JoJo

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Soulful R&B/pop from a talented 13-year-old.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the soulful singer belting out these R&B tunes is only 13 years old. JoJo is incredibly talented, and her success at such a young age may inspire your kids to keep working on their own skills and talents (remind them that JoJo worked very hard and probably didn't blow off her vocal lessons when she would've preferred to go to the mall).

  • There's a positive girl-power message here, but JoJo also puts a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships.
  • Not applicable.
  • A lot of the songs involve romantic relationships, but the focus is on love and heartbreak, not sex.
  • One "hell" in "Fairy Tales" -- that's it.
  • Mostly anti-materialism but in "City Lights" JoJo debates whether she should buy "a Lexus, Beemer or Hummer".
  • None other than the line "I'm on a high, I feel like I'm on medication" in "City Lights".

What's the story?

JoJo's appearance on "America's Most Talented Kids" put the young singer on the map -- and now she's all over the airwaves and MTV. Although JoJo sings about friendship ("Use My Shoulder"), triumphing over adversity ("Keep On Keepin' On"), and female empowerment ("Not That Kinda Girl"), her main focus is love and relationships, which seems strange given that she was only 13 when she recorded the songs. Of course, it's age-appropriate for young teens to be interested in matters of the heart, and many kids will find comfort in singing along to "Leave (Get Out)" after experiencing heartache. Know that while some of the lyrics are definitely melodramatic ("Hope you know that when it's late at night/I hold on to my pillow tight/And think of how you promised me forever"), at least there's nothing explicitly sexual to worry about.


Is it any good?

 

JoJo is an unbelievably skilled singer (she performs the type of vocal gymnastics that made Christina Aguilera famous) and a strong songwriter for one so young (she penned the tracks "Keep On Keepin' On", "Yes or No", and "Sunshine"). At only 13, she sounds like an established R&B artist -- you might expect that the knowing tone and emotional singing on this album came from a seasoned soul singer like Mary G. Blige, not from someone who just finished junior high.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the fact that although JoJo encourages girls to be themselves and not change for anyone, she also spends a lot of energy focusing on relationships and being in love. You might point out to your kids that being half of a couple isn't everything, and that happiness comes from within -- not from another person.


This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Jojo's CD was A LOT better than I thought it would be. It's actually a great CD with good songs on it.I recommend this CD to anyone.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Jojo- obviously the daughter of some bigtime producer
who wants his spoilt brat daughter big and famous...That just about sums up her personality and brains combined...

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I love jojo
Jojo is awesome!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
This CD was one of the best CD's I ever had!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
She is really good
I love jojo specialy her songs she is very smart because she writes her own songs my favorite song is baby its you! I hope some day I could meet her.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
school girl
Jojo is also one of my favorite singers.I like her song get out leave. She is also so cute.

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Hmm...
I haven't really heard too much of this album, but from what I can tell it's just your average pop. Nothing really special, but better than other people her age (aka Hilary Duff).

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors
Artist:Jojo
Release date:June 22, 2004
Label:Blackground Records
Genre:R&B
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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