JoJo (album)

As a child, JoJo listened as her mother practiced hymns. She started singing when she was two years and three months old by imitating, to R&B, jazz, and soul tunes. On the A&E show Child Stars III: Teen Rockers, her mother claimed that JoJo had a borderline genius IQ. As a child, JoJo enjoyed attending Native American festivals and acted locally in professional theaters.^[3]

At age seven, JoJo appeared on the television show Kids Say the Darnedest Things: On the Road in Boston with American comedian and actor Bill Cosby and she sang a song from singer Cher.^[4][5][6] After auditioning in the television show Destination Stardom, JoJo sang Aretha Franklin's songs "Respect" and "Chain of Fools".^[7][8] Soon after, The Oprah Winfrey Show contacted her, inviting her to perform. She performed on Maury, on one of the frequent "kids-with-talent" episodes, as well as many others.^[9] Reminiscing, she has stated that "when it came to performing, I just had no fear".

At age six, JoJo was offered a record deal, but her mother turned it down because she believed JoJo was too young for a music career. After appearing on talk shows and the McDonald's Gospel Fest performing Whitney Houston's "I Believe in You and Me" and competing on the television show America's Most Talented Kids, but did not win the show and lost to Diana DeGarmo.^{[clarification needed]} Record producer Vincent Herbert contacted her and asked her to audition for Blackground Records. During her audition for Barry Hankerson, Hankerson told her that the spirit of his niece, the late singer Aaliyah, had brought her to him. She was signed to the label, and had recording sessions with famed producers like The Underdogs and Soulshock and Karlin.

JoJo's live demo, Joanna Levesque, recorded in 2001, features covers of soul and R&B songs, including Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" (1966), Etta James' "It Ain't Always What You Do (It's Who You Let See You Do It)" (1989), Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" (1968) and "The House That Jack Built" (1969), The Moonglows' "See Saw" (1956), Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" (1972), and The Temptations' "Shakey Ground" (1975). In 2003, at age 12, JoJo signed with Blackground Records and Da Family and begin working with some producers on her first album.

The music found on JoJo is primarily pop and R&B. During an interview about the album's composition, JoJo stated, "I wrote three songs on the album. I am not the [kind of] person who sings something that I have no reference point to. I feel like I am a real artist and I want to be able to feel what I am singing about. So when I sing, "Leave (Get Out)," I have been through that. I think it is just a new generation, whether people are ready for it or not. Teenagers are dating. They go through things and that is really what it is about."^[10] JoJo stated, "I listened to everyone from Aretha Franklin to Bob Seager, to the Beatles, but I have to say that my mom is probably my biggest influence. She really has a great voice."^[11] JoJo also listed singer Beyoncé as a major influence, stating, "I think she is the perfect example of a strong woman and just a talented person. She's a songwriter, she's a dancer and she's an incredible singer and I don't think anyone can touch her right now."^[12]

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[27]
Blender	[28]
Entertainment Weekly	B[29][30]
Now	[31]
Slant Magazine	[32]
USA Today	[33]
Yahoo! Music UK	[34]

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JoJo received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic called the album "a strong debut," highlighting JoJo's "tremendous voice" and commending the production for keeping the focus on her performances. He also praised the album's lack of guest features and skits, concluding that JoJo was "served well by the mix of arrangements and backgrounds" and that her singing pointed to her future potential.^[27] Raymond Fiore from Entertainment Weekly similarly praised the album's "sizzling hooks" and highlighted tracks such as "Happy Song," while noting that JoJo's "vocal calisthenics quickly grow tiresome." He concluded that "with a few more years under her belt JoJo may yet discover her inner soul singer."^[29] Elysa Gardner of USA Today awarded the album two-and-a-half out of four stars, describing JoJo's singing as "lithe" and "tender" and suggesting that, unlike some of her vocal influences, her performances were less ostentatious. Gardner felt that songs such as "Breezy" and "Leave (Get Out)" benefited from this approach, while noting that the singer's youth was apparent in the album's romantic themes.^[35] Writing for Blender, Joseph Patel praised JoJo's performances on "Happy Song" and "City Lights," describing her as "wise" and "charming" when she stayed within her vocal range and embraced her adolescent innocence. However, he felt that many of the album's more mature R&B tracks were less convincing, arguing that JoJo was "neither refined nor old enough" to convincingly portray an R&B seductress. Patel singled out "City Lights" as the album's standout track.^[28]

Other critics were less favorable. Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called the album "contrived and calculated" and arguing that even JoJo's self-written songs failed to give it a distinct personality. However, he praised "City Lights" and "The Happy Song" for allowing her vocals to take center stage, suggesting that she "could very well be the next Teena Marie" if paired with stronger material.^[32] Yahoo! Music critic Emma Morgan also gave the album a mixed assessment, criticizing its heavy studio production and arguing that JoJo had "no identity to speak of" beyond the success of "Leave (Get Out)." While acknowledging her talent and describing the single as "solid enough to base a career on," she concluded that JoJo was "a prodigy without purpose."^[34] Writing for Blender, Joseph Patel praised JoJo's performances on "Happy Song" and "City Lights," describing her as "wise" and "charming" when she stayed within her vocal range and embraced her adolescent innocence. However, he felt that many of the album's more mature R&B tracks were less convincing, arguing that JoJo was "neither refined nor old enough" to convincingly portray an R&B seductress. Patel singled out "City Lights" as the album's standout track.^[28] Jason Richards of Now offered a negative assessment, describing the record as a "typical pop/R&B album" and criticizing its mature themes in light of JoJo's young age. While acknowledging the involvement of established producers, he characterized the album as "pure poison in a sweet candy shell."^[31]

JoJo debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 95,000 copies in its first week.^[36] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 15, 2004, for sales exceeding one million copies.^[37] As of October 2006 the album has sold 1.3 million copies according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[38] In Canada the album reached number 23 on the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified Platinum by Music Canada for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies.^[39][40]

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted and peaked at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on November 5, 2004, denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies.^[41] It debuted and peaked at number 52 in Germany,^[42] eventually receiving a gold certification by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI).^[43] Despite the success of "Leave (Get Out)" in Australia, the album only managed to chart as high as number 86 on the ARIA Albums Chart.^[44] Elsewhere, JoJo reached the top 30 in Japan, Portugal, and Switzerland, the top 40 in New Zealand, the top 50 in Italy, and the top 70 in France and Ireland.^[45][46][18] As of August 2015, the album had sold over three million copies worldwide.^[47]

The 2018 reissue reached number 13 on Billboard's R&B Album Sales chart and number 41 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales chart for the issue dated January 5, 2019.^[48][49]

Credits were adapted from the liner notes.^[54]

Quick facts Released, Recorded ...

JoJo (2018)
Studio album (Re-recorded) by JoJo
Released	December 21, 2018
Recorded	2018
Length	51:53
Label	Clover Music
JoJo chronology
Mad Love (2016) JoJo (2018) (2018) The High Road (2018) (2018)

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On December 20, 2018, JoJo re-recorded JoJo,^[77] along with her second album The High Road and singles "Demonstrate" and "Disaster", released under JoJo's new label imprint Clover Music on December 21.^[78] The decision to re-record the singles and albums came from the removal of all of JoJo's original music released under Blackground Records from streaming and digital selling platforms.

Blackground owns the master licensing to the original recordings and has control over their release.^[79][80][81] JoJo sought after getting the original songs and albums back online, but would never come to an agreement with the label. JoJo's lawyer stated they had reached the end of the statute of limitations on the re-record clause which gave her the rights to "cover" her own music.^[81][82][83]

Despite the releases of the original versions of JoJo and The High Road on digital and streaming platforms in 2021, JoJo stated that she does not benefit financially from the releases, and encourages fans to support the re-recorded versions instead.^[84]