"Music." seems like it would be far better as a closer than an opener, but it's a really great piano ballad anyways. It's an ode to music itself and how it has improved her life. At the same time, it talks about how badly her family has had it, as in the bridge she sadly croons "Went on the road to make my daddy proud/But I lost him and so I sang to the crowd". The production is purposefully minimalistic, with only a piano, and I can respect that. By using this song as the opener, Jojo makes it clear from the start of the album that SHE can sing and SHE can write; now she'll show you exactly what she can make with those talents.
"I Can Only", featuring Alessia Cara, is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the album. She drops the vulnerable side that she displayed on the previous track, adopting a harder, sassy personality on this dancepop track. The production is very fitting, and I absolutely adore the pre-chorus. how she moves to her higher register and oozes confidence. The first pre-chorus, is so strong, in fact, that it makes Alessia Cara's pre-chorus feel underwhelming compared to Jojo's; I'll happily admit that when I was listening to this, I kept going back again to Jojo's prechorus whenever Cara's came on. The chorus itself is catchy and empowering, in a fierce way.
"F*** Apologies." is another sassy track, the first single off of Mad Love, but not one of her strongest. I like the pre-chorus, as she belts out every word, but the lyrics are kind of lame, as she sings "F*** apologies/ I would say I'm sorry if I really meant it". And of course, this song has Wiz Khalifa on it, one of my least favorite rappers of all time, delivering a rather tame and pointless verse that literally anyone could do. Overall, there are a lot of other stronger songs on this album, and the only reason that this song would be chosen as a single would be to push radio plays; the title itself kind of ruins that chance.
"FAB", or "Fake A** B*tches", is almost a diss track, with every word loaded with either sarcasm or contempt. This song almost offends me, which is amazing, because that's what it's supposed to do. Remy Ma's feature only improves the song, adding even MORE shade somehow. I really like the chorus, and the outro to the song. The production sounds a bit dancehall, but not too much.
Jojo calms down from her diss-spree on the next song, "Mad Love." This big city style, jazzy tune sounds great, and Jojo's voice really shines on this track. The emotion that Jojo can invoke with her voice on this track is honestly stunning. It reminds me of something that Ariana Grande or Xtina would sing, and this track would be a great one to sell to fans of those people.
"Vibe" is another sassy song; as she confidently sings "Boy, don't be killin' my vibe" over a dancehall beat. I can't blame her too much for hopping on the dancehall trend, as she does it so well. The post-chorus honestly is so dancy, and I can appreciate the sassy lyrics.
"Honest" is a long song, but it's really a ride. It starts with a slow, ballad-like, sad verse, as Jojo chants "You left me cold,". Then, the music just basically stops, before restarting, as Jojo's voice gains more and more passion; "I'm just trying to figure out if I'm in love/it's not promiscuous, I'm just owning it." The song ramps up to a dancy chorus, but it still has a kind of somber feel to it; it eventually ends with a long outro. I honestly love the background vocals in this song, and the song structure just seems really nice.
"Like This" is yes another sassy song; I mean, does Jojo ever run out of attitude? Regardless, I don't get tired of it. It starts with a preview of the chorus, then Jojo confidently jumps into the song, with lyrics like "Rap game flow on the radio". I'm not a huge fan of the chorus of the song, but the verses are really great, and the urban, drum-heavy, production suits the song.
"Edibles" is the most traditionally R&B track on the album, and also Jojo's most sexual song so far. It certainly lives up to her competition in the R&B industry, and the post-chorus is really amazing in my opinion. I'm usually not a big fan of traditional R&B, but this is really not that bad at all.
"High Heels" is a fierce, production heavy track with some rock influences. It's fierce and reminds me of the best days of P!nk, and that's amazing. Jojo sings about how she's leaving a man who's been unloyal to her, and how she's really so much better than him, as she teases "I'll put my high heels on/ walk right out the door/ best believe, Imma leave, don't need you no more."
"I Am" ends the album on a similar note to how the album started, with a piano ballad, this one a bit more upbeat than the prior "Music." Again, Jojo showcases her vocal talents with powerful belts, as she re-assures herself of her worth. This is the type of song that seems like it would be amazing to hear live, but it kind of drags in the current format.
I'm trying to stick with standard versions of albums at the moment, but I do have to acknowledge the deluxe version of Mad Love. Some of the best tracks on the album are on it. Particularly, "Clovers" is an EDM-based track with some really nice distorted synthwork and a great pre-chorus, and "Good Thing" is definitely tied for the best song on Mad Love. It's another production-heavy song, but the frantic chorus and the boppy melodies make it stick in your head for hours. It's probably the best choice for a radio-focused single. The bridge is also really notable, with Jojo's voice soaring into a crescendo, the likes of which she never really has done before.
Mad Love. is certainly a great album, and it's pretty sad that Jojo hasn't been able to release music of this caliber before now thanks to her record label holding her down. Jojo undoubtedly has what it takes to succeed in the mainstream pop radio, and this album has a little bit for everyone, with some surprisingly good rap features, great R&B tracks, and overall grade A pop.
Final Verdict:
85/100
Favorite Tracks: I Can Only, Good Thing, Honest
Least Favorite Tracks: I Am, F*** Apologies
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