After seamlessly blending her musical and acting talents for years, Simone Joy Jones is taking center stage with her debut album (released under her artist name S!MONE), Magnet. The multi-talented star of Peacock’s hit series Bel-Air stopped by Billboard’s NYC office for an episode of Billboard Gaming, bringing joy to a rainy day in New York City. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The inspiration behind Magnet lies in the concept of magnetism — the way we attract experiences and people by embracing our authentic selves. Through this album, Simone explores the seductive yet sometimes messy nature of attraction, unpacking the intricacies of relationships and the profound connections we form with others. It’s a deep dive into the push-and-pull dynamics of intimacy, vulnerability and self-discovery. The album is a rich blend of soulful melodies and introspective lyrics; it’s a testament to her artistry and an exciting new chapter in her creative journey. We caught up with Jones and faced off in several rounds of Mario Kart while discussing her musical influences, balancing her thriving acting career with her passion for music, and the personal stories woven into her debut project. Congratulations on your debut album, Magnet! It’s been out for a little over a month now. What’s the response been like so far? It has been really lovely, honestly. I’m really thankful because it’s just something I’m trying out, you know, a new sound, something that I sound like right now. It’s been a long time since I dropped a project. So the growth has been really, really fun. How would you describe your album to anybody who hasn’t listened to it yet? What do you think it sounds like? I think it sounds like alternative soul. I feel like it’s a good kind of pocket for it to live in and I would say, I mean, I call it Magnet for a reason. It’s effortlessly sexy, kind of attractive, you know. I also call it Magnet just to bring the type of people who like it, and who want to collaborate with me and all that s—t. So yeah. I would say it’s also easy listening. I feel like I DJ the smoke session rather than the party. So that’s my whole deal with it. The album explores the complexities of attraction and personal connections. What inspired you to dive into this theme? Jjust living life. Like, it’s my first time in L.A.; I’m from Texas. We just talked about how L.A. can be wild. It could be, it could feel like not enough in a way. So it was my first time. It’s also just growing up — like, I was kind of growing up on Bel-Air. It’s been going on our fourth year, fourth and final year. A lot of stories are just inside of that album. I’m really happy about it. How many producers did you work with on this project? Oh my gosh, I’m gonna list them out. I don’t know if I can gather them. Solomon Fox, The Brown Boyz, Long Beach, “Circles” was also Brown Boyz. I would say probably six. Probably six producers for the ten tracks. I say a proper studio album is like a marriage between one or two producers and the artist; I feel like this has been like a bunch of summer flings that I’ve had with different. The only consistency is the writing in my project. I wrote every song in the project with help. Oh, also A-Lex, who I worked with at Atlanta Soul Fire. He helped me write “Short Notice” and he produced ‘Short Notice,’ which was sick. A new conversation in music people talk about a lot is that they feel like albums should have like one to two producers max. People have been saying that the mixture of multiple producers kind of screws with the quality of music and the theme of the album because it’s too many cooks in the kitchen. How do you feel about that? I mean, I feel like there’s some merit to that. But also, I was like, “Oh, f—k you.” Music is whatever, you know? There are no rules to music. That’s the whole point. But I do feel like consistency with an album does, translate. Honestly, I think more than the sound of it, it’s just the growth between the people there, you know? It’s the time spent together, growing something with a common purpose. My favorite song is “Borderline”. What track is your favorite off the album? Do you have one? I feel like I have phases with each of them right now, but right now I’m kind of in a “Circles” space. And what about that track is like your favorite right now? Actually, you know what, I’m going to say “Endless.” I really like how “Endless” is kind of angular. People would tell me, make sure the hook is super memorable and stuff. I agree with that with some, especially with “Borderline” and “Short Notice,” you know, they’ve got that really hooky stuff — but I like also when everything’s not the same, and I don’t like copy-paste chorus, you know, back and forth… Those keys [on the song are] kinda asymmetrical and weird, and so it’s like a loop. I just like how weird it is. And so we got those keys, and we got to play with a crazy pack. Just to explore. And also, the song is really honest, you know — it’s really kind of vulnerable. It’s like, truly, those stories. I would kind of blush if we talked about it. You don’t have a specific calling card associated with your music, like Vedo has “It’s Vedo Baby” or Mario uses “It’s Mario.” When I asked Vedo why he used one, he mentioned it was to help people remember him. I think it’s like a little easter egg, even though you know it’s there every single time. Well, I’m gonna
