Album- Agape
Artist- JoJo
If like me you grew up listening to the powerful tones of
JoJo through her mega hits “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little, Too Late”, you
will perhaps like me have waited in great anticipation of a new, third studio
album from the great songstress. Yet alas due to label conflicts that from the
outside of the industry are probably hard to fully understand, and also new
inspirations in terms of sound, we still have to wait for a proper album from
the girl. However with this mixtape she aims to both satisfy her fans need for
new music, as well as taking the listener on a musical journey into her life,
with the album being friends coming together and bonding out of a mutual love
of music and seeing what comes out of that.
Track 1-
Back2thebeginningagain
The opening track is a powerful hip hop beat driven number
that emphasise how in this stage of her career the music she is putting out to
the world is kind of like a rebirth for her. Lyrically the track is highly
personal and speaks of how Jojo has found herself after 22 years, during which
many people told her what to do. Vocally her velvet like tones work well with
the RnB sounds that she is playing with, with the emphasis upon certain notes giving
a smooth quality to the track that allows for an innate sense of strength to be
felt within the song. And although the male vocal section at the end is
annoying, production wise this is a powerful affair with synth driven tones and
a chilled groove that emphasises how she is indeed going back to the beginning again,
with the rap like overtones used 55 seconds into the track emphasising that she
isn’t a little girl anymore and is also sick of the conflicts that have
prevented new music releases from her.
3.5/5
Track 2- We Get By
The second track is a very old school sounding RnB/pop song
that features thumping and clattering beats in the production and a strong
vocal performance from Jojo in which she lyrically expresses a strength within
herself. The tracks all about Jojo remaining optimistic in spite of the
struggles that she faces, and was reportedly inspired by her move from South Boston to Los
Angeles. The song has a strong sense of you never fitting in but knowing you
will be ok, and the simple repetition of the hook is a string statement that
makes for a nice light groove to the track that allows you to revel in the songs
main ideology. And when set against the propulsive beats with their infectious
but light groove and some cool use of piano melodies, this is a great first
proper track that is hard to resist.
4/5
Track 3- Interlude Un
The first interlude on the record is one of the shortest
interludes that I have ever heard and is also a very strange one that in my
eyes is simply used as a kind of funny moment and an example of JoJo letting
her fans really into her world. The small audio seems to feature JoJo in a
studio, with one of the producers having a little moment as something has gone
wrong, and it is kind of a funny moment. I don’t really think it’s something
that can be simple judged as it’s difficult to understand why it is on the
record and it is so short, but it does work in breaking up the heavy RnB vibe
in a cool way.
Track 4- Take the
Canyon
Jojo brings her sexual, I am now growing up side to this
track which feels sonically and vocally sensual whilst also having that nice
essence of danger. The lyrics of the track are all about cheating and have that
essence of a it is wrong but it feels so right ideology. And vocally Jojo
brings that this feels really good right now vibe through her almost smoky kind
of vocals that feature some great stresses on particular syllables. The
production is good in terms of having a propulsive hip hop kind of undertone
beats and an overall sound that builds upon the sensuality of the song. However
when the faster, clattering beats kick in within particular sections of the
track it kind of ruins the track for me, and so this would have perhaps just
worked better if everything was just kept simple.
3/5
Track 5- Billions
The pop sensibilities are a little more tangible with this
song, but the pushing of different sounds and new inspiration is equally
prevalent. The tracks lyrics are all about how although JoJo may go to
different places both physically and emotionally, she will always come back to
that special person in her life. The track is cool in that it can be related in
a kind of two person relationship way but also in terms of family and friends,
fitting in with the mixtapes title in a cool way. And although in terms of the
production the track features a thumping bass line and potent stop and start
rhythms, I feel that vocally the track is a bit more of the Jojo that people
will remember as it has that undeniable pop tinge, with the slow lyrical
stresses and the vocal layering in places making for a strong but also chilled
affair. The songs last minute is a little weird in terms of the use of the
creation of the song within the song as the final moments feature Jojo and her
friends and producers just talking over the beat in the studio. But whilst it
is perhaps annoying at first, it also kind of makes sense in perhaps showing
that idea that she might go in different directions but she’ll always come back
to the music.
3.5/5
Track 6- Interlude
Deux: Joel’s Jam
With the second interlude is another weird but quite sweet
and wonderful insight into the world of Jojo. The track is a short 30 second
moment in which the listener can here Jojo’s father playing the harmonica, with
Jojo stating that it is her dad with the song in this is a cool, funny and
sweet moment kind of way. And although it’s strange, it’s also really cool in
that it gives us a real sense of intimacy with this artist that perhaps wouldn’t
be found on a normal record.
3.5/5
Track 7- Thinking Out
Loud
The fact that this is a mixtape and not an album is really
shown with this track which is a grain sounding kind of demo of a song that is
simple but still a little bit emotionally loaded and finds Jojo giving a great
vocal performance set against a simple piano melody, with the lyrics speaking
of a relationship which is a bit fragile and that is driven by emotional
responses. It would properly sound really good as a fleshed out, properly
produced number, but it works in perhaps giving us an insight into the process
of music making. And in speaking of hooking up with an ex and not having a
fully mended heart, the track also serves nicely in reminding us that behind
the RnB pop grooves she is also simply a vulnerable woman that goes through
relationship troubles like anyone us.
3/5
Track 8- Interlude
Trois: Love This Shit
The third interlude is a energetic interlude that finds Jojo
speaking of “one drunken night” and then singing in an operatic style the line “I
love this shit”, whilst an obviously drunk guy sings about how he “loves this
shit”. It’s a funny moment that also perhaps emphasises the rawness and spontaneity
of some of her music and just breaks up the mood nicely.
3/5
Track 9- White Girl
In Paris
This cover of the Joni Mitchell track “Free Man in Paris”
probably features because Jojo can relate to it in terms of the whole concept
of being free, particularly in terms of how she has been trapped by her label.
The cover is also really cool in terms of being a really vibrant and acoustic
feeling number backed by strong guitar riffs and light accordion moments in the
final section, with Jojo again showing the smoothness of her vocals and also
how she can really pull off a song in an easy, flawless kind of way that other
singers would struggle would do. The demo feel of the track at the start annoys
me but apart from that it’s a strong track that also offers a contrast against
the RnB/pop numbers, which is good.
3.5/5
Track 10- LTS Reprise
Another interlude comes in the
form of a love this shit reprise which is basically the drunk do saying the
same thing again, although this time he talks about the three little bears. It’s
just a weird moment that isn’t as funny as the first and feels unnecessary,
with the small sonic sound at the end just sounding annoying, and so this just shouldn’t
be in the mixtape in my opinion.
1.5/5
Track 11- Andre
The most full sounding song that probably wouldn’t sound out
of place on an actual Jojo album is a strong RnB pop number that finds Jojo
singing about the greatness of her lover called Andre, and is supposedly
inspired by her admiration and attraction for rapper and former Outkast member
Andre 3000. But the track is cool in that it is simple declaration of love
about a man who can just be cool by being himself and just being free, and so
is something that people will identify with. Plus Jojo’s great vocal
performance in which she reaches some great notes to give a passionate quality
to the track is backed by some great production with a nice RnB groove that
fits her vocals perfectly.
4/5
Track 12- St. Patrick’s
Day Interlude
Simply Jojo recording her family’s time in Boston on St.
Patricks day, this interlude doesn’t really do much and to me just feels
pointless.
1/5
Track 13- Can’t
Handle the Truth
The final track is an emotionally loaded track that is lyrically
all about cheating, but this time it is all about Jojo telling the guy that it
is her fault she cheated because he is just an idiot and he made her this way.
The song features some cool production with a more subdued sound than the other
RnB numbers, and featuring a great string section at the tracks close that
allows for a dramatic finish, with Jojo just again being really great vocally.
3.5/5
Final Review
If I am honest I am one of those people who doesn’t really
understand the point of mixtapes and before this has never actually listened to
an entire mixtape. But I am a big Jojo fan and so felt that listening to the
mixtape might help me too understand both the mixtape world and her as an
artist, and as well as satisfy my need for new music from her. And I can kind
of see why people release mixtape as there is a greater sense of musical
freedom and just that sense of as the listener you can understand their process
a bit more. And the new RnB sound that she presents really fits well with her
vocals and makes some great tunes. But I also hate this mixtape through the
simple fact that it is a bit all over the place and the interludes after a
while just feel ridiculous. Perhaps this was not the best mixtape to listen to
for my first mixtape listen, but after this I’m unsure if anymore full mixtapes
will be listened to in the future.
5.5/10
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