Pretty much every young girl growing up in the early 2000s knew who JoJo was and wanted to be her. Her amazing voice, enviable dance moves, and ability to shut down an amusement park to film a music video made it seem like JoJo had everything. And, she was only 14-years-old. But, as most child stars reveal later on in their careers, growing up in the music industry is not the perfect life it appears to be, and soon JoJo found herself in a restricting contract.
To fans, it looked like JoJo just disappeared after her hit single “Too Little Too Late.” She stopped releasing music, and there were even rumors that she was pregnant.
The reality? She continued to make songs that were shelved by her record label. Luckily, JoJo’s team found a loophole and she was released from her contract after years of negotiations. Finally in 2015, JoJo returned with her three new singles deemed “tringles,” and she followed that with her official return to the spotlight last year with the release of Mad Love. But was it worth the wait?
Of course the answer is yes. The music industry has been missing the flawless blend of pop and R&B music from a young, female musician, and JoJo perfectly fills that void. JoJo returned with the sound her fans remember and love instead of trying to work around the current trends in pop music. She elevated her music with edgy lyrics like those included in her sassy track called “FAB.” featuring the current queen of shade Remy Ma. But she also pushed herself emotionally and vocally with songs like “Music.” which references her deceased father and “Mad Love.” which is undeniably the best vocal performance on the album.
While Mad Love. was included on some of the best album lists of 2016, it definitely has not received the world wide credit it deserves for being an inspiring and heartbreaking record. However, 2017 should be the year JoJo will take over radio and award shows given the success of her Mad Love Tour. The international tour included dates in UK before she returned to the US last month to perform in over 50 different venues.
JoJo stopped in Chicago last week for a sold out show. The Massachusetts native was sick and couldn’t hit all her high notes, but it certainly did not make the show any less spectacular. Her constant smile and interaction with her fans onstage made it obvious how genuinely excited she is to be able to sing again. Her fans had no problem finishing some of her lines for her because it was clear she was giving everything she could to please the audience. Unlike some artists who lip sync or complain, JoJo refused to let her sickness ruin the evening and she even returned to the stage for an encore.
It is a shame that JoJo had to wasn’t able to share her talents with the world for so many years. But now that she is back, she remains one of the top vocalists of her generation. There is nothing and no one holding her back now.