Is it ‘Too Little Too Late’ for JoJo on first album in a decade?

Signed to a major music label at only 12 years old,singer-songwriter JoJo was poised to be one of America’s next great teen pop stars. Capitalizing on the popularity of R&B at the height of its Top 40 radio dominance, JoJo scored two massive hits with the 2000s classics “Leave (Get Out)” (2004) and “Too Little Too Late” (2006)off her debut and sophomore albums, respectively. However, Jojo’s promising career took a dark turn as her record deal with Blackground Records, the acclaimed label of R&B legend Aaliyah, proved to be her undoing.

Following the release of her sophomore album in 2006, JoJo’s career entered into purgatory as her label lost its distribution deal with Interscope Records and continually barred her from releasing new material or signing with another label. Despite her career effectively being held hostage, JoJo managed to release some of the best work of her career on the mixtapes “Can't Take That Away from Me” (2010) and “Agápē” (2012). Both showcased how far she had evolved as an artist since her early pure pop days.

In early 2014, JoJo’s seven-year legal struggle officially ended, leading her to promptly sign with Atlantic Records.With the promise of new material finally arriving in August of 2015, JoJo appeared to be back on track for pop stardom, yet none of the songs from the ill-fated “III.” (2015) succeeded in catching fire on the radio. Forced to go back to the drawing board once more, the success of JoJo’s third album, now ten years in the making, depended on this.

It is worth a sigh of relief, then, that JoJo’s “Mad Love.” was finally released this past Friday. Featuring a return to her R&B roots while simultaneously continuing to explore current musical trends such as house, trap and dancehall, Jojo’s third studio album largely succeeds in providing her with the musical rebirth she has been seeking for so many years. The angsty girl who used to sing about teenage boys is long gone; instead, the listener is introduced to a weary but thankful 25-year-old who has found her place in the world.

Nowhere is this more apparent then on album opener “Music.,” which beautifully captures JoJo’s undying love of music despite her struggles over the years. The simple piano ballad narrates her struggles and triumphs as she contemplatively sings, “Everyone's scared, everyone's scarred / Everyone spends some nights alone / But every high, every low / You never left me on my own.”The powerful reference to her recently deceased father near the end of the track adds a second meaning to these words, since “Music.” is not only an ode to her craft, but also serves as a tribute to her father and his struggles.

However, the lead single “F*** Apologies.” is more indicative of the overall musical direction of the record as “Mad Love.” is, by and large, intended to be a big pop album. The Wiz Khalifa-featured track wholeheartedly embraces the more downtempo, restrained pop of The Weeknd and Rihanna, yet it also showcases the unfiltered emotion JoJo showed on her debut. Icy guitar licks keep the track strumming along, and punchy lines like “What you want from me? / I would say I'm sorry if I really meant it / F*** apologies” leave little room to question the song’s intentions.

Other highlights off the LP include “FAB.” and “I Am.” The former highlights JoJo’s fiery personality once more as she bluntly calls out “Fake-a** b******s / When they smile in your face, but behind you, it ain't well wishes” and is aided by an equally biting verse from Remy Ma. The ballad “I Am.”bookends the album and serves as a proper companion to opener “Music.” by reminding the listener of the value of self-love.

Unfortunately, “Mad Love.” is plagued by a plethora of generic tracks, which inhibit the record from being a knockout comeback. “I Can Only.” features a dull guest spot from Alessia Cara of “Here” (2015) fame and lyrics that can be best described as cliché in their attempts to inspire. “Vibe.” attempts to co-opt dancehall to poor effect and wastes its refrain on “Boy, don't be killing my vibe.”

In spite of its flaws, “Mad Love.” means JoJo is finally back in action, which can only be beneficial simply because she has one of the best voices in pop from the past decade. While her third LP does not quite hit the mark, JoJo proves she has the personality and technical chops to be a star. Here's to hoping that album four does not take nearly as long.