Free diamonds and holidays, her own stylist and travelling the
world: JoJo is one lucky 16 year old. teentoday.co.uk's Max
Carren sits down with the pop princess and talks about the
perks of stardom. Be warned, this interview may cause extreme
bouts of jealousy...
First of all welcome to the UK JoJo and thank you for taking part in this interview, I will
actually be seeing you tomorrow at your show too!
Oh good!
So how does it feel to be the
youngest solo artist to have a No.1 song on the Billboard
Charts?
I mean it’s an amazing feeling, I’ve been working
towards it forever and it happened when I was 13! So I didn’t
know how to take it. I was actually over here when I found out, so it was just a dream come true and the
success of the second album has been even more great
The question the fans want to know is
what’s happening with the Anything video?
Erm nothing is happening with the Anything
video...
What’s the reason behind this?
The reason behind that is my label in America.
OK
I have some conflicts with them *laughs*
Cause it is a very strong single!..
I think it’s a strong single too, but ya know my label, have
some bad feelings about them *laughs*
OK, now I’ve heard the next single
will be Coming For You?
That’s what I heard! Yeah I like that record
Will we get a video for that!?
*laughs*
Um I don’t have an answer for you. If it was up to me I'd have a video for every song on the
album. *laughs*
So do you feel like you’ve ever
missed out, considering you started out at such a young age?
Well that might be a personal opinion you have but I’ve
never felt that way.
'Cause I read you had quite a hard
upbringing?
Yeah! that is true but it doesn’t mean I’ve not had much of a
childhood, I’ve had the same best friend for 8 years, still live under my
mum's roof and her rules,
having a learning permit so I’m getting a license in 2 months,
my first car, so I still feel cool and I worked to achieve
that, so in a lot of ways I'm still very much
a kid.
How does a13yr old become a popstar, what steps did you have to take to get to where you
are, I mean did you have to hand a tape in to a record company
or were you discovered? To aspiring teens who maybe reading
this, what would you advise?
Well I’ve been singing since I was 2, came very natural to me
like walking and talking, had it in my blood. I was doing TV
shows since I was 6, acting and things like that, theatre, and
then when I was 11, my mom and I moved to LA for about 7
months, stayed with a cousin, did a TV show there and after
the show a guy came up from the audience and gave us a card,
he’s a manager and gave us an interview with the executive for
the album. Honestly, it's about combining talent with being in
the right place at the right time, and meeting the right
people. It's really about that. Some of the most talented
people in the world never get signed simply because they
weren’t lucky and some who don’t have talent are huge
superstars simply because they have the right tools and the
right people and that's the reality of this business. So what I'd
say is sing for anyone who will listen, hone your craft and
don’t let anyone stand in your way, if you want something you
really can achieve it
OK so
a lot of it is to do with luck?
Not simply luck, you got to have the drive and
ambition to go with it.
Time to ask you some silly questions
now! *laughs* What's your favourite colour! ?
White!
White!? *laughs*
I know its not really a colour! *laughs* but its so clean
and fresh! I love white!
Have you ever gone into a chat room or posted on your own
fan site forums as someone else?
Oh no no.. I’m so nervous I don’t like to read things
about me, its too much! *laughs*
Tell me about The High Road,
how much involvement do you have with regards to writing and
is that something you wish to do more of in the future?
It's def. something I want to do more of in the future. As
a young artist its hard to control what you want especially
when there are some factors which are out of your control as
far as the business side, but next time I'd love to. As far as
The High Road I vocal-arranged all the songs, I did all
my vocals on every song, and I was in for a lot of writing of
the record and I wrote the second single in America called
What It Feels Like To Be A Girl so that was important to me.
Even if I
didn’t write the songs, it had to be something I can relate to,
then I can put some emotion behind cause I don’t like to sell
a product if I feel I don’t have any feelings towards
it. |
What about the style of music you do, it is quite pop and
soul/rnb at the same time, is that the direction you wanted to
go or what you’ve been directed to?
It’s a combination of both, yeah in my next album I'd
like to use a lot of live instruments, write a lot more, and I
think something that will enable that is the fact that I’ll be
18 at the time when I’m starting the next recording, you know
I’ll be considered an adult, even though I’m sure I won’t feel
like an adult! *laughs*
What would you say is your favourite
record right now?...not yours! *laughs*
Not mine, OK well actually I recently got Ne-Yo’s Because
Of You that’s a great record, really album as a
whole.
OK what about artist, any current favourites?
I’m a huge fan of Jo Scott actually, I love that music so much and
Beyoncé is a role model of mine.
I've heard that you’re also a fan of Mariah Carey?
Yeah!
Is it true you thanked her on one of
your albums?
Oh I thanked about two dozen artists on my album
*laughs* thanking them for inspiring me.
Right next question, do you have your
own stylist?
Yes!
Is it your own input?
Yeah
What about make up, what's your fav brand?
Yes, well MAC makes great brushes, I also love Nars,
Urban Decay for more fun and colourful things like that but
Bare Minerals is a really good company that makes really good
mineral foundation.
And the question that every 15 yr old wants to know!
How much does JoJo earn!?
Oh a lady never tells!
Good answer!
Now I've also heard that you’re a
genius?
OMG! *laughs*
MC: Tell us about that!
*laughs* I don’t know, people ask me that question here
all the time, I’m nervous I don’t know!
Where did that come from if it’s a
rumour?
Well no I don’t know where that started from, I think my
mom said that in an interview. I think I was tested when I was
younger, that might have been accurate then! *laughs*
OK! tell us a secret nobody else
knows!
Umm.. well I pierced my own ear cause my mom wouldn’t let
me, I took a needle to my ear and jabbed it thru but I didn’t
get infected cause I sterilised it! *laughs*
Finally,
do you get any freebies because of who you are and if so what
has been the best thing you’ve actually received?
I do and I think its just because of the job and I don’t
deserve these things cause its crazy like when you cant afford
them, nobody’s sending you anything and when you can all of a
sudden they are, free vacations, jewellery, phones, electronics.
Anything particular that you liked?
I like diamonds! *laughs* So when they arrive..
Who sent u diamonds!?
Oh I don’t remember the particular company *laughs*
OK, one last question! What have you
been doing since you’ve been here in the UK and what are your
plans besides tomorrow night, cause I know a lot of fans are
waiting for a tour but I know you don’t have any plans for a
tour currently?
I mean I'd love to do a UK tour but while I’ve been
here for a week, I’ve seen 2 shows and it was very good, I got shopping done been
watching lot of soccer games on TV *laughs* and keeping up
with what the prime minister has been saying, really enjoying
London and eating scones.
Are you really looking forward to
tomorrow's performance
I am! I’m nervous cause I’m not going to be with my
band, its not my normal show
Oh right!
I usually have 7 piece band but it’ll just be me and 2
dancers, very cute though will be fun.
I think you’re going to enjoy it cause its actually quite
a good atmosphere!
That’s what I hear everytime I tell someone!
MC: I think you could be the next gay icon! “laughs”
Oh! *laughs* that’s so sweet.
Thank you very much JoJo!
Thank you.
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