"This just doesn’t sound right" — Internet reacts to Coco Jones dropping her new single “Taste” sampling Britney Spears’ “Toxic"

Grammy-winning R&B singer Coco Jones has sparked a wave of online debate with the release of her latest single, Taste, which incorporates a sample of Britney Spears’ 2003 hit Toxic.

On February 20, 2025, American singer-songwriter Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones took to social media to announce the upcoming release of her debut album, Why Not More. Furthermore, she unveiled one of the album's tracks, Taste, the following day.

The release sparked a flurry of responses on X, as fans shared their thoughts on the song and the incorporation of the Toxic sample. Reactions seemed divided, with some praising the fresh take on the familiar melody, while others questioned whether the track sounded "right" with the sample.

"This just doesn’t sound right lol it sounds like a mashup," one user wrote on X.

Additionally, some X users expressed dissatisfaction with the sample, suggesting that it would have sounded better if the pitch hadn't been adjusted to resemble Jones' voice.

"This s*cks. is she singing the sample? or they changed the pitch to match her voice?" a user commented.

"This just feels so inauthentic... It’s not bad at all tho just seems a little forced," another wrote on X.

"Why did they use that pitch for the sample. It throws the whole song off, but it’s not a terrible song," one netizen said.

However, some users on X praised the song and Coco Jones, expressing a desire for better use of the Toxic sample.

"Damnnnn I wish they would’ve played with the pitch of the sample a lil bit more. It feels like it’s off key or something. (btw I loveee coco n her voice so this is with no hate)," a netizen commented.

"I use to think she was boring standing there singing all the time. This ateee she’s serving me body and k*ntyyy visuals while singing. Yes COCO," another remarked on X.

"Video is fire love the toxic sample it’s definitely a peculiar mix," one user wrote.

As of now, Coco Jones has not responded to the online reactions to the single.

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Coco Jones releases Taste ahead of her debut album, with a nod to Britney Spears' Toxic

Coco Jones (Image via Getty)

On Friday, February 21, 2025, Coco Jones took to her Instagram account to share a snippet of her track Taste, announcing that the song is now available for streaming.

The video clip features Jones in three different outfits—red, black, and a skin-toned bodycon catsuit—capturing the vibrant and sensual energy of the song. The video’s tone aligns with the song's upbeat and energetic vibe.

A notable highlight of the track is the inclusion of a sample from Britney Spears' Toxic in the pre-chorus and chorus. The lyrics in the pre-chorus are as follows:

"(With a taste) A taste gets me in places/ (With a taste) I'm chasin' I can't erase it/ (With a taste) Taste me, boy, and I'll taste you/ (With a taste) That's the way I feel when I'm slippin' under."

Taste is featured on Coco Jones' upcoming debut album, Why Not More. In May 2024, the singer appeared for an interview with Rated R&B, where she discussed the album and expressed how she was inspired to explore a variety of genres.

She shared her excitement about venturing into new musical territories, noting that she was thrilled to become "mad creative" in the process. Mentioning her 2022 EP What I Didn’t Tell You, Jones said,

"The EP made me want to explore different sounds [and] different genres, seeing how I could mix them. I felt like a scientist whose one experiment did really well, and it’s like, ‘Oh damn, okay.’ Now I’m getting all mad creative, just trying a bunch of different things," Jones said.

Jones' album release announcement (Image via X/@TheRealCocoJ)

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, Coco Jones took to her social media accounts to announce the upcoming release of her debut album, revealing that it will officially drop on April 25, 2025, with pre-orders available now.

Last year in May, she released another track from the album, Here We Go (Uh Oh), which was nominated at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.

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Meanwhile, Britney Spears has not yet commented on Jones' latest song, Taste.