Customer Reviews

High Road

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Listening to this album you'll have a hard time believing that the singer is not yet sixteen at the time of writing this, and that she already has a platinum album under her belt. The first album "Jojo" spawned the hit single "Leave (Get Out)" when she was a mere weenybopper of thirteen, and this year she's acted in two movies in addition to putting together her second album.

First single "Too Little Too Late" has been out for months, and has helped to create a lot of advance buzz for this album, which in my opinion delivers the goods big time. The single is about moving on after a failed relationship, and if you cast your mind back (some of us further than others) you can identify with the lyrics: "I was young / And in love / I gave you everything / But it wasn't enough"

The album begins with the R&B track "This Time", where she takes responsibility for a break-up, but isn't ready to give up as yet, and then she launches into a hip hop track "The Way You Do Me" which could easily fit right in on any Beyonce / Christina Aguilera / Pussycat Dolls / Danity Kane album. The title track is a great R&B ballad, and then comes my favorite track "Anything" which samples "Africa" by Toto in fine style. Since hearing this track for the first time, it hasn't left the player.

If you think she's done there, think again - and then listen to the Janet Jackson type track "Like That", the powerfully belted "Let It Rain", the outstanding ballads "Exceptional" and "How to Touch a Girl" and the R&B tracks "Good Ol'" and "Coming For You". The album closes on an inspirational note with "Note To God".

This is an exceptional sophomore album from a talented young artiste who still has limitless potential.


Amanda Richards

...doesn't give me a word good enough to discribe this album.

So, I'll go with what I know.

Jojo's sophomore effort completely succeeds. There are no 'fillers' on this album. This of course, is solely my opinion and there are people who will definately disagree with this. All in all, this album is amazing and you should really give it at least a chance. You might end up loving it like I do.

1.) This Time- (17/20): After listening to the whole album, I've come to the conclusion that this is a rather bland opening to such an album. But it's still a good song, with great beats and nice vocals.

2.) The Way You Do Me- (17/20): Again, great 'swing' beats and it has such powerful energy in it, but...it just doesn't appeal to me as much as others. Most likely because I find it difficult to believe that a, what, 15 year old, could be singing this, but that's most likely me.

3.) Too Little, Too Late- (19/20): What else could get me hooked on this CD? Honestly, if I hadn't heard this song, I wouldn't have given this CD a thought, just because I wasn't too big a fan of her first CD, apart from the first single. It really is a wonderful song. Powerful voice, good emotion...it's all there. I would go on, but most of you have probably already heard it somewhere, anyway.

4.) High Road- (20/20): Inspirational, Strong, ... the list could go on. If there is a song that one should live by, this is it. The person she sings about (herself, I presume?) is what people should all be like. Instead of going for revenge, just let it go and take the 'high road'. Two thumbs up. Definately.

5.) Anything- (17/20): One of those, what I like to call, 'crusing' songs. It's good when you just want to chill or relax. And it's got a sample of the song 'Africa'. What more do you need?

6.) Like That- (17/20): It's very beautiful. Very. It kind of puts you in a trance...I guess what I'm trying to say that it's kind of indescribable.

7.) Good Ol- (18/20): Two words. Very addicting. Be prepared to hear it replaying in your head over and over. There. Warning done. Basically, another chill song. In my opinion, it's better than 'Anything' cause this one will make you want to get up and dance.

8.) Coming For You- (20/20): Wow. Wow. And wait for it...Wow. This is the first of the streak of five amazing songs. It's very poppy, no doubt. But that's not always a bad thing. The music...it's gorgeous, the emotion...it's raw, and the experience is something we all can relate to. Bravo.

9.) Let it Rain- (19/20): I feel bad for this song, because it's behind such an amazing song ('Coming For You'), but it still manages to hold it's own. The beats on this song are superior to all of them. It's sounds mysterious. Nice. Honestly, at first I thought this was going to be another break up song, but I'm glad to say that it's not. It's about finally giving in too love, and I think that's great.

10.) Exceptional- (20/20): You ever feel down? This is the song to listen too. It'll lift your spirits. It'll make you want to fly. It's 'exceptional'.

11.) How to Touch A Girl- (20/20) Ha. When I first heard the name of this song, I was just, like, Oh My Word. I really thought it was going to be some perverted song. But it's not, and it's more towards touching her mentally (being sweet...ect.). Thank goodness. It's really good, though, and guys, if you listen to what she has to say on it...yeahh.

12.) Note to God- (20/20): Up on par with 'High Road' for most powerful. It is a sad song, yet it makes me feel inspired. Hmm...Nonetheless, it's a perfect way to end the album.

Buy it. You won't regret it. Trust me.
But if you don't want to, you should at least download these songs:

Too Little, Too Late
High Road
Coming For You
Let it Rain
Exceptional
How to Touch a Girl
Note to God

&&&
if you just want to chill...
Good Ol

Thanks for your time!

Teen singer JoJo arrived on the music scene in 2004 with her self-titled debut. The single spawned the TRL friendly hits "Leave (Get Out)" and "Baby It's You." In an industry where young singers sometimes turn out new albums every year, JoJo took her time working on her sophomore album. In between albums she made two movies RV and Aquamarine.

It was a risk, because in this fickle music industry, often out of site means out of mine. JoJo found no problem returning to the music spotlight. The first single from her sophomore album The High Road, "Too Little, Too Late," immediately became a favorite on MTV's TRL and on Itunes. The mid-tempo ballad also raced up the Billboard Chart.

So how does The High Road measure up to JoJo's debut album? Well JoJo sounds more mature. Twelve solid songs are included on the disc which is filled primarily with mid-tempo ballads with a few bangers. The Swizz Beats produced single "The Way You Do," is sure to be well loved. Other uptemp songs on the album include the "This Time," (which proves to be a kind of boring song to open up a great album), "Let It Rain," (which evokes memories of an Aaliyah or Missy Elliot song). "Let It Rain," has a track that makes you want to bounce. "Good Ol'" is also a bounce style uptempo track.

Overall, The High Road is filled with ballads. JoJo used a sample of the early 80's ToTo song "Africa," for the song "Anything." One of the best ballads on the album is the title track "The High Road." Other stand out songs include the first single "Too Little, Too Late," "Like That," and "How To Touch A Girl."

The High Road is a good album. But it's very mature. This being said, JoJo's core fans may feel that the album is a little too grown up for them. On another note, she may make more mature fans. This is definitely not an album you would expect from a teen singer. The High Road is a solid sophomore effort from JoJo. Although, she likes to consider herself a multi-genre artist, The High Road truly comes across as a modern R&B album. She is a young diva in training and she can easily be placed in the same league with Christina Aguilara, Toni Braxton, Brandy, Monica, and other well loved R&B singers.

I have to disagree with another reviewer and say that this album can sound like a sophomore album (which it is) because of JoJo's vocal maturity. If you listened to her previous songs and album, you can hear the vocal maturity very much since then, especially in her range and power. In Too Little Too Late and another song I can't remember right now, she hits very very high notes that would seem to be out of range for an alto (which I believe she is), yet she hits them perfectly, without the operatic sound that most singers need. In addition to that, she is only 15 years old. Her age also relates to the maturity of this album. Sure, she did not write most of the songs, but I'm sure you can choose what you want to sing or don't want to sing, and the songs on this album (especially towards the end) have very good messages to them, such as Exceptional and Note to God. They are arguably very inspiring in a sea of poppish tunes of other artists with no point whatsoever.

If you're not an R&B, power ballad, curlicue type of person, I'd stay away, but I definitely recommend this album if you like to dance, sing, or just relax and chill with the music on.

The first time I listened to the CD, I didn't really like it all that much in comparison to the first. It's funny, however, how music takes on new value once you can relate to it. If my first impression is to dislike a CD, it usually isn't correct, and this was definitely one of those cases. I still find it a bit disturbing that someone so young as she is singing about what she does, but setting her age aside, it's an excellent album to add among the blue-eyed soul greats.

Here is an evaluation of the tracks.
1. This Time - I like it. It reminds me of Cassie.
2. The Way You Do Me - I can't get over the subject matter and her age. Generally Swizz Beats' beats don't appeal to me. It also seems like she does a lot of shouting in this song.
3. Too Little Too Late - The resemblance to Leave, Get Out is uncanny. Interesting that she should release it as her first single, eh? I still like it.
4. The High Road - A very uplifting, mature song, not characteristic of a teenage girl's behavior.
5. Anything - Wikipedia is GOD. The song samples the 1982 hit single "Africa" by a band named Toto. I tend to love songs that sample others, because it just broadens my knowledge of music.
6. Like That - Another song that reminds me of Cassie, I love the beat. This is at the moment, my favorite song on the album.
7. Good Ol' - I tend to skip this one. It's one of those crusin' in the car songs, and those I generally don't like.
8. Coming For You - A lot more poppy than the rest of the album, it has more of a rock appeal to it. This is another favorite of mine.
9. Let It Rain - The beats on this album are killer. Again, the subject matter kind of bugs me a bit.
10. Exceptional - Another uplifting song, a shout out to teenage girls everywhere who think they just aren't good enough. Think Christina Aguilera's A Voice Within.
11. How To Touch A Girl - Another suggestive song, but I like it quite a bit.
12. A Note to God - A very touching way to end the album.

I highly recommend this album! Blue-Eyed soul is comming back! I also recommend Robin Thicke's latest.

First, this is not a kid's review. I just do not wish to get an Amazon account. JoJo's vocals are amazing. She's definetly grown since her first album.

1. This Time (6/10) Least favorite song on album. It has an OK beat, but it just doesn't have that special something.

2. The Way You Do Me (8/10) I like this song very much. I think the beat is excellent, but the lyrics are a little weak.

3. Too Little, Too Late (9.5/10) This song is amazing, vocal & lyricwise. Reminds me a bit of "Leave (Get Out)", but it's still pretty powerful.

4. The High Road (9/10) This song is very strong. JoJo's voice is amazing and the lyrics are outstanding. Excellent song.

5. Anything (10/10) This is by far one of the best songs on this CD. The beat makes the song incredible and it just flows.

6. Like That (8/10) This is a pretty good song, but the beat just doesn't work. The lyrics really make up for it though.

7. Good Ol' (7.5/10) I never really thought this song was anything special. The beat is the only thing that makes it good.

8. Coming For You (10/10) One of the top 3 songs on the album. Outstanding lyrics and powerful vocals. Great song.

9. Let it Rain (8.5/10) This song doesn't flow like some of the others. Her voice really helps this song and makes it better. Tone is really important in this song.

10. Exceptional (10/10) One of the most powerful songs I have every heard. For anyone with low self esteem, this song is for you. The song itself is exceptional.

11. How to Touch a Girl (10/10) Great song. I like the old school feel. The lyrics are very powerful and JoJo's voice is very strong.

12. Note To God (9/10) JoJo's voice is amazing. This is a great way to end her CD. This song has some of the best lyrics on the album.

[iTunes Bonus Track]
13. Do Watcha Gotta Do (9/10) This songs chorus is incredible. Her tone & the lyrics are great. Don't be fooled by the beat, this song is excellent!

Overall, this is one of the best CDs of the year. JoJo has grown alot as an artist and this album shows her hard work.

When Jojo's debut album was released 2 years she was just 13, now she's almost 16 (Birthday in December) and has truly matured. When she sang about relationships on her debut it was hard to take it serious, it felt more like bubble gum teen pop then anything else and most of her audience was also young. It wasn't a bad album, especially the big hit "Leave (Get Out) which I also enjoyed. But she was simply too young and unexperienced and while it worked for a young audience it didn't for a older one. Things have changed dramatically in 2 and a half years time though, Jojo is older, she's been through realtionships (With soccer star Freddy Adu) and she's also got alot of help from some of the finest producers around like Sean Garrett, Scott Storch, Stargate, Swizz Beatz and Diane Warren. It obviously means that Jojo is good enough to take on a greater audience and that the music industry got trust in her. We all knew she was very talented but will that be enough for the difficult sophmore album?

It does, not only she matured as a artist but with the inclusion of better producers you get to see many diffrent sides of Jojo. It's all a mix between contemporary pop and R&b with some ballads included also. Jojo shows a rougher and more street smart appearence when she takes on songs like Garrett/Storch "This Time" with awesome beats and Garrett/Swizz Beats "The Way You Do To Me" also in blistering pace. Although I think she works better on the emotional midtempo/semi-ballad territory with the awesome title track "Too Little Too Late" the title track and "Anything" that lazily samples Toto's 1983 hit "Africa" but the sample and lyrics match each other perfect. "Like That" is a laidback slow-tempo, "Good, Ol" a midtempo and "Coming For You" is a pure pop song that resemble her debut album while Norwegians of Stargate produces "Let It Rain". They also produced Ne-Yo's debut album. The last 3 songs while of 2 Diane Warren penned, are all ballads. Not bad, but apparently they are not in focus either. For those that live in Europe, the order of the songlist is a little diffrent, it also includes 3 bonus songs "Do Whatcha Gotta Do" "I Can Take You There" and depending where you live a other version of an already released song. On one album for example there is a spanish verion of "Too Little, Too Late"!.

Overall, I wasn't going to get this album cause I didn't care about Teen-Pop but Jojo has matured for the better and this album is a more mature mix between contemporary Pop and R&B with both faster and slower songs. And Jojo is confident on both, even if she's better on midtempo's where she can truly sing out. If you like conemporary R&B-Pop like Brandy I think this album will suit you, it got something for all tastes.

Why I bought this CD I'll never know. I didn't like her when Leave was on the radio every 2 minutes and I'd never heard anything from The High Road and yet I was intrigued. It could be that I was surprised she was still around or it could be that the reviews were pretty good. Whatever the reason, I bought it and I actually don't regret it. Her vocals are unbelievably strong and heck, that's enough. Knowing she is vastly underage hearing some of the lyrics she was singing made me a little uncomfortable. Other than that, this is a strong CD.

This Time isn't a great opener. Sure it's good, but not opener good. The Way You Do Me is a prime example of lyrics that don't sound right coming out of a girl so young. That aside, it's one of the best songs featured. A great beat seems to push JoJo to sound even better. Too Little Too Late is another standout. It's slower where JoJo sounds particularly mature. Lyrics aren't too bad either. The title track, The High Road, has another excellent beat with lyrics that are preachy yet work for the song. The end of the song has a climax that doesn't disappoint. After The High Road the rest of the CD can kind of run together. However, if you pay attention it keeps its integrity really well. Anything and Like That (another uncomfortable moment) both are of the slower variety where the vocals are more at the forefront to show that she can actually sing without loud beats acompanying. Good Ol' is a midtempo song with some pretty bad lyrics overall. Let It Rain follows a bit in the vein of Too Little Too Late with the quick singy/talky verses. A good song though. Note To God is a nice parting song with only a piano and JoJo. If you like her voice you'll love this song.

My favorite songs are The Way You Do Me, Too Little Too Late, The High Road, Let It Rain, and Note To God. If JoJo matured this much from the last record than on the next one I'm sure she'll put her naysayers to rest. I'm not saying I'm a bonified fan, but I can recognize a good CD when I hear it, and for those of you who are looking for a pop/hip hop/maybe dance record, look no further. The High Road isn't for everyone so if you have any doubts about buying it, definitely preview it first. Other than that, it's pretty good. I'm impressed.

JoJo's new cd entitled "The High Road" is a great cd. JoJo shows growth and maturity from her first album. The lyrics show that she has grown up and I think that she has what it takes to be a lasting force in the music business. If you don't have this album yet I recommend that you get it.

I feel like this album really showcased Jojo's range. She has a range of tracks on this album that range from soulful, almost country-like ballads (How To Touch a Girl) to upbeat, hip-hop clubbangers (such as "The Way You Do Me). There's a little something for EVERYBODY on this CD, whether you're a 40-year old soccer mom to my grandma to a devoted hip-hopper. I say 2 thumbs up for JoJo and her GREAT voice. What a child wonder.