Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone
The slogan “Keep Austin Weird” doesn’t make much sense. This means that quirkiness requires effort and maintenance, like laundry or a monthly bill. But on the fourth and last night of A rolling stoneFuture of Music Showcase, the weird, cool stuff was there in abundance.
The mood at ACL Live at the Moody Theater was a wild mix of SXSW and St. Patrick’s Day on Friday night, with a crowd that included leprechaun top hats, men in full Santa gear, glow sticks and more. Opening acts from Atlanta duo Coco & Clair Clair only added to the ultimate party vibe. “Make some noise, we’re clinically insane!” they shouted.
Don’t feel uneasy if you don’t know the band yet. They kicked off their careers on TikTok, where 40,000 videos were made for the glam bop ‘Pretty’. (It also has 80 million Spotify plays, so maybe you’re just not cool.) They went through hiatuses on their recent debut, Sexy, including ‘Be With U’, ‘Love Me’, ‘Pop Star’ and ‘The Hills’, the latter being their tribute to ‘Malibu and Starbucks’. Coco rapped funny lines while Claire dropped delicate harmonies, like the sassy intro to “Wishy Washy”: “3 o’clock on the dot, he stop up on my block/We goin’ to the mall, I’m gettin Nike Shox / No, I ain’t no Baroque, but he treat me like he’s Bach/I take a little off the top, he my dog, Iggy Pop.” That’s some raw power.
“We always knew our songs would go viral on TikTok,” they said Fader. “It was something we were almost waiting for because so many of them are sweet, bubbly beats with fun lyrics. They make sense for the TikTok formula.”
Coco & Clair Clair backstage at the final night of the Rolling Stone Future of Music presentation.
Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone
Singer and actress Coco Jones followed, captivating the crowd with her R&B songs and wonderful stage presence. “We’ll show up!” she announced, wearing gorgeous sheer black tights and heels. “You still have to sing. Because I see everyone’s faces. In a tight 30-minute set that in a perfect world would have gone on for hours, she took the theater through gems from her EP What didn’t I tell you?, released last year. Before she got down to business with Caliber, she dished out some words of wisdom. “Basically, this song is about your standards [and] to tell someone what you want If they can’t give you what you want, goodbye!”
Coco Jones won over the crowd with ease.
Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone
Fans chanted Chloe Bailey’s name long before she took the stage. The star, also known as one half of sister duo Chloe x Halle, arrived in a fiery red and black long-sleeved leotard as the words ‘BOOOTY SO BIG’ flashed across the screen. Surrounded by dancers, she opened with her debut solo single ‘Have Mercy’, followed by songs such as the laid-back ‘Pray It Away’ and ‘Treat Me’.
Chloë Bailey performed songs from her upcoming solo debut.
Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone
“I have an album coming up,” she said, beaming. “This is my first solo album and it’s called In pieces. There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t been filled with such gratitude. Because you don’t know that this album is a part of my heart, literally. I’ve been through a lot, as I’m sure we’ve all been here. And I use music as therapy to help me, to help me believe in myself more.”
After Genrus gave a short but exciting set, Mikayla Simpson was greeted by a sea of glowing cowboy hats and adoring fans. The Spanish City, Jamaica star, who plays Kofi, dived into her blissful dancehall and pop-tinged reggae tracks, including tracks from her debut, Gifted. Dressed in black denim with a red hat, she entertains the audience not only with her music but also with her indelible charm. “I have a question,” she said, before launching into the soothing stunner “Lonely.” “Are there any lovers in the house tonight? Anyone on a date with their partner? Someone you like? …You’re all lonely!”
“Positivity is definitely a theme,” Koffee told us Gifted in 2021. “It will be a very interesting twist for people who knew my music before, and also for people who will discover me. I think it’s going to be really great.” And when the Future of Music expo came to a close after four days of great music in Austin, it was just that.
(Full disclosure: In 2021, Rolling Stone’s parent company, P-MRC, acquired a 50 percent stake in the SXSW festival.)