JoJo broke records when she was first signed at 12 years old to Blackground Records. While she made a name for herself quickly in the entertainment business, mainly through her on-screen acting success and hit songs such as 'Leave (Get Out)' and 'Too Little Too Late', it seems as if that was all taken away from her.
The 'Mad Love' singer has opened up regarding her tumultuous journey with her former label, which once had her restricting her caloric intake to 500 calories a day. Yikes! Not only was she put under immense stress, but JoJo was practically held captive, despite the record label ceasing to function as a business.
While there's a happy ending to this horror story, it's evident that JoJo really went through some dark times. Although she was set to become the next big thing, JoJo went on an undesired decade-long hiatus, that she was not freed from until 2014. So, what exactly happened between JoJo and Blackground? Let's dive in.
8 JoJo Signed With Blackground Records
JoJo is full of talent, and Blackground Records saw that in her when she was just 12 years old. While that might seem like a young age to get the ball rolling, it was the right time, as JoJo says.
The singer revealed during her interview with Vulture that she'd been offered production deals as early as age 9, so when it came to being approached by Blackground in 2002, JoJo and her mom both felt like it was a good time. The 'Too Little Too Late' singer revealed that after signing the deal, she and her mom went "skipping down Sunset Boulevard," because they knew their lives would change forever.
7 JoJo Dominated The Charts
JoJo headed to New Jersey to record her album, which included hits such as 'Leave (Get Out)' and 'Too Little Too Late'. Considering her vocals were beyond stellar, it's no surprise that she managed to score herself a top 10 spot on the charts, becoming one of the youngest artists to do so.
Although she was experiencing some incredible success, which followed her second album, things with Blackground Records began to unravel before her very eyes.
6 Things With The Label Started To Unravel
It didn't take much time before JoJo and her mother realized they may have made a mistake signing with Blackground. JoJo shared during her Vulture interview that a few months into her deal, she began to hear "horror stories from other artists who used to be signed to the label". This prompted them to look into the company, only to realize that things weren't adding up.
"I started getting the sense that things were not right after I did the second album," JoJo revealed, and her intuition was right! She shared that the rep from Blackground who had originally signed her left the label, which is exactly when things began to go downhill.
5 Blackground Wouldn't Release JoJo From Her Contract
After losing their distribution deals with Universal and Interscope, two of the biggest labels in the music industry, Blackground was fumbling on recording and releasing any of JoJo's music, which prompted her to exit. However, she wasn't actually allowed to.
When JoJo signed her contract with Blackground, she had done so on a 7 album deal, and with only two albums out, she was stuck in her contract despite no sign of any distribution. Considering that is ultimately the biggest step to releasing music, it didn't appear as if JoJo would be selling any albums any time soon.
4 JoJo Finally Wins Settlement With Label
JoJo was still recording music during her time under the label, considering she was contractually obligated to, however, hundreds of songs went unreleased. After filing a lawsuit against Blackground to release her from her contract and give her the rights to her music, JoJo finally walked away after nearly a decade.
The 'Mad Love' singer walked away with no settlement, however, she was granted the rights to her pieces and was finally allowed to create music the way she's always wanted to.
3 The Release Of 'Mad Love'
In 2016, JoJo released her third studio album, Mad Love, which fans were beyond excited for. Considering the singer had gone years without being able to release any new music, it's evident that her entire soul went into this project.
JoJo worked alongside Atlantic Records with the release of her album, which performed well on the R&B and pop charts. That same year, JoJo announced that she would be going on the Mad Love Tour, her first in years, and it was quite the hit!
2 JoJo Re-Recorded All Her Past Music
Considering JoJo did not own the masters to her music, it was refreshing when she finally won access to her past work, allowing her to re-record them all. This was also seen with Taylor Swift during her battle with Scooter Braun, as many fans have noted.
The singer revealed that she made the decision to re-record her music after fans kept asking why it was taken down from Spotify. However, it was actually never available on the streaming platform to begin with. Luckily for fans, the re-recorded albums are all available!
1 She Is Getting Ready To Tour
In 2020, JoJo released her fourth studio album, Good To Know, which she both produced and wrote alongside a talented team. JoJo didn't waste any time before heading back to the studio, and now with her newest album, Trying Not To Think About It, officially out, JoJo is readying to head back on tour. The singer announced North American and European tour dates earlier this month, which kick off in early 2022.
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