American singer and actress Joanna Noëlle Levesque, professionally known as Jojo rise to fame story is an interesting one.
She had suffered a great deal in the hands of bad label management which caused irreparable damage to her career.
As a young girl with incredible talent, Jojo was mismanaged by her record label.
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What you didn’t know about Jojo
JoJo kicked off her singing journey at the tender age of two, inspired by her mom’s involvement in a church choir.
At seven, she graced the screens of ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’ with a Cher tune. In 2001, she showcased her talent on ‘Maury’ in a kids with talent segment.
Two years later, she took on the challenge of ‘America’s Most Talented Kid’, narrowly missing out to future ‘American Idol’ star Diana DeGarmo.
JoJo caught the eye of a producer from Blackground Records during the show and snagged a deal with the label in 2003 at just 12 years old. By February 2004, she dropped her debut single “Leave (Get Out)”.
Jojo’s success story
Her debut single hit the Billboard Hot 100 in April and eventually reached #12 in the summer, staying on the chart for 29 weeks.
Although it didn’t crack the Top 10, it was a solid hit, peaking in the Top 5 globally. JoJo made waves with “Leave (Get Out)” by becoming the youngest solo artist, at 13, to claim a #1 spot on pop radio, a record she still holds today.
JoJo’s first album, ‘JoJo’, dropped in June 2004, entering the Top 5 and scoring a Platinum certification five months down the line.
Following the success of “Leave (Get Out)” in the summer, the second single, “Baby It’s You”, featuring Bow Wow, hit the scene.
It reached #22 in the US and landed in the Top 10 on pop radio. The track also made waves internationally, hitting the Top 10 in countries like the UK and New Zealand.
Her initial success led to several awards. She bagged a Best New Artist nomination at the 2004 MTV VMAs, becoming the youngest nominee in the VMAs’ 20-year history.
Additionally, she made history as the youngest artist nominated at the Billboard Music Awards in December 2004, earning Female New Artist of the Year and Top 40 Single of the Year.
Subsequently, Jojo ventured into acting, featuring in two films “Aquamarine” and “Rv”.
The Genesis of Jojo’s problem
Jojo being a goal-getter, in 2007 mentioned she had commenced songwriting for her third album, aiming for a release around her 18th birthday in December 2008.
By June 2009, the album was nowhere to be found, with JoJo revealing she was waiting on her record label to seal a distribution deal for her awaited album titled ‘All I Want is Everything’.
Just two months later, JoJo took legal action against her label for stalling her music.
In October 2009, they struck a deal with Interscope for distribution, but the album release remained elusive.
With her third album in limbo, JoJo dropped a mixtape titled ‘Can’t Take That Away From Me’ in September 2010.
It was in 2011 that JoJo switched up the name of her third album from ‘All I Want Is Everything’ to ‘Jumping Trains’.
She had a lead single ready, “The Other Chick”, along with a music video in the works, but the song never saw the light of day.
Moving into 2012, she had another lead single lined up for her third album, “Demonstrate”, complete with a music video, yet it faced the same fate of non-release.
Towards the end of 2012, Blackground Records lost their distribution deal with Interscope, leading to more setbacks for JoJo’s album.
To keep her fans engaged, JoJo opted to drop her second mixtape, ‘Agápē, in December 2012, as she didn’t want to leave her fans hanging.
In July 2013, JoJo took legal action against her labels, citing “irreparable damages to her professional career” due to music release delays.
She argued that her contract should have ended in 2011 since she was a minor when she signed it, and minors can’t be bound by contracts lasting over 7 years.
By January 2014, news broke that JoJo was free from her label.
She wasted no time and inked a deal with Atlantic Records, swiftly dropping her four-song EP.
Jojo’s triumph
After Jojo dropped her albums under Atlantic records, shockingly, her old label Blackground Records released the original versions of her albums on streaming platforms in 2021.
She financially benefits from the re-recordings and not the originals.
JoJo made waves in pop music during the 2000s, achieving feats as a teen that were unparalleled.
Her musical journey has been met with critical praise, and she still actively shares her music, even gracing Broadway recently.
It’s disheartening to think about what heights JoJo could have reached on the charts in her young adult years.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
When she’s not writing, Olekanma enjoys immersing herself in a good book, exploring new cuisines, and discovering new cultures.