If you weren't already aware of the fact that JoJo is one of the most talented vocalists in the music industry, it's time to wake up.
In addition to dropping a CoRoNaVirUs remix to [OG JoJo anthem] Leave (Get Out) on TikTok, she's also just released her fourth studio album, Good To Know. Start streaming it immediately.
Good To Know is sultry, empowering, heartbreaking and vibe-y all at once -- and for good reason. Joanna says she was celibate for 10 months while recording the album, after cheating on her [now former] boyfriend while drunk.
“I self-sabotaged because I didn’t feel worthy of a loving, lasting relationship,” she told People. “I didn’t love myself. I am actively practicing self-love. It’s not just something you arrive at — I need to really work at it.”
“The album just finds me processing and getting to a place of realizing I’ve never been alone my whole adult life. I’ve always been in a relationship with somebody, and I was delaying a really important part of becoming an adult, which is being independent,” she continued.
JoJo has fought hard for her place in the industry, after being locked in a nasty legal battle with her former record label that kept her from releasing new music for years. [Her journey has since been used as an example to Taylor Swift, who plans to re-record her entire catalog because of a similar situation with her former label.] So suffice it to say, it's good to see her in such a positive place. She has more than earned it.
On a personal note, my dad was her tour-bus driver (most recently during the Mad Love era), and my entire family fell in love with her. She was incredible to him, and when he passed away unexpectedly May 10th of last year, she was absolutely wonderful to us. I'll never forget when dad would call me from the road, talking about how much he believed in her, and how much he wanted to be there as she navigated coming back from such a messed up situation. His absence at home was much easier to handle when he was touring with her, because we knew he was valued.
In conclusion, JoJo is a f***ing awesome person. Good To Know is everything you never knew you needed; the vocals are ridiculous, the content is thoughtful and honest, and I know that I'll be blasting it (and probably crying a lot), thinking of how proud my dad would be of her new body of work.
So ~*aLL tHiNgs coNsidEred*~, you really have no choice but to stan this profoundly talented, profoundly beautiful woman.
Now get to streaming!