Recommended Tracks: “Porcelain” “Start Over”
Artists You May Like: Brandy, Little Mix
She rose to fame as a teen for hits like “Too Little Too Late” and “Leave (Get Out),” but chart-topping R&B/Pop singer JoJo is reclaiming her identity and what it means to be a star on her own terms. Her latest release, EP NGL, released January 24 via BMG, is as addictively ear-wormy as her hits of the past while introducing an emotional depth that only a career spent fighting for her creative rights would garner.
“Nobody” and “Too Much To Say” are an immediate return to everything there is to love about JoJo. Tinted with the 2000s-flavored R&B that skyrocketed her popularity, JoJo makes growing up and growing into your own look like a breeze. “Nobody” boasts a delicious horn-and-bass instrumental base, while the modernized composition of “Too Much To Say” allows JoJo’s rich vocals to shine. The latter also sets up the narrative of NGL single-handedly, as she sings, “Sometimes I lie to me because I feel like I gotta be something more/Is that too much to say?”
The cracks in her armor clearly make her stronger though, as “Porcelain” is an emotional and vocal triumph. Pre-released in correlation with her memoir Over the Influence in late 2024, the track is JoJo’s rebirth from her past. She sings, “I made a change and it’s evident/And now I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”
The pinnacle of NGL is “Start Over.” This is JoJo’s new sound for the next chapter of her career. A fresher take on the style she adopted on her 2016 album Mad Love., it’s lightly trappy and easily catchy while still carrying the narrative established across the project: “I won’t try to change it, now I opened my eyes/But sometimes I wish that we could go back in time/See our mistakes before we said our goodbyes/And start over.”
Closing the EP is “Porcelain Reimagined,” a poignant and powerful piano ballad interpolation of the prior track on the album. This is the closing moment where there’s nothing left but JoJo’s immense vocal talent and the power that her voice gives to her story.
What makes NGL unique is that it represents a sound JoJo has meticulously refined and defined throughout her 20+ year career, but now she’s created a project that tells a cohesive story from start to finish. She seamlessly narrates the experiences of an artist and individual who has come full circle by understanding the demons of her past, embracing healing, and confidently embracing her niche.
Buy/stream NGL here.
Keep up with JoJo: FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE // TWITTER // YOUTUBE
