Photo: Press
Remember JoJo, the teen sensation who at 13-years-old became the youngest solo artist to have a No.1 single in the United States when she released ‘Leave (Get Out)’ back in 2004? Well she’s back, but she didn’t really go anywhere to begin with.
Trapped in a record deal with Blackground Records - once the home to Aaliyah, Timbaland and Tank - for more than seven years, the talented singer/songwriter was held hostage and not allowed to release any new music after the 2006 release of her sophomore album, The High Road. After many legal battles and a whole lot of crying, she’s free! She’s finally free.
Sitting down with Gigwise the day after her first London show in years, the now 25-year-old is looking forward to finally releasing some music. Discussing everything from creatively being held captive at Blackground to her new journey with Atlantic Records, JoJo also talks Drake and MNEK, while finding time to offer Ke$ha some advice relating to the troubled singer’s current ordeal.
Last night was your long awaited return to London, performing in the nation’s capital for the first time in a while. At one point things got a little emotional for you and it seemed like you might break down. What was going through your head when you stopped to thank everyone for their love and support?
“Well, throughout the whole performance I felt like it might have been a dream, like I might have been on an ambient adventure because it felt so surreal to have that kind of reception after so long. The love that was in the room - and the fact that everyone was singing along with every song from the past twelve years – made it feel like a bit of a homecoming - which was almost too good to be true.”
With everything you’ve been through these past seven years, was there any point where you felt like giving up music?
“It wasn’t so much that I felt like giving up but I felt like maybe giving up was the only option. There was no legal out that I could take so I considered maybe pursuing more of a career in musical theatre, or going to school and becoming an academic and then a teacher. I was going to study cultural anthropology at North Eastern University in Boston, and that was something I considered seriously.
“Then I put it into perspective and I realised that my youth is not going to be here forever so I really wanted to fight if I could, and find a lawyer that could help me get out of that deal and be able to further my career and continue on the path with the foundation that was laid in my teenage years.”
What did you do to celebrate the day you were finally released from your deal at Blackground?
“I cried a lot. Some of my good friends were around me, it was around Christmas time - which was also around the same time as my birthday - I was in NYC and it just so happened that we went to a puppy store. We ended up looking at puppies. Now what’s better than looking at puppies? There was just, you know, so many fuzzy feelings floating around.”
You were obviously happy?
“Yeah! And I think I had some Champagne the next day when I signed my contract with Atlantic Records.”
Why Atlantic? You went through so much drama at your previous label surely you were cautious when it came to selecting a new home for you and your music?
“I wanted the opportunities that being on a major label affords. When I was signed to Blackground it was through a major, but they were more an indie label, this time I wanted to just go straight to the source. There is a machine that still exists and that’s very helpful when you’re making pop music. I had been held back and there had been so many things stacked against me that I wanted to afford myself the opportunities that come with playing in the major leagues. That’s why I decided not to go independent."
That was going to be the next question, did you not think about going the independent route?
“I did think about it. I considered many options but it just felt like after so long I wanted to… I want to play, you know?”
Last year we finally saw a new Dr. Dre album and it looks like we’re now going to see a new JoJo album. With regards to the response to your return to the spotlight, do you feel like people still care about your music and you as an individual?
“Surprisingly and overwhelmingly, yes. It’s still very shocking every time I sell out a show. It just doesn’t make sense. Everything tells you that it shouldn’t be this way but there is still so much support, a growing fan base and a connection that I have with my fans that has been there for a long time. It feels great and I just want to continue to cultivate that.
“There’s lots of differences, of course, between me and Dre, or even me and D’Angelo, but I would have never wanted to take a 10 year hiatus between albums. It was so not my desire. I wanted to be constantly putting out content but contractually that just wasn’t possible. What it’s taught me though is that my fans know who I am. They know my comfort zone and I want to give them what they want. So I’m going to continue doing me and doing what’s right but at the end of the day I’m a soul singer and I think they want to feel that.”
So when is your new album due?
“This year.”
Do you have a title or any info on it yet?
“I do, but I’m just not telling yet.”
You were working on new material that was never released while you were under contract with Blackground. Were you able to take any of that music and bring it across to Atlantic to include it on your upcoming album?
“I had to create a whole new body of work, and that’s fine. I don’t live my life in the way of holding onto things necessarily, because personally and professionally I’ve just been taught time and time again that you can’t do that. So I just continue to move forward and that’s the thing about music and being a creative person, as long as there’s life going on there is going to be more songs and there’s going to be more inspiration. And, how I sounded when I was 18, the things that I was going through, the things that I was writing about and singing about, are quite different to what I’m writing about at 25. So it would almost be whack to put that on this body of work.”
You’re lucky in the sense that you started so young that you’re still young enough to hit the reset button and start again. What advice would you offer any upcoming artists who are yet to experience the industry properly?
“I would say give all of yourself in each moment to people. Julio Iglesias once said something when talking about his fans, he said that you can make an impact on someone’s life that they will remember for the rest of their lives in just a few seconds, or just a few minutes. You just need to be present and you just need to be authentic and people can really feel that. So, I think that living in that spirit and keeping that in mind is very important because people feel that vibration. Just don’t be a dickhead!”
A few years back, you put out your own version of Drake’s ‘Marvin’s Room’, and you also worked with his producer Noah ‘40’ Shebib on the song ‘Demonstrate’, have you guys ever discussed doing a collaboration?
“I mean, years ago on DM we just kinda showed our love and respect for each other, but there’s nothing in the works. That would be a dream though, Drake is incredible.”
Someone you have definitely been working with though is the UK’s very own MNEK. How did that come about and what exactly have you been working on?
“He is such an amazing vocalist, writer and producer. I got turned onto him when I was in the studio a couple of years ago when he first put out ‘Every Little Word’ and someone showed me the video and I was like, ‘who the hell is this kid?’, and then I got into his stuff online, and when I heard that I was coming over to London for a week I said to my team, ‘you have to get me into the studio with MNEK’.
“So, I was able to get in with him and ADP and then we developed a friendship. Add to this the fact that I’m also friends with his boyfriend - who’s an artist - Brayton Bowman - he’s from the States. So we’re actually going to be working together this month too. We just kinda just geek out about singers and songs and female vocalists. We actually watched the Superbowl together and we rewound it back to Beyoncé’s performance three or four times.”
Aside from MNEK, can you share any other features that you’ve got coming up on the album or is it something you’re not allowed to talk about?
“It’s not that I’m not allowed to talk about anything in particular, it’s that I’ve really kinda just been in my own rabbit hole. I’ve been keeping my head down and working. I’ve been in the studio with people but I haven’t really done a lot of collaborating. I’ve done a lot of co-writing with other writers – Justin Tranter, Rock Mafia - and I’m working with a lot of different producers, but as far as features or anything like that, I haven’t got to that point yet.”
What about subject matters? Because last night you proclaimed to the audience that you love love, even though you’ve been through a lot of stuff. Is it going to be a love album throughout, or are there other things you’ve been through that you’re going to put out on the record?
“Well I think that life is love and love is life for me, honestly. I’ve been through so much professionally but the things I’ve been through personally have shaped me far more than anything I’ve been through professionally: the way I grew up, the things I went through at a young age, the relationships I’ve had – romantically and family-wise.
“Self-love is a journey that I’ll probably never stop being on. There’s a lot of messages you get when you’re a woman in general but particularly when you’re famous from a young age and you’ve got grown men telling you how to act and how to look and how to represent yourself, there’s a lot of de-programming and programming that goes on. So I’m writing my way through that, figuring it out. But love it what keeps me going and relationships are the most important thing to me, over anything.”
So are you building the album as a cohesive project or is it a bunch of singles?
“It’s not a bunch of singles. I believe in the album whole-heartedly. And honestly, when I came into the new year, after releasing 'Tringle' I really decided that I was thankful for the success of that. I was thankful for the way that we were able to warm people up to the idea of me coming back, but I want to leave that as it is and make sure that this album is a body of work and not just song, song, song, song, song, just twelve songs. I want it to feel like something you can put on front to back and not feel disjointed.”
Like Kendrick Lamar’s good kid m.A.A.d. city?
“I could never compare my album to one of Kendrick’s at this point but one day I’d like to. I want to build myself into that kind of artist but first I need to get a mother fucking third album out so I can get on with the rest of my life.”
Is the label giving you that kind of freedom to make the cohesive body of work that you want to?
“Yeah, I mean there’s always a back and forth that exists between artist and label and management in between, but Atlantic are very supportive and they’ve always had career artists. So yeah, the support has been cool and I’ve come into this new year knowing that I really need to assert my identity into this project – it’s essential.”
What would you say separates you from many of today’s other R&B/pop singers - like Tinashe, Lion Babe, Alessia Cara - or would you say there isn’t a separation?
“Well, I would hope there’s a separation between every individual. I think that’s what unites us, the fact that we’re women in music and that we should support greatness when we see it and call it out. I love the artists you just named - Alessia and I have the same co-manager and she’s a total sweetheart. I love how she’s just building her young career.
“I think that there’s a lot of room for different types of women because that’s the truth of it, like that’s what the world looks like so I think it’s cool that the musical landscape is kind of mirroring that in a way. And the internet allows for people to forget their own path and for people to not be packaged perfectly, and to kinda do whatever the hell they want, especially if they’re not signed to a traditional label and doing that traditional thing.”
Now as someone that’s experienced being trapped within a label, what would you say to someone like Ke$ha at the moment?
“I hope that she feels the love that she’s receiving and the support because it’s truly outstanding. The artistic community that’s come out, they’re really rallying behind her. They’re outraged, and rightfully so – particularly with the other allegations that she’s put out.
“Putting that aside, as far as her being in a contract and not being able to release music, it’s terrible. You think that when you get into something with somebody, you’re family and you’re going to be able to make things work regardless, so it’s devastating when that’s not the case. And I hope that she’s able to connect with her fans on the internet and release music that way. If she’s able to release things for free I think she should. But it might be difficult; I don’t know who owns her publishing. There’s so much shit involved, it’s not as easy as people might hope it is or think it is. So, I’m hoping that she’s able to just record for Sony and I hope there’s a quick and easy resolution.”
In a sense, with regards to the support, she’s blessed because there is social media now, so more people are aware of what’s going on and more things can be done about it. Whereas you didn’t really have that, did you?
“Well no, but when I sued Blackground social media was in full swing. I don’t know if it’s that people didn’t care or that there was a lack of awareness but it was my fans, it was Team JoJo, that had #freeJoJo trending on Twitter, they brought awareness to it. But Blackground didn’t have the kind of trial on Twitter that Dr. Luke is having and so I’m glad I’m on the other side of it. But I really feel for her, it’s terrible to feel trapped like that.”
What’s the goal moving forward for you?
“My goal is to put out content consistently, and to be better than I was yesterday and to strive to be my personal best, to learn more and do better and to make an impact on people and to empower women in particular to be themselves and be comfortable. I want them to do what makes them happy and find what it is that they love to do and to go after it because that’s what I’m doing.”
…and to love?
“Yeah! I can’t let anything get in the way of what is it that I love.”
JoJo's III. (aka Tringle) is out now on iTunes.
