When the pandemic forced the world to sit down and stay at home, it also allowed some time for a lot of us to reflect on our society and the way things work. This is especially true for those of us in the USA, where we've experienced rising racial tensions, political upheaval and a failed collective response to the pandemic that's resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. With this heaviness in mind, JoJo captures the moment succinctly with the release of her new single "American Mood."
Produced by in-demand collaborator D'Mile, the song takes on a folksy feel that we don't normally expect from JoJo thanks to its acoustic guitar arrangement. It fits, though, thanks to JoJo's versatile voice, which is in fine form here. It also leads us into the lyrics, which examine the tissue-paper-thin barrier between privilege and reality. "What up, what up, it's me again, I'm well informed and ignorant / But you'll never catch me close my eyes," she sings on the second verse. "Aren't you ever curious 'bout someonе else's expеrience? / Just tryna make the most out of their lives." She then goes on to pay homage to her own blue-collar upbringing while also hoping that those born without silver spoons eventually get what they deserve.
"My friends and I wrote this song a few years ago, and it continues to apply to the moment," she wrote about the song on Facebook. "I didn’t want my heart to be misconstrued so I held it close to my chest until now. This song doesn't offer any solutions, instead a humble reflection inspired by the moment." The singer is also putting her money where her heart is by donating the proceeds from the single to the "I Have A Dream" Foundation, which provides support to young people from low-income communities.
Check out JoJo's latest song and visual when you press play and then help her support a worthy cause by picking up your own copy of "American Mood."
