I rediscovered JoJo in a big way this week. Wow- I can’t believe I haven’t paid any attention to her since hearing about that Marvin’s Room cover she did a few years back, because since then she has been working really hard.
The 22-year-old has been putting in a lot of hours at the studio for the past 4 years or so, and has released two mixtapes: Can’t Take That Away From Me (2010) and Agape (2012). Looking at her gives me the impression that she has been growing into the RnB/ hip-hop diva identity she set up for herself with her first two albums, which spawned hits such as Leave (Get Out), Too Little Too Late and How To Touch A Girl.
These days, JoJo is putting out material that has a much more mature, urban sound, and that voice of hers, as the kids say these days, “just won’t quit”. She has an impressive range, and she performs with a high level of professionalism- showing that she is really dedicated to her craft. Many, many artists say this about themselves, but I believe JoJo truly was born to be a musician. I mean, she was singing Whitney Houston at 10-years-old on the Rosie O’Donnell show!
Who sings like this when they’re ten? Are 10-year-olds even capable of remembering lyrics to whole songs?
Most recently, JoJo has released a video for the song Andre, which is off of the Agape mixtape and which she says was inspired by none other than Mr Three Stacks himself, Andre Benjamin. In an interview for RapUp TV, she said the song was dedicated to Andre 3000 because she just had to say how impressed she was that he was a unique talent, out there being majorly successful, while still staying true to himself. As the lyrics go, JoJo is “a sucker for a man with his own mind”.
JoJo performed Andre for That Grape Juice TV, and I just love the live version so much that the studio version– though it is set to some great dance-worthy music that I can imagine goes down a storm in the clubs- seems to pale in comparison.
Showing that she truly has matured into her talent and into this new stage of her life as a confident, sassy young woman, JoJo also released a song called Demonstrate, which is dedicated to an anonymous love interest who “just need[s] to come over” so that she can show him all the things she can’t say. *insert ‘ooh la las’, kissy faces and saucy winks here*
I can only imagine what the video for a song like this would look like in the right people’s hands, but JoJo played coy in a Vibe Vixen interview, saying that even though people keep requesting visuals for Demonstrate, they are not going to get her to cave in. Oh well, I guess we’ll just stick to the choreography videos that dance studios have been inspired to post…
I really hope that JoJo will start gaining the mainstream popularity that she so rightly deserves very soon. Here is an incredibly talented (as in “no auto-tune required”, talented), dedicated young woman who has “diva” (the unforgettable, sensational, true musician kind) resonating from her, and no one really knows. Instead, we have teeny boppers coming in from all directions, rappers that release CDs just for the sake of recording their own voices, pop stars who peddle controversy more than music (that’s you, Rihanna) and old women who are desperately and pathetically clinging on to their past glory (*cough* J-Lo *cough cough* Madonna) taking up all the airplay and the shelf space at music stores.
I could even start a petition about this- that’s how strongly I feel about all this talent going unrecognised!
Failing that, there is YouTube and iTunes, so we can watch, like, favourite and download (legally) to our hearts’ content.
While you’re catching up on all the JoJo stuff you’ve missed, also check out Leah LaBelle. I have mentioned her before, and I am still waiting for her to release an album or a mixtape or something to convince me that she really is serious. In the meantime, listen to Lolita and see her performing John Legend’s Ordinary People with JoJo, who happens to be one of her very good friends. Young divas sticking together? I like it.
Nkhensani Manabe 
#claps ngamandla.
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