"Joanna" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter JoJo, released on October 11, 2019 by Clover Music and Warner Bros. Records.[3] The song marks her first original release since the creation of Clover Music and the singer signing to Warner Bros. Records.[1]
| "Joanna" | ||||
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| Single by JoJo | ||||
| Released | October 11, 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Jeff Gitelman | |||
| JoJo singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Joanna" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editFollowing the release of her third studio album Mad Love, JoJo announced the creation of her record label imprint, Clover Music, in a joint deal with Interscope.[4] It later moved to Warner Bros. Records.[5] "Joanna" is the singer's first original release under the label.[1]
On December 21, 2018 JoJo's first two studio albums were re-released with re-recorded vocals and slightly reworked production in order to coincide with the singer's 28th birthday.[6][7] The albums were re-recorded due to Blackground Records' removing of both of the records from all music platforms following the singer's disputes with the label.[8][9][10] Work on the singer's fourth studio album began shortly after the re-releases.[11] "Joanna" was announced the day prior to its release.[12]
Composition
edit"Joanna" was written by JoJo, Natalie Dunn, Rebekah Muhammad, and Jeff Gitelman, the latter of whom produced the track.[13] Musically, "Joanna" has been described as a freestyle[1] and R&B[2] ballad with "raw" and "stripped-down" instrumentation led by a "bluesy" guitar riff.[2][14][3] The musical arrangement of the song was compared to the songs found on the singer's previous mixtapes.[15] The lyrical content of "Joanna" centers around the comments of haters, music critics, and fans. Singing in the third person,[1] singer mocks the opinions of others in the lyrics "Where did your acting career go? / You were supposed to be somebody / You were supposed to make more money".[14] "Joanna" has also been interpreted as a response to cancel culture.[14]
Critical reception
editMadeline Roth, writing for MTV, called the single a "clever, confident response to cancel culture".[14] Allison Stubblebine of Nylon wrote the song "addresses all the negativity that has been thrown [JoJo's] way regarding her career".[1] Mike Wass, writing for Idolator referred to the song as a "hard-hitting track" and a "tantalizing first glimpse of the 'When Love Hurts' hitmaker's new era".[15] Clare Palo of Vulture referred to the lyrics as "so raw that it seemed almost necessary to start out with a brutally honest take for her never 'Too Little, Too Late' comeback".[3]
Music video
editA music video was released alongside the single.[16] The video, directed by Se Oh, features hordes of fans rushing past the singer towards an unknown celebrity's car in front of a theater. The singer winks at the camera during the video's conclusion to indicate the release of new music.[16]
Personnel
edit- JoJo – vocals, composition
- Jeff Gitelman – composition, production
- Natalie Dunn – composition
- Rebekah Muhammad – composition
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Miles Comaskey – mix engineering
- Dale Becker – mastering
- Hector Vega – mastering
- Ryann Fretschel – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US R&B Digital Songs (Billboard)[17] | 14 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Stubblebine, Allison. "JoJo Drops Reflective Song "Joanna" And Teases More "New Shit"". Nylon. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c "JoJo Addresses Fans and Critics on New Song 'Joanna'". Rap-Up. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c Palo, Clare. "The Best New Songs of the Week: Harry Styles, FKA Twigs, and More". Vulture magazine. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ Jefferson, J'na (August 18, 2017). "JoJo Announces Music Imprint 'Clover Music' With Interscope". Vibe. United States: Eldridge Industries. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
- ^ Weatherby, Taylor (January 15, 2019). "JoJo On Rerecording Her First Two Albums After Legal Battle: 'This Is Closing a Chapter For Me'". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Aniftos, Rania. "JoJo Re-Releases Debut Album With Updated Tracks: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ "JoJo Re-Releases Her First Two Albums". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
- ^ Idolator.com (2016-10-06). "JoJo's Mad Return". Idolator.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "JoJo. on Instagram: "Wow. Your response to me re-recording my first two albums has taken my breath away. I've tried to read through literally every single…"". Instagram.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- ^ "JoJo on Label Disputes, R. Kelly, and #MeToo - PAPER". Papermag.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- ^ Bell, Keaton. "JoJo on the Re-Release of Her First Two Albums, and What to Expect Next". W. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ "JoJo. on Instagram: "exactly a year ago I rented an air b&b, set up a studio and got some of my favorite creative friends together to start making my album w…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- ^ a b "Joanna / JoJo – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Roth, Madeline. "JoJo's New Song Is a Clever, Confident Response To Cancel Culture". MTV. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Wass, Mike. "JoJo Gets Very Real On Hard-Hitting New Single, "Joanna"". Idolator. Retrieved October 12, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "JoJo Returns with 'Joanna' Video". Rap-Up. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ "JoJo Chart History (R&B Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2019.