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Over the Influence: A Memoir
A breathtakingly candid memoir by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, the chart-topping, multi-platinum recording artist behind hits like “Leave (Get Out),” “Too Little, Too Late”, and the Grammy Award-winning "Say So"
Signed to a major recording deal at just 12 years old, JoJo catapulted to the top of the pop-and-R&B-infused charts in the mid 2000's. The relatability of her youth and the appeal of her cool-girl mystique earned her millions of fans around the world. JoJo was an undeniable superstar and pop culture fixture, spanning roles in major studio films, omnipresence on Top 40 radio, frequenting magazine covers, and appearing on national TV. Then, out of the blue, everything came to a halt and JoJo seemingly stepped out of the spotlight, leaving many fans to What happened to JoJo?
In OVER THE INFLUENCE, JoJo holds nothing back as she brings her against-the-odds story of adversity and triumph to center stage. From being raised by parents who were both battling addiction and depression, to emerging victorious in a never-ending lawsuit with her record label, to putting the fragmented pieces of herself together after a maddening period of rebellion and self-betrayal, she takes the reader through the turbulent years that led her to where she is releasing new music under her own imprint, performing in shows and festivals around the world, headlining a Broadway show, and beyond. In this raw, behind-the-scenes look at her life, both personal and professional, JoJo’s unflinching vulnerability allows readers to connect with her on a whole new level through stories of success, heartbreak, redemption, and resilience.
More than a victory lap from an artist with over two decades in an ever-changing entertainment industry, OVER THE INFLUENCE is an unapologetic rallying cry to anyone who’s ever been terrified to fail and still said, “Count me in.”
Signed to a major recording deal at just 12 years old, JoJo catapulted to the top of the pop-and-R&B-infused charts in the mid 2000's. The relatability of her youth and the appeal of her cool-girl mystique earned her millions of fans around the world. JoJo was an undeniable superstar and pop culture fixture, spanning roles in major studio films, omnipresence on Top 40 radio, frequenting magazine covers, and appearing on national TV. Then, out of the blue, everything came to a halt and JoJo seemingly stepped out of the spotlight, leaving many fans to What happened to JoJo?
In OVER THE INFLUENCE, JoJo holds nothing back as she brings her against-the-odds story of adversity and triumph to center stage. From being raised by parents who were both battling addiction and depression, to emerging victorious in a never-ending lawsuit with her record label, to putting the fragmented pieces of herself together after a maddening period of rebellion and self-betrayal, she takes the reader through the turbulent years that led her to where she is releasing new music under her own imprint, performing in shows and festivals around the world, headlining a Broadway show, and beyond. In this raw, behind-the-scenes look at her life, both personal and professional, JoJo’s unflinching vulnerability allows readers to connect with her on a whole new level through stories of success, heartbreak, redemption, and resilience.
More than a victory lap from an artist with over two decades in an ever-changing entertainment industry, OVER THE INFLUENCE is an unapologetic rallying cry to anyone who’s ever been terrified to fail and still said, “Count me in.”
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2024
806 people are currently reading
16440 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,651 reviews
August 25, 2024
y'all have no idea how much this jojo meant to me as a kid
this was so interesting and raw and easy to read. she spoke about addiction and undesirability in such a candid way and her writing this by herself and opening herself up to public scrutiny despite discussing such traumatic, personal things makes me respect her in a whole new way. i absolutely loved this and it lit a fire under me to get some things in my life right.
will post a review on my blog on release day.
this was so interesting and raw and easy to read. she spoke about addiction and undesirability in such a candid way and her writing this by herself and opening herself up to public scrutiny despite discussing such traumatic, personal things makes me respect her in a whole new way. i absolutely loved this and it lit a fire under me to get some things in my life right.
will post a review on my blog on release day.
January 11, 2025
This took me right back to my angsty teenage years, where music meant so much. I had no idea that ‘jojo’ was only 12 when she became a glittering star, I just knew I loved the music she made. It was interesting to read her memoir, which made me realize that being famous is not a recipe for happiness.
October 1, 2024
Anyone growing up in the mid-2000's remembers Jojo as the rising star with hits like Leave (Get Out) and Too Little Too Late. However, after 2007, no one really heard from her again and we all wondered: WHERE IS SHE???
And in 2024, we received our answers.
Jojo describes everything from growing up in Massachusetts to her rise to stardom and beyond. She goes deep with her emotions, mental health, family relations, and the struggle of getting out of contract she signed at twelve-years-old (Twelve!).
If you have heard Jojo's music and you are interested in learning her story, I would definitely take a peek. Personally, I listened to the eAudiobook through Libby (free with your library card!) and I have no regrets. Being able to listen to her discuss such heart wrenching topics and the emotions coming through her voice was amazing.
Caution to readers: This book does discuss substance, physical, mental abuse. Still a worthy story in my opinion and so much to be learned from what she has experienced in thirty-four years.- Alyssa C.
And in 2024, we received our answers.
Jojo describes everything from growing up in Massachusetts to her rise to stardom and beyond. She goes deep with her emotions, mental health, family relations, and the struggle of getting out of contract she signed at twelve-years-old (Twelve!).
If you have heard Jojo's music and you are interested in learning her story, I would definitely take a peek. Personally, I listened to the eAudiobook through Libby (free with your library card!) and I have no regrets. Being able to listen to her discuss such heart wrenching topics and the emotions coming through her voice was amazing.
Caution to readers: This book does discuss substance, physical, mental abuse. Still a worthy story in my opinion and so much to be learned from what she has experienced in thirty-four years.- Alyssa C.
October 21, 2024
This book was boring... also I discovered I don't really like her very much.
I understand being passionate about your craft but she came off as a music snob. On and on and on about how special she is because she likes indie and old stuff. Also the comparisons to Justin Timberlake the culture vulture while simultaneously continuing to describe “singing black” while being white is off-putting to say the least.
I understand being passionate about your craft but she came off as a music snob. On and on and on about how special she is because she likes indie and old stuff. Also the comparisons to Justin Timberlake the culture vulture while simultaneously continuing to describe “singing black” while being white is off-putting to say the least.
September 2, 2024
I rarely read non-fiction, but I grew up with JoJo. I’m happy that I’ve finally gotten to know Joanna, an amazing woman who has never given up even when I was like HOW IS SHE STILL GOING?!
October 26, 2024
I really really enjoyed listening to Joanna's story.
I listened to Jojo's music in high school, and her passionate voice just spoke to me. I've been a fan of hers ever since.
This book was beautifully written. She was honest, thoughtful, and courageous.
I saw God in her story.
I want to give this 5 stars. This is exactly what I would want her memoir to be. It ended in hope and I felt it. My millennial heart is happy.
There's plenty of language, f-bombs, sex talk, alcoholism, and grief. If you're a fan of Jojo, I think you will like this book.
I listened to Jojo's music in high school, and her passionate voice just spoke to me. I've been a fan of hers ever since.
This book was beautifully written. She was honest, thoughtful, and courageous.
I saw God in her story.
I want to give this 5 stars. This is exactly what I would want her memoir to be. It ended in hope and I felt it. My millennial heart is happy.
There's plenty of language, f-bombs, sex talk, alcoholism, and grief. If you're a fan of Jojo, I think you will like this book.
September 17, 2024
Been a JoJo fan since her debut so I was very excited to read this memoir. She opened up about a lot of things we had no idea were going on in her life, but it also felt like she wasn’t proud of anything in her career which was kind of disappointing. I also felt like there was a lot of repetition in the writing and think the book could’ve been edited down or benefited from a ghostwriter helping to streamline things.
September 18, 2024
3.5 stars...I may change it to 4.
I was waiting on this book for a long time. Jojo has spoken about her label drama in the past, and it always left me extremely fascinated. The bizarre inexplicable actions of Blackground records, Barry Hankerson especially, deserve a deep dive. The man is insane. He apparently dated one of his young artists (in her 20s) then set her car on fire when she left him, then bought her entire hair salon just to fire her. As for Jojo, he cut off her career around 2007. Perhaps not intentionally, and more so as a result of his label failing. But what makes no sense is his refusal to let her free of her contract for over a decade. She sued them twice to regain control. Then in 2021 Barry launches Blackground 2.0, also inexplicably. There are conspiracy theories about his involvement in Aaliyah’s death as well.
To be honest, I was looking forward more so to hearing some backstory on this whack record label and the insane people working in it. She did talk about it, but not in the in-depth way I had hoped for. I mean, they essentially destroyed her entire career for no reason and no fault of her own, so I did expect more to be said. What she did say was mostly stuff that she’d already revealed in interviews. I didn’t understand how she was still working with them while in 2 active lawsuits against them? Certain things just didn’t get an explanation.
The book focused more on her personal struggles. Despite my disappointment about Blackground, I still read the first half of the book nonstop. She was very honest and forthcoming, even about things that made her look bad, like her serial cheating. I did enjoy how raw, upfront and real she was, and it made for an obsessive read. She seems to be a very hard worker, a talented singer, and a kind person, and it’s unfortunate that things completely out of her control, ruined her career. The second half of the book was slower, but it makes sense, because her career had slowed down.
A few nitpicks- her overuse of Gen Z slang and excessive cursing was a bit cringey, but then again, it kind of makes sense. She got famous very young, and fame tends to stall your development at the age you became famous. Also, she didn’t name most of her boyfriends. That’s fine that she didn’t want to reveal their identities, but she should have at least given them a fake name. By not giving them a name, just referring to them as “My boyfriend,” it made it hard to keep track of who’s who in the story.
I was waiting on this book for a long time. Jojo has spoken about her label drama in the past, and it always left me extremely fascinated. The bizarre inexplicable actions of Blackground records, Barry Hankerson especially, deserve a deep dive. The man is insane. He apparently dated one of his young artists (in her 20s) then set her car on fire when she left him, then bought her entire hair salon just to fire her. As for Jojo, he cut off her career around 2007. Perhaps not intentionally, and more so as a result of his label failing. But what makes no sense is his refusal to let her free of her contract for over a decade. She sued them twice to regain control. Then in 2021 Barry launches Blackground 2.0, also inexplicably. There are conspiracy theories about his involvement in Aaliyah’s death as well.
To be honest, I was looking forward more so to hearing some backstory on this whack record label and the insane people working in it. She did talk about it, but not in the in-depth way I had hoped for. I mean, they essentially destroyed her entire career for no reason and no fault of her own, so I did expect more to be said. What she did say was mostly stuff that she’d already revealed in interviews. I didn’t understand how she was still working with them while in 2 active lawsuits against them? Certain things just didn’t get an explanation.
The book focused more on her personal struggles. Despite my disappointment about Blackground, I still read the first half of the book nonstop. She was very honest and forthcoming, even about things that made her look bad, like her serial cheating. I did enjoy how raw, upfront and real she was, and it made for an obsessive read. She seems to be a very hard worker, a talented singer, and a kind person, and it’s unfortunate that things completely out of her control, ruined her career. The second half of the book was slower, but it makes sense, because her career had slowed down.
A few nitpicks- her overuse of Gen Z slang and excessive cursing was a bit cringey, but then again, it kind of makes sense. She got famous very young, and fame tends to stall your development at the age you became famous. Also, she didn’t name most of her boyfriends. That’s fine that she didn’t want to reveal their identities, but she should have at least given them a fake name. By not giving them a name, just referring to them as “My boyfriend,” it made it hard to keep track of who’s who in the story.
December 16, 2024
I got a copy of this via Libby originally since I LOVE JoJo. I was so excited when it became available for me to read that I ended up purchasing the book outright. I’m going to try to make this review as comprehensive and chronological as I can.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This memoir follows the life story (so far) of JoJo, who signed a record label contract at the age of 12. She was catapulted to stardom, thanks to her first albums, which ranked quite highly in the charts.
She holds nothing back in this memoir as she talks about everything she has faced so far, including a lawsuit against her record label that lasted YEARS, mental health struggles, along with her struggles with addiction to alcohol, substances, and sex.
This memoir is a lesson in resilience that is a battle cry for fans who wonder what happened to JoJo after the release of her second album but also for the people who are terrified of going all in but do it anyway.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
As soon as I saw this book existed, you can bet your ass I put it on hold through Libby. I love JoJo’s music, especially her first two albums. They were my anthems growing up.
I knew I’d be in love with this book as soon as I started reading it and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m glad she gave us this look into her life and I’m side-eyeing Kesha to see if she puts anything out as well.
I’m shocked that JoJo put up with that contract as long as she did but, then again, Kesha was forced to do the same thing. It makes me wonder how many other artists are going through similar situations.
I wonder if Blackground drug their feet on purpose to see if they could keep Jo on the hook for the rest of her life. I wonder if that was Barry’s plan from the very start and the thought of that just gives me the ick. Gross, my dude!
I’m hoping we’ll be seeing more from JoJo in the years to come since I need to go back and listen to the music she has released since her second album. I’ve missed listening to her music since the issues with Blackground after her second album.
I’m glad she ultimately didn’t file for bankruptcy when she was recommended to do so by that attorney. I mean, his logic made sense but that would have devastating effects down the road from the way I see it.
I really started disliking M.M. (the title she used for her former manager) once we got to about the 70% mark. I can understand why she thought M.M. was being condescending because I could totally see it too.
As short as I believe this review will end up being, I’d definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you struggle with addiction, anxiety, or depression. This book was definitely an eye-opener for me and I’ll be reading it again, that’s for sure.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This memoir follows the life story (so far) of JoJo, who signed a record label contract at the age of 12. She was catapulted to stardom, thanks to her first albums, which ranked quite highly in the charts.
She holds nothing back in this memoir as she talks about everything she has faced so far, including a lawsuit against her record label that lasted YEARS, mental health struggles, along with her struggles with addiction to alcohol, substances, and sex.
This memoir is a lesson in resilience that is a battle cry for fans who wonder what happened to JoJo after the release of her second album but also for the people who are terrified of going all in but do it anyway.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
As soon as I saw this book existed, you can bet your ass I put it on hold through Libby. I love JoJo’s music, especially her first two albums. They were my anthems growing up.
I knew I’d be in love with this book as soon as I started reading it and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m glad she gave us this look into her life and I’m side-eyeing Kesha to see if she puts anything out as well.
I’m shocked that JoJo put up with that contract as long as she did but, then again, Kesha was forced to do the same thing. It makes me wonder how many other artists are going through similar situations.
I wonder if Blackground drug their feet on purpose to see if they could keep Jo on the hook for the rest of her life. I wonder if that was Barry’s plan from the very start and the thought of that just gives me the ick. Gross, my dude!
I’m hoping we’ll be seeing more from JoJo in the years to come since I need to go back and listen to the music she has released since her second album. I’ve missed listening to her music since the issues with Blackground after her second album.
I’m glad she ultimately didn’t file for bankruptcy when she was recommended to do so by that attorney. I mean, his logic made sense but that would have devastating effects down the road from the way I see it.
I really started disliking M.M. (the title she used for her former manager) once we got to about the 70% mark. I can understand why she thought M.M. was being condescending because I could totally see it too.
As short as I believe this review will end up being, I’d definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you struggle with addiction, anxiety, or depression. This book was definitely an eye-opener for me and I’ll be reading it again, that’s for sure.
Read
November 12, 2024DNF. The first half of this memoir was, for me, a struggle to get through. I understand the importance of including her break in to the music scene as it relates to the rest of her story but I grew exhausted with reading about the nitty gritty of it and it's repetitiveness. Her excessive cursing and un-ironic usage of slang terms—low-key, ghosting, stan, who she “fucks with”, etc—felt immature and made me cringe and, even as a millennial, made me feel like I could not connect with her writing or storytelling. It is because of those things that I’m setting this book aside at 45% in.
September 21, 2024
we stan the criminally underrated miss joanna levesque in this house 👑👑👑
incredibly forthright in a way that i don’t think i would be. she speaks about toxic relationships and various addictions (she makes it a point to be clear that addiction is not just drugs and alcohol, but in her case, also food and sex), and not just in a “bad things happened to me” way, but also in a “i did bad things” way, like cheating on her boyfriends, her own toxic behaviors in relationships, and driving while blackout drunk. and it’s never framed in a way that is downplaying or excusing her behavior, either. it’s just raw honesty about her own flaws and mistakes with an admirable kind of self-reflection and awareness. as she puts it, “i considered myself a bad person who repeatedly engaged in flat out toxic behavior. quite frankly, i was sick of my shit.”
she’s also incredibly upfront about not really liking the majority of the music she’s put out, as she was steamrolled by everyone on her team and basically forced to make music she didn’t want to. as a fan, it’s a little disheartening to know that some of my favorite music from her is music she didn’t even want to make and views as artistic compromise, selling out, and inauthentic. mad love was one of the best albums of 2016, and i really thought that was going to be the album that marked when she got to finally make the music she really believed in, so it’s a bit of a bummer to know that wasn’t the case. but it really speaks to her talent and dedication that her music, specifically her voice, can sound like that even when her heart isn’t in it. it’s incredibly sad to learn that it took 17 years of being in the industry as an artist putting out music for her to finally be able to create an album that she actually wanted to make and believed in (“spiral szn” is that bitch!).
and there’s of course all the details of her career, especially when she was very young. right off the bat, the name she’s known by is “inextricably linked to someone else’s vision of what my career should look like,” something she struggles with as an adult. then there’s the lengths they went to make her appear older than she was at 13-14, from the lyrics of the songs written for her by grown adults to the hair and makeup and stuffed bras to setting her music video in high school to dodging questions about her age in interviews...she even tells a story of blacking out at 14 after adults gave her alcohol on tour and casually mentions the grown men who were pursuing her when she was 14...that’s the type of shit that puts kids in danger. it is absolutely bananas that not a single adult around her was looking out for her, that put her above the potential money she could make them.
aside from dangerous situations when she was a child, her label and manager? big yikes. what the hell was going on over there? they legit tried to control every single aspect of her life, choosing what music she put out, leaving her in limbo during the label’s issues, keeping her in a contract for years after it was legally null and void, driving a wedge between her and her mom (how many stories are there of parent/child relationships being ruined by industry folks because the parent was the only one looking out for the kid? ffs.), policing her body and forcing her to lose weight, telling her not to (publicly) date black men and not allowing her to have black love interests in her videos, like. what the fuck!!!!
one of the most engaging parts of this is her relationship with her mother. going from her mom doing everything to help her dreams come true and trying to protect her as a child in the music industry and them being a little team to her mom being verbally abusive and threatening suicide, the downward spiral of her mom’s relapse and depression and the effect it had on their relationship is so sad. and especially the role people at her label played in their rocky relationship, purposefully driving a wedge between them (encouraging her father to try to get custody of her, not out of concern for her, but to ice her mother out of her career? absolutely fucked), and her understandable growing desire to get away from her mother and her influence being at odds with her love and concern for her mother.
she also touches on how it took being an adult to really empathize with and understand her mother and view her in a much kinder way. there’s just something about mother/daughter relationships that’s a breeding ground for toxicity. the way so many of us don’t even see our mothers as humans until we’re adults is wild. it’s a nice full circle moment when she lives with her mother again at the time of the covid pandemic and gets to really heal that relationship and bring it back to what it was before everything.
i will say, i’m a little surprised and confused by the way she skirts around naming things for what they are, like abuse and rape and sexual harassment, as well as her sort of understated way of talking about the people in question. a man locked her in a room with him and “wouldn’t take no for an answer” and she just called him a “creep.” dude’s a sexual predator, if not already an abuser. she described waking up from a blackout, naked, finding a used condom in the bathroom, and a text from the guy saying he had a good time, and when she called him he confirmed what she suspected and added that she was “begging for it” and “wouldn’t leave it alone” and he “didn’t know” she was blackout drunk, and all of her upset seems to stem from the fact that she had a boyfriend and feels what happened was cheating.
everyone is well within their right to view and understand their own experiences in their own way, but to me, i can’t see those situations in any other way, and i expected at least an in hindsight naming them for what they were. and i understand and respect not utilizing this memoir as an opportunity to call people out or make people into villains, but it is still a little jarring to hear all the things people did to her and her career and then her not really have anything negative to say about them. maybe i’m just a petty hater, but going through what she did, i would’ve had words.
all in all, this is an incredibly well written memoir (that she wrote without a ghostwriter) that does not hold back. it’s definitely up there with the best that i’ve read. i’m so happy for her that she has finally been able to spot and unlearn toxic behaviors, stand up for and trust herself, and find creative fulfillment (shoutout to her becoming a broadway girlie!!!!!). she deserves so much better than she got, and i hope we soon see a joanna resurgence.
content/trigger warnings; drug addiction, drug abuse, alcoholism, relapse and rehab, underage drinking, binge drinking, blackouts, drunk driving, overdose, death of loved ones, car accident, survivor’s guilt, loss/grief, poverty, verbal and physical domestic abuse, toxic relationships, love bombing, gaslighting, verbal and psychological child abuse (including a parent threatening their child with suicide), suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, therapy, bullying, slut shaming, fatphobia, body image issues, disorder eating, starvation, binge eating, coerced dieting (including calorie restriction, weight loss medication, supplements, weigh-ins), sex, sex addiction, cheating, sexual coercion, predatory men, rape, victim blaming, toxic workplace environment, workplace sexual harassment, racism, colorism, police violence, covid pandemic,
incredibly forthright in a way that i don’t think i would be. she speaks about toxic relationships and various addictions (she makes it a point to be clear that addiction is not just drugs and alcohol, but in her case, also food and sex), and not just in a “bad things happened to me” way, but also in a “i did bad things” way, like cheating on her boyfriends, her own toxic behaviors in relationships, and driving while blackout drunk. and it’s never framed in a way that is downplaying or excusing her behavior, either. it’s just raw honesty about her own flaws and mistakes with an admirable kind of self-reflection and awareness. as she puts it, “i considered myself a bad person who repeatedly engaged in flat out toxic behavior. quite frankly, i was sick of my shit.”
she’s also incredibly upfront about not really liking the majority of the music she’s put out, as she was steamrolled by everyone on her team and basically forced to make music she didn’t want to. as a fan, it’s a little disheartening to know that some of my favorite music from her is music she didn’t even want to make and views as artistic compromise, selling out, and inauthentic. mad love was one of the best albums of 2016, and i really thought that was going to be the album that marked when she got to finally make the music she really believed in, so it’s a bit of a bummer to know that wasn’t the case. but it really speaks to her talent and dedication that her music, specifically her voice, can sound like that even when her heart isn’t in it. it’s incredibly sad to learn that it took 17 years of being in the industry as an artist putting out music for her to finally be able to create an album that she actually wanted to make and believed in (“spiral szn” is that bitch!).
and there’s of course all the details of her career, especially when she was very young. right off the bat, the name she’s known by is “inextricably linked to someone else’s vision of what my career should look like,” something she struggles with as an adult. then there’s the lengths they went to make her appear older than she was at 13-14, from the lyrics of the songs written for her by grown adults to the hair and makeup and stuffed bras to setting her music video in high school to dodging questions about her age in interviews...she even tells a story of blacking out at 14 after adults gave her alcohol on tour and casually mentions the grown men who were pursuing her when she was 14...that’s the type of shit that puts kids in danger. it is absolutely bananas that not a single adult around her was looking out for her, that put her above the potential money she could make them.
aside from dangerous situations when she was a child, her label and manager? big yikes. what the hell was going on over there? they legit tried to control every single aspect of her life, choosing what music she put out, leaving her in limbo during the label’s issues, keeping her in a contract for years after it was legally null and void, driving a wedge between her and her mom (how many stories are there of parent/child relationships being ruined by industry folks because the parent was the only one looking out for the kid? ffs.), policing her body and forcing her to lose weight, telling her not to (publicly) date black men and not allowing her to have black love interests in her videos, like. what the fuck!!!!
one of the most engaging parts of this is her relationship with her mother. going from her mom doing everything to help her dreams come true and trying to protect her as a child in the music industry and them being a little team to her mom being verbally abusive and threatening suicide, the downward spiral of her mom’s relapse and depression and the effect it had on their relationship is so sad. and especially the role people at her label played in their rocky relationship, purposefully driving a wedge between them (encouraging her father to try to get custody of her, not out of concern for her, but to ice her mother out of her career? absolutely fucked), and her understandable growing desire to get away from her mother and her influence being at odds with her love and concern for her mother.
she also touches on how it took being an adult to really empathize with and understand her mother and view her in a much kinder way. there’s just something about mother/daughter relationships that’s a breeding ground for toxicity. the way so many of us don’t even see our mothers as humans until we’re adults is wild. it’s a nice full circle moment when she lives with her mother again at the time of the covid pandemic and gets to really heal that relationship and bring it back to what it was before everything.
i will say, i’m a little surprised and confused by the way she skirts around naming things for what they are, like abuse and rape and sexual harassment, as well as her sort of understated way of talking about the people in question. a man locked her in a room with him and “wouldn’t take no for an answer” and she just called him a “creep.” dude’s a sexual predator, if not already an abuser. she described waking up from a blackout, naked, finding a used condom in the bathroom, and a text from the guy saying he had a good time, and when she called him he confirmed what she suspected and added that she was “begging for it” and “wouldn’t leave it alone” and he “didn’t know” she was blackout drunk, and all of her upset seems to stem from the fact that she had a boyfriend and feels what happened was cheating.
everyone is well within their right to view and understand their own experiences in their own way, but to me, i can’t see those situations in any other way, and i expected at least an in hindsight naming them for what they were. and i understand and respect not utilizing this memoir as an opportunity to call people out or make people into villains, but it is still a little jarring to hear all the things people did to her and her career and then her not really have anything negative to say about them. maybe i’m just a petty hater, but going through what she did, i would’ve had words.
all in all, this is an incredibly well written memoir (that she wrote without a ghostwriter) that does not hold back. it’s definitely up there with the best that i’ve read. i’m so happy for her that she has finally been able to spot and unlearn toxic behaviors, stand up for and trust herself, and find creative fulfillment (shoutout to her becoming a broadway girlie!!!!!). she deserves so much better than she got, and i hope we soon see a joanna resurgence.
content/trigger warnings; drug addiction, drug abuse, alcoholism, relapse and rehab, underage drinking, binge drinking, blackouts, drunk driving, overdose, death of loved ones, car accident, survivor’s guilt, loss/grief, poverty, verbal and physical domestic abuse, toxic relationships, love bombing, gaslighting, verbal and psychological child abuse (including a parent threatening their child with suicide), suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, therapy, bullying, slut shaming, fatphobia, body image issues, disorder eating, starvation, binge eating, coerced dieting (including calorie restriction, weight loss medication, supplements, weigh-ins), sex, sex addiction, cheating, sexual coercion, predatory men, rape, victim blaming, toxic workplace environment, workplace sexual harassment, racism, colorism, police violence, covid pandemic,
December 11, 2024
This book is told in chronological order so the early chapters were boring. As we get further in JoJo reveals her dating history, how she's cheated on a series of boyfriends, and how desperately she wants to be back at the top.
The desperation was gross. She would literally do anything and be anyone to have that early career success again. I hope she's in a better place mental health wise to see how toxic that mindset is.
I think this book was meant to get people talking about JoJo again so they'd buy the new album when it inevitably comes out. It did the opposite for me. If this book had focused less on her personal life and more on the bad contract she was stuck in perhaps it would have spurred me to support her, but rattling off her poor life choices, how much money it costs to be a star, etc. didn't turn her into someone sympathetic.
I'm gonna leave (get out) this is the end for JoJo and me.
P.S. The old slang used throughout this book made me cringe.
The desperation was gross. She would literally do anything and be anyone to have that early career success again. I hope she's in a better place mental health wise to see how toxic that mindset is.
I think this book was meant to get people talking about JoJo again so they'd buy the new album when it inevitably comes out. It did the opposite for me. If this book had focused less on her personal life and more on the bad contract she was stuck in perhaps it would have spurred me to support her, but rattling off her poor life choices, how much money it costs to be a star, etc. didn't turn her into someone sympathetic.
I'm gonna leave (get out) this is the end for JoJo and me.
P.S. The old slang used throughout this book made me cringe.
December 12, 2024
I wanted to love this memoir, but honestly, I found it a bit dull. The writing felt flat, and I think JoJo could have benefited from working with a ghostwriter to bring more depth and energy to her story. The sections about her struggles with finding a label and the long gap between her first two albums dragged on and didn’t hold my interest.
That said, I do feel for her. Her experiences with situational depression and the lack of support from people around her were heartbreaking. It’s clear she went through a lot, and I admire her resilience in overcoming those challenges to carve out her space in the music industry.
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t my favorite memoir. While I appreciate JoJo’s honesty and perseverance, the storytelling didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
That said, I do feel for her. Her experiences with situational depression and the lack of support from people around her were heartbreaking. It’s clear she went through a lot, and I admire her resilience in overcoming those challenges to carve out her space in the music industry.
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t my favorite memoir. While I appreciate JoJo’s honesty and perseverance, the storytelling didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
September 19, 2024
THEY COULD NEVER MAKE US HATE YOU JOANNA
January 8, 2025
Top 5 JoJo Songs
1. Too Little Too Late
2. Coming For You
3. Mad Love
4. Marvin's Room(Drake Cover)
5. Weak (SWV Cover)
Honorable Mentions
1. Fuck Apologies
2. When Love Hurts
I love JoJo. I've loved JoJo from day one when she dropped Leave (Get Out). Her second album The High Road is one of my all time favorites and I listen to it regularly.
JoJo became famous at an extremely young age. She was just 12 when she signed her record deal and by 18 she was considered a has been. Her stilted career had very little to do with her. She got caught up in the shitty side of record industry and she spent almost 15 years trying to gain control.
This book is such an open and heartbreakingly honest memoir. You don't need to have ever heard a JoJo song to appreciate this book. JoJo has had to deal with generational trauma, depression, parental substance abuse, love addiction and self esteem. It's rough reading her make the same mistakes over and over again but that's real life.
A Must Read!
Also go listen to this woman's music.
1. Too Little Too Late
2. Coming For You
3. Mad Love
4. Marvin's Room(Drake Cover)
5. Weak (SWV Cover)
Honorable Mentions
1. Fuck Apologies
2. When Love Hurts
I love JoJo. I've loved JoJo from day one when she dropped Leave (Get Out). Her second album The High Road is one of my all time favorites and I listen to it regularly.
JoJo became famous at an extremely young age. She was just 12 when she signed her record deal and by 18 she was considered a has been. Her stilted career had very little to do with her. She got caught up in the shitty side of record industry and she spent almost 15 years trying to gain control.
This book is such an open and heartbreakingly honest memoir. You don't need to have ever heard a JoJo song to appreciate this book. JoJo has had to deal with generational trauma, depression, parental substance abuse, love addiction and self esteem. It's rough reading her make the same mistakes over and over again but that's real life.
A Must Read!
Also go listen to this woman's music.
October 26, 2024
I grew up listening to Jojo. Her journey is heartbreaking. She definitely got screwed over in her record deal. With her talent, she should have become a much bigger star. Her perseverance both careerwise and personally is admirable. That being said, as a memoir, I felt this was a bit scattered and could do with some editing. 3.5/5
September 19, 2024
My first and last nonfiction book from my favorite artist!! It’s weird to rate memoirs but I’ll go ahead and give this a 5 because why not??
September 22, 2024
Girl has lived a LIFE. My goodness.
December 14, 2024
Alternatively to reading this you could just listen to Too Little Too Late on repeat for 10hrs.
December 9, 2024
Jojo doesn’t take credit for inspiring TSwift to re-record her albums but lowkey I think she should.
December 31, 2024
4.5⭐️ i love jojo so much. she’s the baddest bitch on earth
August 25, 2025
I remember JoJo's debut song, "Leave (Get Out)", being released when I was in my early 20s, and I really liked it. I liked "Too Little, Too Late" even better, but I have never really been someone who has their finger on the pulse of pop music. Back then, when my car was a 1990 Honda Accord with a wonky double-clutch 2nd gear, non-functional driver's side window, and a dysfunctional tape deck, my listening options were:
a) Whatever I can get on the radio
b) Silence
Now, with the advent of Bluetooth and audiobook apps, I couldn't tell you the last time a radio song entered my ears while driving. When I listen to music now, it's because the Husband is in the car he is not a good audiobook listener (even when he is interested in them, which is not all that often).
Anyway - back then, JoJo was on the radio, and that's how I heard/knew of her and that was the extent of my knowledge of her. But those two songs are freaking earworms, and they get stuck in my head, so every once in a while, they'd make an appearance in my brain, and I'd have to head over to Youtube to listen to them to clear them out.
So, when I saw this book via Libby, I was like Ooooh! Yeah, let's see what she's been up to! And boy howdy! (as ALL the cool kids say) did I get the scoop.
I am in complete AWE of anyone who can bare their unvarnished soul, warts and all, in a memoir. Joanna (as I will now refer to her), most certainly bared hers. She talked about her family history of mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction, and how that manifested throughout her childhood and career, her relationship with her parents, her relationships with men, etc. She talked about all the mistakes she made throughout her life, and what she learned from them (eventually), and how frustrated with herself she was that she KEPT making the same mistakes again and again... But at the same time, giving herself some hindsight grace to know that she was VERY young and in WAY over her head, and she had no frame of reference for the industry she so desperately wanted to make it in, so deferred to the "experts" who didn't always have her best interests in mind.
I went into this with a definite fear of what traumas men in power in the music industry may have imposed on her. She was TWELVE when she released her debut, after all. And though there definitely were some (regarding her weight, mainly), she was not harmed physically/sexually by anyone, which is really (sadly) surprising. The same cannot be said for emotional or mental trauma, which was coming from inside the house. Her poor mama was not coping well with the pressure of managing her in an industry that neither of them knew, and that Joanna was DEAD SET on being part of. Give the girl credit, her work ethic is incredible. Even at twelve. When I was twelve, I wanted nothing more than to hide in my room away from my brother and read in peace.
She goes on to talk about the distribution issues which prevented her from releasing any new music for a decade until she successfully sued to be released from her contract. Then she signed a new contract, only to have that one pull the rug out from under her, and then another, which didn't want to give her the resources she wanted... until finally she left and went independent. Finally able to create the music SHE wanted to make.
As I was reading this, I would listen to the songs being mentioned (most of them unfamiliar to me). I liked most of them, and it was surprising to learn that she didn't like quite a few of them, but agreed to make them because her label asked her to, or to earn goodwill towards something SHE wanted to make. During this phase of her life, I felt really bad for her because the frustration at not being given the creative freedom she wanted was so palpable - and her longtime manager (not her mother) was more conservative, in that she was interested in what sells, not what is new, so she didn't advocate for her creatively either. I couldn't wait for her to drop her manager, and it took far longer than I would have thought... but, really, she was so young when she hired her that her manager was truly the ONE person she had throughout her career, so I could understand the desire to make it work. That sunk cost fallacy is REAL.
She talked a lot about her relationships, as well as how she was expected to hide who she was dating when she dated outside her race - which is, annoying and depressing, but not surprising. And she was extremely candid about her dating and sex life. I found it interesting only in the aspect of her willingness to be completely honest about her role in some really messed up situations, but otherwise, you do you, girl. We all have to live and learn in this life, make mistakes and grow from them, even when it suuuuuuuuucks sometimes.
Finally she talked about the end of her most serious "This could be the one" relationship, and how that led her to get into Broadway, and how much she loved it, and how it really was the break she needed to refresh and rediscover her creativity and joy. And what an amazingly uplifting end to this memoir. I grew to be so invested in her story that I am truly happy that she is in a good place in her life and is doing what she wants to do. Good for her!
a) Whatever I can get on the radio
b) Silence
Now, with the advent of Bluetooth and audiobook apps, I couldn't tell you the last time a radio song entered my ears while driving. When I listen to music now, it's because the Husband is in the car he is not a good audiobook listener (even when he is interested in them, which is not all that often).
Anyway - back then, JoJo was on the radio, and that's how I heard/knew of her and that was the extent of my knowledge of her. But those two songs are freaking earworms, and they get stuck in my head, so every once in a while, they'd make an appearance in my brain, and I'd have to head over to Youtube to listen to them to clear them out.
So, when I saw this book via Libby, I was like Ooooh! Yeah, let's see what she's been up to! And boy howdy! (as ALL the cool kids say) did I get the scoop.
I am in complete AWE of anyone who can bare their unvarnished soul, warts and all, in a memoir. Joanna (as I will now refer to her), most certainly bared hers. She talked about her family history of mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction, and how that manifested throughout her childhood and career, her relationship with her parents, her relationships with men, etc. She talked about all the mistakes she made throughout her life, and what she learned from them (eventually), and how frustrated with herself she was that she KEPT making the same mistakes again and again... But at the same time, giving herself some hindsight grace to know that she was VERY young and in WAY over her head, and she had no frame of reference for the industry she so desperately wanted to make it in, so deferred to the "experts" who didn't always have her best interests in mind.
I went into this with a definite fear of what traumas men in power in the music industry may have imposed on her. She was TWELVE when she released her debut, after all. And though there definitely were some (regarding her weight, mainly), she was not harmed physically/sexually by anyone, which is really (sadly) surprising. The same cannot be said for emotional or mental trauma, which was coming from inside the house. Her poor mama was not coping well with the pressure of managing her in an industry that neither of them knew, and that Joanna was DEAD SET on being part of. Give the girl credit, her work ethic is incredible. Even at twelve. When I was twelve, I wanted nothing more than to hide in my room away from my brother and read in peace.
She goes on to talk about the distribution issues which prevented her from releasing any new music for a decade until she successfully sued to be released from her contract. Then she signed a new contract, only to have that one pull the rug out from under her, and then another, which didn't want to give her the resources she wanted... until finally she left and went independent. Finally able to create the music SHE wanted to make.
As I was reading this, I would listen to the songs being mentioned (most of them unfamiliar to me). I liked most of them, and it was surprising to learn that she didn't like quite a few of them, but agreed to make them because her label asked her to, or to earn goodwill towards something SHE wanted to make. During this phase of her life, I felt really bad for her because the frustration at not being given the creative freedom she wanted was so palpable - and her longtime manager (not her mother) was more conservative, in that she was interested in what sells, not what is new, so she didn't advocate for her creatively either. I couldn't wait for her to drop her manager, and it took far longer than I would have thought... but, really, she was so young when she hired her that her manager was truly the ONE person she had throughout her career, so I could understand the desire to make it work. That sunk cost fallacy is REAL.
She talked a lot about her relationships, as well as how she was expected to hide who she was dating when she dated outside her race - which is, annoying and depressing, but not surprising. And she was extremely candid about her dating and sex life. I found it interesting only in the aspect of her willingness to be completely honest about her role in some really messed up situations, but otherwise, you do you, girl. We all have to live and learn in this life, make mistakes and grow from them, even when it suuuuuuuuucks sometimes.
Finally she talked about the end of her most serious "This could be the one" relationship, and how that led her to get into Broadway, and how much she loved it, and how it really was the break she needed to refresh and rediscover her creativity and joy. And what an amazingly uplifting end to this memoir. I grew to be so invested in her story that I am truly happy that she is in a good place in her life and is doing what she wants to do. Good for her!
November 2, 2024
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque (b. 1990) is an American singer who rose to fame in 2004 with her debut single "Leave (Get Out)," had moderate success with her follow-up album, and then, like many artists of her era, had many struggles with her record label, with the transition from teen to adult star, and with the market shift from physical record sales and digital downloads to the streaming model endemic today. In her memoir Over the Influence, Levesque talks about the ups and downs of her music career as well as her difficult childhood and turbulent relationship with her parents (both of her parents struggled with addiction, with her father passing away 2015), label mismanagement and legal issues (Levesque re-recorded her own early albums years to try to wrestle back control long before Taylor Swift did the same), her chaotic romantic life, and her own battles with substances. There are a lot of villains and saboteurs in Levesque's memoir, including Levesque herself engaging in a lot of self-destructive behavior (brave choice to portray oneself that way in one's own memoir); while she doesn't name-and-shame everyone else, it just underscores the toxicity and cutthroat culture of the music industry of the '00s and '10s, especially when you're entering it as a gullible teen.
Further reading: women in the entertainment industry, '90s-present
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Open Book by Jessica Simpson
A Sick Life: TLC 'n Me: Stories from On and Off the Stage by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s by Sarah Ditum
My statistics:
Book 265 for 2024
Book 1868 cumulatively
Further reading: women in the entertainment industry, '90s-present
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Open Book by Jessica Simpson
A Sick Life: TLC 'n Me: Stories from On and Off the Stage by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s by Sarah Ditum
My statistics:
Book 265 for 2024
Book 1868 cumulatively
June 25, 2024
I would like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Biographies can be hard to rate since they are the person's story, with that being said, I found this book easy to read and flowed nicely, it was like you are sitting down with Jojo and she is talking about her life story. A lot of the stuff she talks about I had no clue happened at all so it was an interesting read.
December 12, 2024
2.5 stars. ⭐️ if you’re interested is a surface level, jumbled, bloated book this is the memoir for you.
I tried to get into this but it was too long. She skimmed over the interesting parts of her life where there were opportunities for reflection and lessons learned and lingered unendingly on her career or lack there of. This just did not work for me.
I tried to get into this but it was too long. She skimmed over the interesting parts of her life where there were opportunities for reflection and lessons learned and lingered unendingly on her career or lack there of. This just did not work for me.
September 22, 2024
A bit boring. Interesting to get a look into another childhood star’s life I suppose. I think I expected too much after Jeanette McCurdy’s book though. Probably would have been even more of a struggle to get through if I didn’t listen on audio.
December 6, 2024
This felt forced and unauthentic, which is a weird thing to say about an autobiography audiobook read by the author. It seemed like just another performance. Like she was still trying to convince you she’s a star.
May 31, 2025
I love JoJo!! But this memoir was tough to stay engaged with. I do admire her honesty and appreciate her vulnerability. Just wasn’t as gripping as I expected.
Read
April 24, 2025This was a great memoir and I learned so much about JoJo that I never knew. I think her memoir is an important read for all women. Jojo shares it all from family , fame , love, addiction , regrets , mistakes and more. I loved the way she explained how she found her way and will continue to be a work in progress. She never once looks for any kind of sympathy and owns every toxic piece of her but instead of dwelling on it she’s used it to become stronger and an even healthier and improved version of herself.
October 30, 2024
Really 1.5/5
Joanna’s memoir left me seriously unsatisfied. The whole thing has a “woe is me” tone and felt preachy, which made it hard to connect with her story. The pacing was all over the place, with her jumping from one storyline to the next so quickly it gave me whiplash. It felt like she was constantly trying to make a point without letting any of her stories breathe, which left me unconvinced and disconnected.
Even though I wanted to like it, the memoir just fell flat. Honestly she came across as annoying, and it was hard to care about most of what she shared. Not one I’d recommend, even for celebrity memoir fans.
Joanna’s memoir left me seriously unsatisfied. The whole thing has a “woe is me” tone and felt preachy, which made it hard to connect with her story. The pacing was all over the place, with her jumping from one storyline to the next so quickly it gave me whiplash. It felt like she was constantly trying to make a point without letting any of her stories breathe, which left me unconvinced and disconnected.
Even though I wanted to like it, the memoir just fell flat. Honestly she came across as annoying, and it was hard to care about most of what she shared. Not one I’d recommend, even for celebrity memoir fans.
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