JoJo Talks Third Album & Joni Mitchell, Remains The Best

Sam Lansky | April 18, 2013 9:09 am

What’s new with JoJo? Oh, glad you asked! The improper Bostonian songbird has a film premiering at the TriBeCa Film Festival this weekend (G.B.F. — it looks cute, doesn’t it?), and her mixtape Agape remains one of last year’s best releases, and she’s working on her third album, still, due out promptly as soon as the gods use their almighty force to strike Barry Hankerson from the planet. The chanteuse spoke to Rolling Stone about the status of that next record, where she clarified her position with erstwhile label Blackground Records, who are literally the worst. 

“I don’t have a relationship with Blackground,” she said. “They’ve stopped communicating with me, and they’re unable to promote, market and distribute an album.” (Contractually, Jo is unable to sign with another label, even though Blackground is effectively defunct.)

So what now? “I haven’t recorded an album in so long that I don’t recall what it’s like,” she said. “But I want to release an album with the support of a reputable company, one that has distribution, pays its bills and has respect in the business. It’s hard to flourish as an artist when the industry as a whole wants nothing to do with the label you are signed to.” Yup.

It’s not all blue, though: She also talked about how Joni Mitchell inspired her recent mixtape (“I’m so impressed with her writing prowess, individuality, boldness, and her own brand of feminism,” she said, effortlessly displaying an eloquence unparalleled by her peers, ugh we just love JoJo so much), and discussed the debauchery of Spring Breakers and the ephemerality of youth and generally remained the best.

On that note, here’s her ingenious interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris”:

JoJo: Still the best.

[via Rolling Stone]

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