What Happened To JoJo?

Gettyimages | VALERIE MACON

JoJo was a hit pop star at thirteen years old with songs like "Leave (Get Out)" topping the charts in most demographic listeners. Soon after that success, JoJo disappeared from the industry, and fans wondered why it happened. Her albums after the breakthrough single were basically held hostage, barred from release unless she did what her record label wanted.

Years later, she's back and bigger than ever, just having won her first Grammy Award. Here's everything that happened in between JoJo's eventual rise back.

Gettyimages | James Devaney

"Too Little Too Late" is an example of JoJo's early success as a recording artist, still a teenager yet full of potential. The single hit spot number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, surpassing Mariah Carey's record of the quickest jump from a low to a higher spot.

The song was described as "the best songwriting a major record label could buy", backhandedly complimenting a young girl's success from her music. It wasn't a surprise that her label would betray her.

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JoJo's ex-label Blackground Records basically held her new material hostage while keeping her under contract, therefore barring her from making music outside of their jurisdiction and artistic vision. The legal battle went on for seven years before she was finally allowed to release music again.

Some of her horror stories from the old label include them putting her on a 500 calorie diet, having to receive injections to curb her diet. If she hadn't lost weight, they would not release her album.

In between all that drama, JoJo co-starred in "Aquamarine" alongside Sara Paxton and Emma Roberts. It's a beloved romantic comedy targeted for teens, JoJo's performance natural and mature for her young age.

Although the teen movie didn't bother sexualizing or objectifying her as a thirteen year old, it's also a reminder of how Blackground Records zeroed in on her healthy and tom-boyish appearance.

Much like fellow recording artist Kesha, JoJo had to bear losing weight unhealthily to continue her career, even if it pained her.

Gettyimages | Tommaso Boddi

Finally, JoJo released her once stolen album "The High Road" in 2018, winning her legal battles against Blackground Records. More importantly, she signed on with Atlantic Records and released her newest album "Mad Love".

The artist received a Grammy for best R&B song "Say So" in collaboration with PJ Morton. The entire album was a vulnerable portrayal of her battle in the music industry plus the strained relationship with her father. Only her first album in ten years, she's only getting started.