recently starred in the Netflix film Flock of Four and scored a recurring role in the teen drama web series Five Points, which lists actress Kerry Washington as one of the co-executive producers. Check out her video for “Just My Luck” below, and be sure to visit her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all that this talented young lady has in store.
