Coco Jones joined the pantheon of singers including Ledisi and Andra Day who have performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at a Super Bowl, giving a soulful rendition of the song on Sunday accompanied by an all-female string ensemble during the pre-game ceremony.
Jones soared with a passionate rendition of the beloved hymn written as a hymn in 1900 by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and often referred to as the Black national anthem. She slowed down the tempo a touch, adding to the import of each word. She was backed by an eight-piece string ensemble that added depth to her resonate live vocal that easily scaled all the highs that the stirring “Lift Every and Sing” is known for.
Jones dressed sportily for the occasion in a white zip-up, puffy athletic jacket with a short crop that showed off a bit of her midriff in between a long, white flowing skirt that gathered high in the front. The jacket also sported a red sequin stripes and a ring of red, green and black sequins around her left arm.
Jones discussed her performance before taking the Super Bowl stage during an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden and Zane Lowe. When asked about her approach to interpreting the tune, she said, “I think just be authentic. I feel like with ‘Lift Every Voice,’ there’s so much hope and tenacity that I relate to, and everyone does in their own journeys. So really listening to the lyrics, really sitting and feeling what they mean to me and then naturally reacting to that.”
She also touched on how she was feeling in the days leading up to the performance: “Well definitely some nerves. I’ve had some amazing performers precede me and I think realizing that I’ve been chosen and so I deserve the moment. I deserve the opportunity. And just kind of speaking positively so you don’t think about the pressure. You just think about the honor that it is.”
As an actor, Jones is known for co-starring on the Peacock drama series “Bel-Air.” She has also appeared on NBC’s “The Voice,” as an advisor to John Legend in his role as coach.
Jones’ performance at the Super Bowl follows a successful year for the R&B singer, who released her debut studio album “Why Not More?” in April 2025. Jones put out a deluxe edition of the album in August, featuring eight new songs and collaborations with Alicia Keys and Leon Thomas. “Why Not More?” was later nominated for best R&B album at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
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Jones, who is 28, grew up in South Carolina and Tennessee and is the daughter of former NFL star Mike Jones. Last July, she announced her engagement to NBA star Donovan Mitchell.
Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.
From Variety US