As I reflect on the journey of my extraordinary life, I can’t help but marvel at the twists and turns that fate has taken me on. From stepping away from traditional schooling to navigating the tumultuous waters of fame, I’ve faced challenges that most people only dream of encountering.
Joanna “JoJo” Leasque’s debut album, titled “JoJo“, achieved her initial platinum certification and peaked at a top five position on the Billboard 200 chart. Moreover, it reached the highest spot on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart.
She was all of 13 years old.
Currently, after more than 20 years in her profession, the woman aged 33 is using some moments to consider her past experiences and contemplate her future. Over the course of the last year, she’s engaged in diverse roles, such as writing her first memoir titled Over the Influence, and portraying Satine on Broadway in a production based on Moulin Rouge!.
Apart from that, she’s recently unveiled her latest track titled “Porcelain.” In this song, the artist delves into the concept of transformation and letting go of sorrow.
JoJo shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she felt the need to break free from the influences, opinions, and expectations imposed on her since childhood, as well as the self-imposed pressure. She believes this process involved undoing learned behaviors, accepting herself, changing her perspective, and undergoing a good deal of therapy.
Here, JoJo discusses various aspects of her 20-year professional journey, shares her opinions on safeguards in the industry for budding artists, explains why she decided to re-record her albums, and elaborates on her current explorations, which she describes as “dabbling with a variety of things.
This year marks your 20th anniversary in the music industry, which is quite an impressive milestone regardless, but especially so for someone at your stage in life. Can you share how you feel about your career as a whole?
I’m deeply appreciative for the assortment of diverse experiences I’ve had and the unexpected chances that came my way. I’m also thankful for learning how to bounce back from setbacks and rediscovering what initially drew me to this journey. It seems it takes a while to unlearn lessons we’ve acquired over time. Currently, I’m relishing this phase in my life, with 20 years spent in the music industry under my belt, old enough to share intriguing tales but young enough to experience the best times yet.
In your latest song “Porcelain,” you mentioned it had a flirtation with pop music. Can you explain what prompted you to slightly lean towards this genre for this particular piece?
Currently, I find myself in a playful, experimental phase where I’m drawn to various genres. I’ve been ‘toying around’ with pop, jazz, and alternative music. This song we created during an improvised session. While I was in the recording booth, my producer Neff-U and other musicians were in the live room jamming. We were freestyling, and then I suggested using an Uncle Luke sample, which added a unique touch to it. My brother and co-writer, Little Eddie, proposed giving it a Jersey house beat vibe. So, this track is a fusion of different elements that caught our attention. It’s not about consciously moving towards pop music; instead, I’m more focused on what feels pleasant and exhilarating, rather than sticking to any specific genre. I aim to let go a bit, move my body and free my mind from overthinking.
“You mentioned in a Las Culturistas podcast that younger people often tell you, ‘Your music brings back memories for me.’ How do you handle these comments? What’s your approach when this happens?
It’s pleasant to listen to you, but I occasionally feel a touch of defensiveness since I think, “Don’t you realize we’re the same age?” Sometimes I wonder if people were aware that I was only 13 when I came out. At times, I find myself wanting to say, “You know we grew up together,” implying that our shared experiences have a significant impact on me. Nostalgia also strikes me because those experiences played a crucial role in shaping my childhood and adolescence, making it feel like another life or a different person. After all, so much growth happens over 20 years, and every year I can’t help but think, “Wow. That was then, this is now.
As a young artist, were you ever at risk within the entertainment industry during your growth period? How did you manage to stay safe amidst these challenges, and do you think the safeguards for upcoming artists have improved over time?
My mom made every effort to safeguard me, ensuring a well-rounded upbringing through homeschooling on the move since I stopped attending traditional school in seventh grade. Her main goal was to provide me with the opportunity to attend college if I wished and foster my personal growth rather than turning me into a product. However, I must add that there’s no way to prepare a child for the impact of fame on an immature brain. In my opinion, the emergence of influences such as fame, adoration, validation, criticism, among others, significantly mold our self-perception. This generation, much like mine as a public figure, may struggle with it just as intensely, possibly even more so due to social media. It’s like being both consumed and consuming oneself, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy if not enough validation is received or an excessive high when it is. I believe this dynamic poses a significant risk, particularly for the still-developing mind and self-concept.
The music business, unlike film and television, operates in an unpredictable, anything-can-happen manner, similar to the lawless wild west. It’s crucial to have a backup system in place, or else you risk getting overwhelmed and discarded – that’s just how it works. I consider myself fortunate to have a nurturing family who stood by me as much as they could. Things could have taken a stranger turn, but fortunately, everything worked out well for me.
You’re about to finish up your second stint in Moulin Rouge on Broadway. How has the entire experience been for you? Do you feel it’s changed your outlook on anything in terms of your career or what risks you’re willing to take?
At this stage of my life, I wanted to demonstrate to myself that I could handle a task as difficult as this one. Once I accepted the challenge and didn’t disappoint myself, I felt a sense of pride in what I accomplished. For a long time, I had been harshly criticizing myself, thinking I wasn’t good enough, and having frequent negative thoughts. If others said it too, I would think, “I’ve already belittled myself.” But here, the situation is different because I understand the effort required. I know that I’m human, so mistakes will happen – like missing a note or my voice cracking. However, I tell myself, “You’ll do it again, and you’re prepared, supported, and not alone.
You could be considered a trailblazer of sorts when it comes to re-recording your earlier albums. This topic has gained quite a bit of attention lately, with more artists discussing the possibility of doing the same. Could you share your thoughts on this trend and explain why you felt compelled to embark on this journey?
It’s interesting because labels are catching on now, and now in the contracts of 2024 and beyond, they’re putting stipulations in there now so artists cannot go back and rerecord and cannot do what I did or what Taylor Swift very famously did a few years after. I think that the topic of ownership is really, really important, especially for artists who are interested in putting out music or thinking about signing a deal. For me, the reason why I re-recorded my first two albums was because they weren’t available on streaming services. There’s just a lot of interesting things that aren’t at the forefront of the conversation, obviously, because it’s boring and it’s kind of political music industry stuff, but every single label has to do a deal with the digital streaming platforms, and if they don’t, then your music’s not going to be on there.
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2024-10-23 01:25