Joanna Noëlle Levesque (born December 20, 1990), known professionally as JoJo, is an American singer and actress. She began performing in singing competitions and local talent shows as a child. In 2003, record producer

Vincent Herbert Vincent Herbert (born January 27, 1973) is an American songwriter, record producer, record executive, and founder of Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Work He has worked with artists such as Aaliyah, Tatyana Ali, Toni Braxton ...

noticed her after she competed on the television show '' America's Most Talented Kids'' and asked her to audition for his record label Blackground Records. After signing with the label, JoJo released her eponymous debut studio album in 2004. It peaked at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and was later

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA), selling over four million copies worldwide to date. With her debut single " Leave (Get Out)" peaking atop the US '' Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 chart, JoJo became the youngest solo artist in history to top the chart at age 13. The song peaked at 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA along with its follow-up single " Baby It's You". Her second studio album '' The High Road'' (2006) spawned her first top-five Hot 100 hit " Too Little Too Late", peaking at number three, becoming her first single to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The album was later certified gold, selling over three million copies worldwide to date. Record label disputes delayed JoJo from commercially releasing her third studio album; she released two mixtapes independently, '' Can't Take That Away from Me'' (2010) and '' Agápē'' (2012). After her contractual release, JoJo signed with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

in 2014 and released her first commercial EP ''

III III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * ...

'' (2015), followed by her third studio album '' Mad Love'' (2016), which became her third top-ten album in the US. She left Atlantic in 2017 and founded her record label

Clover Music Joanna Noëlle Levesque (born December 20, 1990), known professionally as JoJo, is an American singer and actress. She began performing in singing competitions and local talent shows as a child. In 2003, record producer Vincent Herbert noti ...

through a joint venture with Warner Records, where she re-recorded and re-released her debut and second albums as the label's first project in 2018. JoJo's fourth studio album '' Good to Know'' was released in May 2020, preceded by its first single, " Man". In October, she released her first Christmas album called ''December Baby''. By 2007, JoJo had sold more than seven million records worldwide, including 2.1 million albums and four million digital downloads in the United States. In addition to her music career, JoJo has also pursued an acting career. In 2006, she made her on-screen feature film debut in '' Aquamarine'' and '' R.V.'' alongside Robin Williams. She has also had guest appearances on the television shows '' The Bernie Mac Show'' (2002), '' American Dreams'' (2004), '' Romeo!'' (2006), '' Hawaii Five-0'' (2011) and '' Lethal Weapon'' (2017). Other films JoJo has appeared in include the Lifetime Television film '' True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet'' (2008) and '' G.B.F.'' (2013).

Early life

Joanna Noëlle Levesque was born on December 20, 1990, in Brattleboro, Vermont, but raised in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. I ...

, and

Foxborough, Massachusetts Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 ...

. She is of French-Canadian,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, Scottish, Irish, and Polish descent. Her father, Joel Maurice Levesque (January 8, 1955–November 14, 2015), sang as a hobby, and her mother, Diana Levesque (née Blagden) sang in a Catholic church choir and was trained in musical theater. JoJo's parents divorced when she was four years old, and she was raised as an only child by her mother. The name JoJo was a childhood nickname. As a child, JoJo listened as her mother practiced hymns. She started singing when she was two years old by imitating everything from nursery rhymes to R&B,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

tunes. As a child, JoJo enjoyed attending Native American festivals and acted locally in professional theaters. At age seven, JoJo appeared on the television show '' Kids Say the Darndest Things: On the Road in Boston'' with American comedian and actor Bill Cosby, and she sang a song from singer

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

. After auditioning in the television show ''Destination Stardom'', JoJo sang

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...

's 1967 hit " Respect" and " Chain of Fools". Soon after, ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

'' contacted her, inviting her to perform. At age eleven, she performed on '' Maury'' during a "kids-with-talent" episode in 2002.

Career

1998–2005: Beginning and ''JoJo''

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 various talk shows, the

McDonald's Gospelfest The McDonald's Gospelfest is an annual gospel music festival, talent competition, and fundraiser in Newark, New Jersey. The event, inaugurated in 1983, and sponsored by McDonald's, takes place in spring and has been held at the Prudential Center s ...

, performing Whitney Houston's "

I Believe in You and Me "I Believe in You and Me" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert in 1982. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops, who released it as a single from their album '' One More Mountain'' (1982). While it f ...

" and competing on the television show, ''

America's Most Talented Kids ''America's Most Talented Kid'' was an American television series that premiered on NBC on March 28, 2003. In each round, three age groups (3-7, 8-12, 13-16) of talented children would perform songs, dance numbers, magic, and other forms of ente ...

'' (losing to Diana DeGarmo), 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 producers The Underdogs and Soulshock & Karlin. JoJo's live demo, ''Joanna Levesque'', recorded in 2001, features covers of soul and R&B songs, including Mack Rice's 1965 " Mustang Sally",

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

's 1989 "It Ain't Always What You Do (It's Who You Let See You Do It)", Aretha Franklin's 1968 "Chain of Fools" and 1969 " The House That Jack Built",

The Moonglows The Moonglows were an American R&B group in the 1950s. Their song " Sincerely" went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Juke Box chart. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. ...

' 1956 "See Saw",

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

's 1972 "

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs ...

", and The Temptations' 1975 "Shakey Ground". In 2003, at age 12, JoJo signed with Blackground Records and Da Family and began working with producers for her first album. JoJo's gold-certified debut single " Leave (Get Out)" was released in 2004. Before the album's release, JoJo embarked on her first ever tour, the Cingular Buddy Bash with

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

singer Fefe Dobson, hip hop duo Young Gunz,

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

band Zebrahead, and teen pop stars Ryan Cabrera and Busted. Like debut tours by Tiffany and Britney Spears before her, it stopped at nine malls, starting at Atlanta's Northlake Mall and ending at

South Shore Plaza South Shore Plaza is a shopping mall in Braintree, Massachusetts, owned by Simon Property Group. It is near the Braintree Split interchange, off the I-93 / US 1 and Route 37 junction. The mall opened as an open-air plaza in 1961; it was enclosed ...

near her hometown of Foxborough. When the single reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, she became, at age thirteen, the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in the United States. The first single was nominated for Best New Artist at the

2004 MTV Video Music Awards The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2004, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show took place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, and, unlike in previous years, had no host. Background MTV ...

, which made JoJo the youngest MTV Video Music Award nominee. Her first album, the platinum-selling ''

JoJo Jojo, JoJo or Jo Jo is a given name, surname, nickname or stage name used by several people and fictional characters, including: People with the given name, nickname or stage name Musicians *JoJo (singer) (born 1990), American R&B singer, songwri ...

'', was released in 2004, peaking at number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and number ten on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 95,000 copies in its first week and reaching the top forty of the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. In December 2004, she was nominated for Female New Artist of the Year and Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. She is also the youngest artist to be nominated at the Billboard Music Awards. Her second single, released in September 2004, the gold-selling " Baby It's You" – which features rapper Bow Wow – peaked at number twenty-two in the U.S. and number eight in the UK. The final single from the album, " Not That Kinda Girl", was released in 2005 and peaked at number eighty-five in Germany. In 2005, JoJo participated in " Come Together Now", a charity single to benefit the victims of the

2004 Asian tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

and the 2005

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. That year, she was requested by First Lady Laura Bush to perform at the 2004 Christmas in Washington special, broadcast by TNT and hosted by

Dr. Phil Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...

and his wife Robin McGraw. JoJo hosted and performed at the Hope Rocks Concert in 2005 to benefit City of Hope National Medical Center, and co-hosted the 2006 TV Guide Channel's countdown to the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

. In 2005, she was offered a role on the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...

television series ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a t ...

'', but she turned down the role in favor of developing her music career.

2006–2009: ''The High Road'', acting and label trouble

In 2006 JoJo was cast opposite Emma Roberts and

Sara Paxton Sara Paxton (born April 25, 1988) is an American actress, voice artist, and singer. She began acting at an early age, appearing in minor roles in both films and television shows, before rising to fame in 2004, after playing the title role in the t ...

in '' Aquamarine'', playing Hailey. The film opened on March 3, 2006, opening at number five with $7.5 million. Her second major film, '' RV'', a comedy starring

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, was released on April 28, 2006. It opened at number one and grossed $69.7 million. JoJo had to audition for the part five times, and eventually replaced an actress who had already been cast in the role. JoJo's second album, '' The High Road'', was released on October 17, 2006. The album debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 108,000 units. It was produced by

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phi ...

, Swizz Beatz, J. R. Rotem, Corey Williams, Soulshock & Karlin and Ryan Leslie. It received mainly positive reviews. In the summer of 2006, the lead single from her second album, " Too Little Too Late", was released to radio stations. "Too Little Too Late" broke the record for the biggest jump into the top three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, moving from number 66 to number three in one week; this record was previously held by

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

with her 2001 single " Loverboy", which went from number 60 to number two. The album's second single, " How to Touch a Girl", experienced less success. It charted just outside the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and peaked at number 76 on the ''Billboard'' Pop 100. " Anything" was released as the third single to little success. The album sold over 550,000 copies and was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2006. On July 20, 2007, JoJo's version of " Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston leaked on the internet titled "Beautiful Girls Reply". It debuted at number thirty-nine on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 chart one month later. In late 2007, JoJo stated that she would be writing songs for her third album, to be released when she turned 18. She said she wanted her fans to "see growth" in her music. In an April 2008 interview, JoJo stated that she was writing and producing an upcoming album in Boston and Atlanta. On August 30, 2008, JoJo posted her own version of the song " Can't Believe It", originally performed by T-Pain. On June 3, 2009, JoJo stated on her YouTube account that she was waiting for her record label to sign a distribution deal to release her album. In a few months time, nearly 20 of her songs were leaked through a YouTube channel. In August 2009, it was reported that JoJo filed a lawsuit in New York against her record label Da Family Entertainment for putting her in musical limbo. She reportedly sought $500,000 for her troubles and to be released from her contract. JoJo was released from her contract in October 2009 and a deal was reached with Blackground Records to have JoJo's third album distributed by Interscope Records. In late 2009, JoJo appeared on Timbaland's ''

Shock Value II ''Shock Value II'' is the third studio album by American record producer Timbaland. It serves as the sequel to ''Shock Value''. Initially slated for a 2008 release, the project was pushed into 2009 and tentatively confirmed for November 23, 2009 ...

'' as a featuring artist on the song "Lose Control". She also appeared as a background vocalist on "Timothy Where You Been" from the same album with the Australian band Jet. On September 10, JoJo revealed that she would be traveling to Toronto to film a small screen adaptation of Lola Douglas' '' True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet'' and play the role of Morgan Carter, with Valerie Bertinelli and Shenae Grimes. It was broadcast on Lifetime Television on August 9, 2008, and released on DVD on March 3, 2009.

2010–2013: ''Can't Take That Away from Me'' and ''Agápē''

'' Can't Take That Away from Me'' was released as JoJo's first mixtape in September 2010 and spawned the single " In the Dark". In late 2010, JoJo made cameo appearances in music videos for Keri Hilson and

Clinton Sparks Clinton Charls Sparks (born September 18, 1975) is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter and singer from Boston, Massachusetts. He initially started his career as a rapper, dancer, producer, and DJ who gained notoriety by making bootleg ...

. In January 2011, JoJo was cast in an episode of CBS's '' Hawaii Five-0'' as Courtney Russell, the daughter of a Tsunami Warning Center scientist who goes missing on the eve of a big storm hitting the Honolulu coast. In February 2011, JoJo uploaded a video to YouTube announcing that she was shooting a video for her song "The Other Chick" and that she had changed the title of the album from ''All I Want Is Everything'' to ''Jumping Trains'', stating that she had desires to "represent something different; something fresh". Her actual first lead single "The Other Chick" was supposed to release digitally but the label decided to make it as a buzz single. In June 2011, she released a remix of rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

's song " Marvin's Room", renamed "Marvin's Room (Can't Do Better)" through Rap-Up's YouTube channel. JoJo rewrote the song from a female perspective to express a frustration towards an ex-lover and his supposed new girlfriend. Drake himself expressed his appreciation for her interpretation. On August 29, 2011, " Disaster" was released to U.S. radio. The song saw her continue in a similar style to her previous hits, which was praised by critics for not "jumping on the synthpop bandwagon", but also criticized for not showing much progression after a five-year hiatus. "Disaster" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 87, but fell off the chart the next week. This gave JoJo her first charting single since "Too Little Too Late" in 2006. The single failed to impact any chart internationally. In support of the single, she opened for the

Joe Jonas & Jay Sean Tour Joe Jonas & Jay Sean: Live in Concert was a co-headlining tour by American recording artist Joe Jonas and British recording artist Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British si ...

. JoJo gave her first televised performance of the song on ''Good Day Dallas'' on September 29, and later performed on a small promotional tour for " Pinktober" in order to raise money for breast cancer research during the month of October. A music video for the song premiered on JoJo's website in November 2011. In August 2011, JoJo signed a promotional deal with HeartSoul clothing to become the new face for their Fall/Winter collection. In December 2011, JoJo signed a deal with skin care brand Clearasil to become the new spokeswoman for Clearasil's PerfectaWash. In October 2012, JoJo was cast and began working on the film '' G.B.F.'' JoJo was cast as Soledad Braunstein who is the President of the Gay Straight Alliance. The film was shot in Los Angeles over 18 days by director Darren Stein. In early 2012, JoJo toured with

Big Time Rush ''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood mi ...

for five dates of their Better with U Tour. A promotional single, " Sexy to Me", was made available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon on February 28, 2012. JoJo, wanting to go in a new direction with the album, released " Demonstrate", produced by Noah "40" Shebib, on July 17, 2012. Its release as a single was eventually scrapped for reasons unknown despite a music video already having been filmed. After Blackground Records lost their distribution deal through Interscope Records in late 2012, resulting once again in the delay of the release of an album, JoJo began recording new material specifically for a new mixtape to be released by the end of the year, as she "didn't want to keep the fans waiting for new music any longer". On November 15, 2012, she announced the release of a mixtape, titled '' Agápē'', which means "unconditional love" in Greek. The project was released for free through digital download on her 22nd birthday on December 20, 2012. In support of the mixtape, JoJo embarked on her first headlining North American tour,

The Agápē Tour The Agápē Tour was the second headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter JoJo. It was launched in support of her second mixtape '' Agápē'' (2012). The tour visited just six cities; an expected expansion to the East Coast of the U ...

. "We Get By" was released as the lead single from the mixtape on November 15, 2012. "André" was released as the second single from the mixtape on November 30, 2012, with the music video for the song premiering on March 21, 2013, through ''Complex'' magazine.

2014–2018: Label changes, ''III.'', ''Mad Love'' and re-releasing albums

On July 30, 2013, it was reported that JoJo had filed a lawsuit against her labels Blackground Records and Da Family for "irreparable damages to her professional career". Minors cannot sign contracts that last more than seven years under New York State law and thus she claims that as her contract was signed in 2004, her deal should have expired in 2011. In December 2013 both of JoJo's and Blackground's attorneys agreed to drop the case as both parties came to an agreement outside court. On January 14, 2014, it was announced that JoJo was released from her multi-year battle with the label and signed a new recording contract with

. On February 14, she released an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, titled '' #LoveJo'', featuring covers of three classic songs, which were all produced by

Da Internz Da Internz are a production team originating from Chicago, Illinois. The duo is composed of Marcos " Kosine" Palacios and Ernest Tuo Clark. Da Internz describe their sound as "gourmet ratchet", meaning imperfect but excellent. Background Both ...

. On March 16, 2014, she performed at

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

. On August 5, 2015, JoJo's website under Atlantic was relaunched. On August 20, 2015, JoJo released three singles simultaneously on the ''III.'' extended play, which she referred to as a "tringle", as a preview of her third studio album. In support of the release, JoJo embarked on the

I Am JoJo Tour The I Am JoJo Tour was the third headlining & first world concert tour by American singer-songwriter JoJo. It was launched in support of her upcoming yet to be titled third studio album & its III., which included the album's first 3 singles. ...

, her first world tour, in November 2015. On December 18, 2015, JoJo released the sequel to ''#LoveJo'', titled ''#LoveJo2''. In June 2016, Fifth Harmony announced that JoJo would be one of the opening acts on their

7/27 Tour The 7/27 Tour was the second major headlining concert tour by American girl group Fifth Harmony, in support of their second studio album ''7/27'' (2016). The tour began in Lima, Peru on June 22, 2016, and concluded in Singapore on April 8, 2017. ...

. On July 27, 2016, JoJo released the lead single "

Fuck Apologies "Fuck Apologies", alternatively titled "No Apologies" for the radio edit, is a song by American singer JoJo featuring American rapper Wiz Khalifa from the former's third studio album, '' Mad Love'' (2016). It was released on July 28, 2016, by Atl ...

", featuring rapper and label mate Wiz Khalifa. '' Mad Love'', JoJo's third studio album was released on October 14, 2016, ten years following the release of ''The High Road''. The album entered and peaked on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart at number 6. In January 2017, JoJo embarked on the Mad Love tour, a four-month concert tour of North America and Europe. In August 2017, JoJo announced her departure from Atlantic, in conjunction with announcing her new music venture,

, in a joint deal with Interscope. In April 2018, she announced the Leaks, Covers, & Mixtapes tour, which began on May 29. On December 20, 2018, her 28th birthday, JoJo announced plans to re-release her first album with re-recorded vocals. The following day, JoJo re-released her debut album and ''The High Road'', as well as her singles " Demonstrate", and " Disaster"—all with re-recorded vocals and slightly reworked production. A similar tactic was employed by

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

years later.

2019–present: Move to Warner and ''The Masked Singer''

As of January 2019, per ''Billboard'',

is no longer affiliated with Interscope, and will now associate with Warner Records. On February 12, 2019, JoJo announced the release of the single "

Say So "Say So" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat from her second studio album, ''Hot Pink'' (2019). The song was written by Doja Cat with her manager Lydia Asrat, and Dr. Luke, who handled production for the song under the pseudonym ...

", which features R&B singer-songwriter PJ Morton, two days later on February 14. "Say So" was included as the lead single on Morton's album '' Paul''. On October 10, 2019, via Instagram, JoJo announced that she would release the single " Joanna" at midnight, followed by the music video premiering the next day. On October 25, JoJo collaborated with Alabama rapper and then-recent Warner Records signee Chika on the single "

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

", which was intended the first single from her next album. JoJo announced a new album via Instagram, '' Good to Know'', which was released on May 1, 2020. A tour supporting the album was set to begin in April 2021. The lead single "Man" was released on March 13, 2020. On August 3, 2020, JoJo announced the single "What U Need" via Instagram. It was released on August 7, 2020, as the lead single from the deluxe version of ''Good to Know'', which followed on August 28, 2020. On October 2, 2020, she released a song titled "The Change", written by Diane Warren, to serve as the official anthem for the

Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign Former vice president Joe Biden began his presidential campaign on April 25, 2019 by releasing a video announcing his candidacy in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. The campaign concluded with him and his running mate Kamala ...

. Her first

holiday album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...

, ''December Baby'', was released on October 30 of the same year. In January 2021, after being twice delayed, JoJo cancelled the Good to Know tour due to the ongoing nature of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. She also announced that she plans to tour in 2022 after releasing a sixth studio album. Later in 2021, JoJo competed on the fifth season of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Black Swan". She finished in second place making her the first female runner-up on the show. On August 17, 2021, she announced her first capsule project (12-track EP) ''Trying Not to Think About It'' with the first single "Worst (I Assume)" released three days later. The EP was released on October 1, 2021, followed by a six-date tour starting a day later. It was announced that her original debut album and '' The High Road'' would be re-released on September 24, 2021, by the second incarnation of Blackground Records and

Empire Distribution EMPIRE Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (marketed as EMPIRE) is an American distribution company and record label founded in by Ghazi Shami with offices in New York City, London, Nashville, and Atlanta. It has released albums in v ...

, but JoJo encouraged her fans not to listen to it due to the absence of credited songwriting on the original projects. JoJo contributed to Stan Walker's 2022 album '' All In'', collaborating on the song "Remember Us", which she also co-wrote.

Artistry

Musically, JoJo is considered to be primarily a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

and R&B artist; however, the majority of her singles tend to lean more towards the former as a

marketing tool Marketing strategy allows organizations to focus limited resources on best opportunities to increase sales and achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Strategic marketing emerged in the 1970s/80s as a distinct field of study, further bui ...

. ''Prefix'''s Norman Meyers observed that "As an adolescent white girl singing mainstream R&B, her singles have leaned toward pop to snag sales ... But the list of producers on ''The High Road ...'' shows that Jojo is more concerned with harder beats and soulful sounds." JoJo is a

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

and her singing voice has been widely acclaimed by music critics, one of whom ranked it among "the best in the game", while her R&B recordings have been compared to the likes of R&B singers Brandy and Monica. Describing her as a "vocal phenom", ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

''s Leah Greenblatt enthused that JoJo is "capable of

-style upper-register flourishes". Vocally, critics frequently draw comparisons between JoJo and singers

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

and Beyoncé, while '' Slant Magazine'''s Sal Cinquemani remarked that the singer "could very well be the next Teena Marie". At times some of her material and use of melisma has been criticized for being overproduced and overused, respectively. Emma Morgan of Yahoo! Music dismissed JoJo as "mercilessly multi-tracked à la J. Lo, her voice encoded flatteringly as she too-many-notes her way through a succession of R'n'B beats and hooks that owe everything to studio wizardry and little to simple songwriting", lacking experience and soul. While admitting that JoJo is "surprisingly adept at frenzied, sexually possessed hollering", Alex Macpherson of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' believes that the singer "is, however, at her best when compulsively dissecting emotional situations straight out of high-school movies via the medium of big, heartfelt choruses". Pegging JoJo as "a teen-pop star with an R&B singer's voice", Kelefa Sanneh of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' continued, "she can outsing much of the competition, but it also means more ballads ... and more not-quite-credible lovesick lyrics." JoJo's earliest memories of singing are performing songs by

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston for customers in hair salons. Her mixtape, ''Agápē'', was influenced by musicians Joni Mitchell and

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...

. JoJo possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range, which Jordan Riefe of '' Maxim'' described as "better suited to R&B." Upon making her mainstream debut in 2004, critics immediately noticed that JoJo's vocal prowess and material exceeded her age. When she released her single " Demonstrate" in 2012, critics observed that both the singer's voice and lyrics had matured alongside her. Subsequently, JoJo's second mixtape '' Agápē'' drew attention from both critics and the singer's own family due to its

mature content A content rating (also known as maturity rating) rates the suitability of TV shows, movies, comic books, or video games to this primary targeted audience. A content rating usually places a media source into one of a number of different categories, ...

; '' Agápē'' features lyrical references to drinking, drug abuse and sex, which were absent from her previous "G-rated" releases. The mixtape also addresses her conflict with her record label. JoJo's early image followed popular trends related to hip hop culture at the time. The cover of JoJo's first album features the singer donning a T-shirt and cap, which Sal Cinquemani of '' Slant Magazine'' dismissed as "contrived and calculated". Matt Collar of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

wrote, "Jojo is an assured and likeable performer who can somehow embody the yin-yang persona of a suburban cheerleader slinging hip-hop attitude." According to Jenny Eliscu of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', the singer "has become a role model to suburban adolescents who talk gangsta but still carpool to school in mom's Kia Sorento."''The Guardian''s Alex Macpherson commented that "In an era of boozy Amys, gobby Lilys and flashing Britneys, a pop star as wholesome as JoJo seems almost quaint." Writing for ''Prefix'', Norman Meyers believes that JoJo "could have been a '' Mean Girls'' extra, but she has talent" and "comes off more like a pint-size Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera than a hip-shaking Britney clone".

Personal life

JoJo lived in Edgewater, New Jersey with her mother, until age 18, when she moved out on her own to Boston for a year. She now resides in Los Angeles. JoJo dated American soccer player Freddy Adu from May 2005 until September 2006. The couple met on the MTV show ''Fake ID Club'' while JoJo was hosting it. JoJo made an appearance in the commentary box at a New England Revolution home game when they were playing D.C. United. In November 2006, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the couple had split up. JoJo revealed on ''

American Top 40 ''American Top 40'' (previously abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally syndicated, independent song countdown radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs. The program is currently hosted by Ryan Sea ...

'' with Ryan Seacrest that she and Adu were still good friends. In August 2009, JoJo graduated from high school and stated that she would stay focused on future projects. She was accepted to

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in Charlotte, North Ca ...

but did not attend; she considered majoring in

cultural anthropology Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...

. Aside from singing and acting, JoJo is also a supporter of various charitable organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America, World Vision,

She's the First She's the First (STF) is a non-profit organization whose stated mission is to "team up with grassroots organizations to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard." She's the First was founded in New York, NY by Tammy Tibbetts ...

, Make A Wish Foundation, and others. In December 2021, JoJo announced her engagement to '' Saved by the Bell'' (2020) actor

Dexter Darden Dexter Darden is an American actor, best known for playing the role of Walter Hill in '' Joyful Noise,'' and Frypan in the ''Maze Runner'' film series. Personal life Dexter was engaged to singer/actress JoJo Jojo, JoJo or Jo Jo is a given na ...

Discography

* ''

'' (2004) * '' The High Road'' (2006) * '' Mad Love'' (2016) * '' Good to Know'' (2020) * ''December Baby'' (2020)

Filmography

Tours

Headlining * The High Road Tour (2007) * Then & Now Concert Tour (2010) * Pinktober (2011) *

(2013) *

(2015–16) *

Mad Love Tour The Mad Love Tour is the fourth concert tour by American recording artist JoJo. The tour supported her third studio album, '' Mad Love'' (2016). Background JoJo announced that the tour would launch in early 2017, after a performance of " No Apol ...

(2017) *

Leaks, Covers and Mixtapes Tour The Leaks, Covers & Mixtapes Tour is the fifth headlining concert tour by American recording artist JoJo. In between recording material for her fourth studio album. The tour will showcase and support rarely performed material from JoJo's independ ...

(2018) * Trying Not to Think About It Tour (2021) * JoJo Tour 2022 (2022) As a special guest * Timbaland –

Shock Value II Tour The Shock Value II Tour was a 2010 concert tour by American rapper/producer, Timbaland to support his third studio album, ''Shock Value II'' (2009). The tour lasted from January 15, 2010 to February 3, 2010. Set list #"Timothy Where You Been" # ...

(2010) As an opening act * Usher – The Truth World Tour (2004) * Joe Jonas/ Jay Sean –

(2011) *

– Better With You Tour (2012) * Fifth Harmony –

The 7/27 Tour The 7/27 Tour was the second major headlining concert tour by American girl group Fifth Harmony, in support of their second studio album ''7/27'' (2016). The tour began in Lima, Peru on June 22, 2016, and concluded in Singapore on April 8, 2017. ...

(2016)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * * {{Authority control 1990 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers American child actresses American child singers American women pop singers American film actresses American people of French descent American people of Irish descent American people of Polish descent American women singer-songwriters American sopranos American television actresses Child pop musicians Singers from Vermont People from Edgewater, New Jersey People from Foxborough, Massachusetts People from Brattleboro, Vermont Universal Music Group artists Atlantic Records artists Interscope Records artists Warner Records artists Participants in American reality television series Actresses from New Jersey Actresses from Vermont Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts Association footballers' wives and girlfriends American contemporary R&B singers