Coi Leray says she’s “amazing at this music,” wants to become a musical icon

If there’s one consistent thing about Coi Leray, it’s that she believes in her talent as an artist. Speaking to XXL, the star talked about her success thus far, thanks in part to her fans on social media.

“I feel like now we finally realized — my label, team — that no matter what, I’m amazing at this music s***,” Coi said. “I was the first person that broke on TikTok, so I can’t even get mad if someone says: ‘You’re a TikTok artist.’ I know that my music is timeless and it’s global.”

Beyond her musical skills, the star says she’s been a positive role model, encouraging women to love their natural selves. “I feel like I paved the way for natural girls—and even other natural female artists—to come out and live in [their] skin and own that,” says Coi, whose petite frame has made her a victim of body shaming. “Glorify the real-life things and make girls understand it’s OK to live in [their] own skin.”

Coi has been hard at work as she’s gearing up for the release of her next project, COI, out on June 23. “I can’t wait ’til they hear what the album is,” she tells XXL.

Eventually, Coi’s desire is to reach icon status, which she knows doesn’t happen overnight. “You don’t wake up and be an icon,” she said. “An icon is made, molded, perfected, determined, focused. I feel like I’m a star, but I want to become an icon.”