JoJo makes a bold statement at College Street Music Hall
There was nothing foolish about JoJo’s performance on April 1 at College Street Music Hall—she commanded the stage. She showed up ready, and the crowd met her with the kind of energy that doesn’t happen unless the connection runs deep.
While many of the songs she gave the audience were nostalgic—like “Leave (Get Out)”—this night was all about showing who she is now. The music industry has a habit of chewing up its teenage stars and leaving them behind. It doesn’t give them room to evolve, and the ones who try often get boxed in by the image they were sold under. But JoJo didn’t just survive that system—she outgrew it. She’s not chasing relevance. She’s doing what most never get the chance to: reclaiming her voice on her own terms.
Her stage presence was locked in. Confident, grounded. Aside from the the fog being a bit too heavy-handed for my taste, the beautiful lighting made for a clean, moody set that kept JoJo at the center of the crowd’s attention.
As the evening unfolded, JoJo pulled a fan from the crowd to sing a duet to her slowed-down, sultry cover of SWV’s “Weak.” Together they perched on an elevated walkway, like two souls caught in a moment outside of time. It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t cute. It was real.
Then came the moment of the evening for me. She covered Teddy Swims’ “Losing Control” and the tone in the room shifted. There was a weight to how she sang each verse, a relatable feeling that all of us have experienced during our own healing.
What made the night stand out wasn’t just her voice, which is still very much underrated in pop and R&B. It was the way she carried herself. No need to prove anything. No act. Just someone who’s done the work since her debut album twenty years ago and come out the other side with something real to offer.
I wouldn’t say JoJo’s is “back” at the top. Rather, she’s evolved. Hardened and healed. Still wildly grateful, but no longer asking for permission. She’s not trying to relive her past—she’s rewriting it in real time.
SET LIST
CHAPTER 1
Off Again
Nobody
Baby It’s You
Like That
Fresh New Sheets
CHAPTER 2: STORY TIME
Bad Habits
Gold
Thank About You (Short Edit)
Marvin’s Room Remix
Dissolve
CHAPTER 3: THE INFLUENCE
Ready to Love
Start Over
Love Galore
Weak
Lose Control
Kiss Interlude
CHAPTER 4: TOO MUCH TOO LITTLE
One Last Time
Too Much to Say
Leave (Get Out)
Too Little Too Late
CHAPTER 5: THE GOOD TIME
Good Thing
Porcelian
ENCORE
Never Say Goodbye
