JoJo

JoJo

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 22, 2004)
• Original Release Date: June 22, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blackground Records
• ASIN: B0002ABV1K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (888 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,536 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Few will accuse JoJo of being a musical revolutionary--hers is a streetwise, modern R&B sound that owes a lot to Destiny's Child and a little to opposite-ends-of-the-genre artists Angie Stone and Aaliyah--but there is a freshness about her. This, on mulling it over, is a quality that's hard to miss when you're 13. Those who haven't ventured beyond the radio hit "Leave (Get Out)," though, will want to take this self-titled debut for a spin if only to be among the first to discover an artist who's figured out how to effectively blend innocence with attitude. It's not the lyrics but the delivery that grabs hold and gives way to compulsory head-bobbing: JoJo may not be "That Kinda Girl," as we learn three tracks in, but instead of putting her point across shyly, peppering the song with flirty vocal question marks, we half-expect her to tell us to step off. The same expert ferociousness fuels "Baby It's You," which embraces sincerity--love for all the right reasons--and power-kicks materialism to the curb. It's not always the case that you can judge a CD by its cover, but with JoJo there's no harm in projecting. Sulking from inside her plastic cover, the artist seems at once woebegone and willful, menacing and mopey. Pop scenesters will do well to keep watching. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description
Includes Three Bonus Tracks Not on the USA Version.jojo's Impressive Debut Album Showcases her Talent, Not Only as a Singer, but as a Songwriter as Well. It is an Album Infused with Assured, Confident Vocals and Lyrics that Speak Way Beyond Jojo's Tender Years. The Ballads Are Deep and Soulfilled, and the Up Tempo Tracks Are Bumping and Make You Want to Dance. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3-1/2 stars -- Most people would probably like this..., September 23, 2004

By	Anthony Rupert "shut up, Shut Up, SHUT UP!!!" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

...if they didn't know they were listening to a 13-year-old white girl.

When I first heard that there was a new white female R&B artist named JoJo being signed to Blackground Records, I shrugged it off by saying, "Ah, her album will come out the same time Kiley Dean's album comes out." But I listened to the album and it ain't bad. Unsurprisingly, though, I noticed that a lot of reviewers don't like her, saying that she's too young to be talking about relationships and true love and instead should be talking about fitting in with her friends and doing homework and so on. Seriously, people, would you really want to hear someone singing about things like that? That strategy never works very well; ask Lil' Soldiers. And as far as not being old enough to talk about love, um, ever heard of the Jackson 5?

I don't see JoJo as trying too hard; I see her as a singer that is doing what's in her heart. And there are some very good songs on here, like "Breezy", "Baby It's You", "Not That Kinda Girl", and especially the smooth "Never Say Goodbye". I also think her cover of SWV's "Weak" is exceptional, and although I still like the original a tad better, JoJo gets an A for effort. And "The Happy Song" doesn't look like much on paper, but the way she says the words makes the song stand out.

I named a bunch of great songs, but I still had to knock my rating down from 4 to 3-1/2. This is because while the album starts off strong, some questionable lyrics comes toward the middle of the album, like the bridge to "Homeboy" and the entire "City Lights". The redundancy of "Use My Shoulder" is rather unimaginative; and sorry, but the obligatory keep-your-head-up track "Keep On Keepin' On" is proof that JoJo shouldn't write entire songs by herself any more.

Another problem is that sometimes JoJo sings so hard that she gets too loud and off-key, like on "Sunshine" and the otherwise good "Not That Kinda Girl". But this album still proves that JoJo has talent, and the album is good to add to your collection. I hope she sticks around for awhile.

Anthony Rupert

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent album from a young talent!, June 22, 2004

By	Rachael (United States) - See all my reviews

Wow, this is such a great debut. At only 13, Jojo has an incredible voice and she even takes some credit by writing/co-writing 3 songs. The album definitely has an urban/R&B vibe to it, but it's still pop. Here's my review on each song

1) Breezy - Probably my favorite song on the CD! I love the energy, her voice sounds amazing on this one. A great dance song. 5/5

2) Baby It's You - A very infectious song, I love the beats in this one. 4/5

3) Not That Kinda Girl - I like how she sings this song, it has a cool vibe. Not the best track on the album though in my opinion. 3/5

4) The Happy Song - This is a cute song. I don't know what it is, but I'm not a fan of the backround music - everything's pretty repitive. But she still sounds great as usual! 2.5/5

5) Homeboy - This song rocks! I love the style, it has a great R&B vibe to it. 4/5

6) City Lights - I love this song! The lyrics are fun as well as the music. It puts you in a good mood! 4.5/5

7) Leave (Get Out) - Jojo's first single! I love this song, everything about it! It's one of those songs you can't stop listening to! 5/5

8) Use My Shoulder - I love the lyrics in this song, they're really sweet. The song is great, but it doesn't stand out in my opinion. 3.5/5

9) Never Say Goodbye - The ballad on the album. The lyrics are pretty good, but I don't know - the song's pretty boring to me.
1.5/5

10) Weak - I love how she sounds on this song! A nice R&B groove. 4/5

11) Keep on Keepin' On - This the track that Jojo wrote. One of my favorites. The lyrics are awesome! 5/5

12) Sunshine - This is good song, she sounds awesome on it - the lyrics are sweet but kinda cheesy - but still a good track 4/5

13) Yes or No - I just love this song! It definitely stands out for me on the CD, it has some awesome energy like 'Breezy'. The lyrics are so fun and singable as well! 5/5

14) Fairy Tales - A great way to end the CD. The lyrics are cute and original. 4/5

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nobody is ever too young to do music, JoJo proves it., July 7, 2006

By	Alice O. Roy "Bruno Roy" (Sussex, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First off I'd like to say too many people are giving her crap for her single, "Leave (Get Out)" by saying she is too young to write about this stuff. If anybody besides me actually looked into this, you would of found that the lyrics are about an older friend who was going through relationship problems at the time. Also, generations are changing. Try to remember that.

On another note, this CD is very good. The best tracks in my opinion are Baby It's You, Not That Kinda Girl, Leave (Get Out), Use My Shoulder, and Yes Or No.

Also, I am not a pop fan-boy. I mainly listen to DMX, Eminem, and 2Pac. This CD is great for a change though!