"Karma" is here and JoJo is sharing the inside scoop!
JoJo spills all the tea about her initial thoughts on the song, her new tattoo, and why this album took TWO years to make!
You're listening to Jojo See One Now with me, Jojo Siua and iHeartRadio Podcast. Welcome back to Jojo Sewa. Now, oh my gosh, we are First of all, we are back. We were back in California. I am back in La came home from Atlanta, had a great time there filming So You Think You Can Dance. It was genuinely such an interesting experience. I mean, everyone asked like, oh, did you like Atlanta? Did you like Atlanta? And I was like, I loved Atlanta, but I think I loved living alone for the first time. And so I was like, I don't know if it was Atlanta itself that I liked or if it was the vibe of me being there alone that I liked. I was like, I don't really know, but I did like it and I did have a great time. And now now the season of So You Think You Can Dance has been airing. I'm gonna start being on it very very soon, either this week or next week, depending on the airing schedule, which I am very very excited about. We are getting into the top ten. The I mean, they are absolutely incredible, they are so amazing. I'm doing new new music projects right now, and we're in the process of creating our next visual and you know, when you're creating visual, you're hiring a bunch of dancers. And literally the first ten dancers on my list was the top ten of So You Think You Can Dance, because I got to know them for the last few weeks and I got to I got to see their work ethic and I truly want to give them the opportunity and I just I'm so proud of them. I can't wait for everyone to see the season. You know, we did it. We're not live, it's it's it's definitely pre taped, and so I of course know the results, I know what ended up happening, and I know every week to week of So You Think, but it every single day, every single week was so inspiring as an artist, so inspiring as a dancer, and so inspiring as a judge. I mean seeing seeing what the dancers did and the work they put in and the process for them was was truly awesome. And now now the show's done and been able to become friends with some of the some of the top ten, you know, it's really cool to see their perspective on everything. The new format is incredible. Some people are having mixed reviews about the format. Personally, I love it. I don't think I don't think the world has seen enough of the new format yet to be familiar with it, and so I think once the world does get to see the new format more, they're gonna really enjoy it. And I'm very excited for that. But anyways, while I was in Atlanta, I had an incredible meeting with my team over at my music label, Columbia, and they gave me the green light that it was time for Karma, my very first song to come out. I am beyond excited. I have known since October twenty now, maybe even a little bit before that, maybe like September September twenty twenty three, that this was going to be my first song out. We're gonna go down memory lane, way way down today and then I'm going to do another podcast where I talk about the visual aspect of Karma and how all that was created. But I did find out in September that Karma was going to be the first song. This was the song that I wanted to come first. We do have a lot of songs done and a lot of songs in the bank, and a lot of music that is ready to come out, but I knew I wanted this first one to be a moment, so I always wanted Karma. And then finally in September, got the green light that it was going to be Karma, and I got to run with my music video concept, go for it, create the visual, do exactly what I wanted to do. And then we still didn't know necessarily timeline wise, when it was going to come out. And then while I was living in Atlanta, found out that it was going to be coming out and I got the official date, I got the official green light, and I was just so happy, so excited, so ready for this new world, new era, new chapter, I think is probably the best word. And to truly become the musician and the artists that I've always wanted to be. You know, I always have loved my career. I've loved doing kids music, being a kids before and I loved that, But I knew that I wanted to be like Lady Gaga, like Miley Cyrus, like Freddy Mercury. That was always my goal. And so to now be able to tap into this adult out there, crazy, no holding back, unrestrained, that world is all of my dreams coming true, and I'm so stoked about that. Anyways, though, now we gotta go way back in time so I can give you the rundown on how Karma came to be. I'm gonna go even a little bit for the back that I was planning on. So right before I did the final leg, the fifth and final leg of Dream the Tour, all of my music was done through myself and through Nickelodeon, right, and that was great. We kind of it was very interesting. Nickelodeon is not a record label necessarily, but they had the tools to help me make music right. And so with my full three sixty that I had in Nickelodeon, it did make a lot of sense. We made a lot of great music. It was awesome. But then when I did when I did my movie The j Team, that is when my music relationship with Nickelodeon got very, very rocky. Up until about two weeks before the filming of the movie, they wanted to put all of my old music in the movie, which I understood and if it was a movie, that would make sense. But because it was a musical, I really I felt strongly that it needed to have its own music, and it felt like we were writing this movie but then trying to make my old songs make sense. But then the old songs didn't make sense, and you know, those songs at the time were four or five years old. And I was like, if we're gonna make a musical, we gotta we gotta make a musical. And so then about two weeks before they were like, okay, we can do new songs. And so then it was just a speed mission and it was it was very tough to get everything done. We did it while we were filming the movie. We didn't have this song is done and so that was very hard because we were filming with demos and it was very very complicated. A lot of people worked over time, including myself, but it was it was worth it because we got we got the music of our dreams. But could have been done a little a little kinder, I guess. Anyways, so after after the j team, I did have one remaining chunk of tour, my Dariam tour to fulfill. We had already sold the tickets but they were going to be I was going to be on tour in twenty twenty, but then, of course, you know, COVID happened, and so the tour kept getting pushed, push pushed. At this point in time, it is like mid twenty twenty one, and I wanted Dream the tour to happen still. I was never going to give that up no matter when that happened. And I was like, I don't care if we do it in twenty twenty six, I don't cancel it. Like, just keep pushing it. We will be fine. But I knew after that I didn't want to have any more music obligations with the network. That was that for me was like I want to do that. I want that to be amazing, But then after that, I want to be done and I want to be able to go on my own and go do my own music and go start this process because there was no there was no knew that was gonna happen, and I knew that, and so I was like, let's be able to start to work on new things right. So then we were able to work it out. I was supposed to be under my music contract for another year year and a half with Nickelodeon, but we worked it out. We gave them some sweet stuff in one lane, and I got that in the other lane. And so ended up working out that I could go and start working on my own music, and I met with every record label. I was so grateful that literally all the all the record labels wanted to take a meeting with me, and I wanted to take a meeting with them, of course. And after meeting with all of them, Columbia was just was my home and I knew it. I knew that those people were my people. I felt the vibe and it just it felt so right. And so that was in the end of twenty twenty one. I'm I'm probably gonna mess up some timelines, but that's okay. And then when I was on tour final leg of Dream the Tour in twenty twenty two, my core team from Colombia, I had not signed with them yet. They came to tour and they came to one of my shows and after the show, we met in a VIP room. Had got to meet all of them in person. They loved the show, and that is where they brought my contract and I actually signed a paper copy. Normally nowadays you just kind of signed a digital copy and call it today, but we did a whole spectacle. I signed with them. It was awesome. It was the best day ever. And it was like here we go, let here we go. And the President of Colombia, Hey, Ron Perry, he came to the show. And like, now, at the time, I didn't know what it meant to have Ron Perry come to your show. But now now looking back, I'm like, holy shit, Ron Perry came to my Dream the tour. Okay, okay, I will take it. So then it was go time. The next week, they sent me some song demos and I liked them all. One of the song demos I actually actually still really liked to this day. And that was that was two years ago. You know, they sent me. I actually should revisit one of those that they sent me. They sent me this one that was too scary for me at the time, but now I actually think it might be perfect. Oh I got a text ready after this. Anyways, anyways, back to what I was talking about. So send me a bunch of song demos and I loved them all. Put my voice on a couple of them. Whatever, chilling move on. Then then I go and I do a couple of recording sessions. This it was fresh off of Dream the Tour. So I ended Dream the tour in March, and I started my recording sessions with Columbia and with other producers and writers. I started that in March twenty twenty two as well. So this has been two years now of making this music and now it's finally starting to see the light of day. It's been a long, long two years waiting and holding it in and Karma actually started in the beginning. Karma was not the first one that I did, but it was one of the first few that I did. I got pitched another song that I really really like, and it's a it's a very ballad, it's a power ballad. It's an incredible song. And I got to it's with the music producers rock Mafia, and they pitched this song to me and I loved it. I was like, sign me up, I will be there, right And so then what happened was this song is it's a bit of a love song but also a bit of a breakup love song, but it's it's it's essentially the song in the context is you're still in a relationship, but you're not okay, and that is kind of the context of the song. And the day that I was supposed to record that song is when I went through my breakup and with my ex, and it was very, very hard. It was our second time breaking up, and so it was somehow it was harder than the first. We had started dating again and that's when I got pitched a song and I loved it, like didn't even think twice about the story behind it. But then the day that I was supposed to record it is the day that we broke up, and I called. I called my label and I was like, I can't go to day, like I haven't stopped sobbing, I can't go. And my label was like totally fine, like understandable, we'll make it work, we'll cancel. And then somehow something else really sad. I don't remember what the second thing was, but it was almost like maybe like we had started talking again for the third time, and then we stopped talking again. And that also happened. On the next day that I was supposed to record this slow ballid breakup heardbreak situational song and I was like I can't go again, like I'm too sad, like I can't do it. And this time my label was like, you need to go, and I was like, why I can't go? And they're like, because look at the emotion you have right now, go put it into the song. And I was like, you know, right, okay, I'll go. So I go and I go, and this recording session is fine. It's not It's not the best, but it's not the worst. And then as I'm the producer, Anthonyinna goes, I have a song that I want to play for you. It feels right for you. I don't know if you can have it because it's it's an old song, and I have to get a lot of rights and I have to get a lot of people to sign off on you being able to do this song. But I think you might be the person to have this song. And she played me Karma or a version of Karma. And when I tell you, I was on my way out, ready to go sob in my car, and all of a sudden, I just sat and was like, this song is special. Karma is special. Now. This was two years ago, so I was I was eighteen still, and I was very afraid of the lyrics of Karma. I wasn't ready to say I was a bad girl. I wasn't ready to say I should have known better. If I had wish I would have never fed around another late night, another crazy mood, and I didn't think twice what it would do to you. I didn't. I didn't feel comfortable saying that yet. I didn't feel comfortable singing that yet. But I told her, I said, this song is special. I want it, but it can't be. It's never, never gonna be my first song. I was like, And I remember saying that. I was like, it's never gonna be my first song because it's too much. I was like, but but yes, like I want it and it'll eventually see the light of day with me. And this is when I was planning on my music coming out in two months. Little did I know it was gonna be two years. Anyways, So cut to I put my voice on it and we sing it as it is now, and this is the lyric saying I was a bad girl. I did some bad things and we sing it and I'm like, you know, I can't be the bad guy. I'm not. I'm not I'm not a bad girl. I can't be. And so then we did a version where you were a bad girl, and I was like, it's not hitting. Let's try she she is a bad girl. And I was like, that's the one. I love it. Then it's about anybody. And then cut to a couple of months later, we go and we do a secondary recording session on Karma because my voice had changed a little bit, expanded, shrank, a little bit of both, and so we were like, let's do another one. And I was like, you know what, I'm ready to say I was a bad girl. I'm ready to say I did some bad things. I'm ready. I'm ready. And this was only six months later, and so then we decided, we were like, all right, we're gonna stick to the plan. We're gonna do I was a bad girl. And still with this song, I still didn't think it was gonna be my first I still wasn't ready for it to be the first song that was gonna see the light of day. And then cut to December twenty twenty two. December twenty twenty two, I was like, all right, I've been doing music now for a whole year. I've got lots of songs in my back pocket, none of them are finished, but like, let's make a game plan. And I made I made it one hundred and sixty page document that I brought to my label and was like, here's the order, here's the songs, here's a video coordinating to each song. Here's what the wardrobes I want to be. Here's what I want the tour to look like. And I mean I pitched everything to the nines. We still laugh about it to this day, because I mean I really did my big one, pitching the whole whole plan for twenty plus songs, and everyone at this I was like, Okay, this is great, but like, no one's ready for this yet, And I was like, right, I just wanted everyone to know, like this where my head's at. And look, it was valid. And somehow in twenty twenty three, at the very end in twenty twenty two, at the very end of that year, somewhere in there, I did decide that, look, I want karma to come first. I want the first words that the world hears from me as an adult to be I was a bad girl. I think there's power in that. I think it gives the flip that I want to give. I think it gives the art that I want to give. Take with it what you will. Am I a bad girl? Am I good girl? You will never ever ever know? But it's art. And that's all I want to do, is all I want to do is create art. I want to create music that people can dance to, that people can enjoy, that people don't take too seriously. Do I have stories that can relate to this song, Absolutely, one hundred percent, but that's up to the viewer and the listener to decide. But I ultimately and I'm really excited to do the podcast where I get to talk about my video vision because a massive part about why I wanted Karma to come first was because of my video concept that I have. It was the first music video that I came up with out of all of my songs, this was number one, and I came up with it, and I came up with it at the very end of twenty twenty two, and we didn't make it until the very end of twenty twenty three, but that same idea stuck around, and so get ready that podcast will come next week where I deep dive into that. And it's also coming out a little bit before the music video comes out, so if you listen right away, you will get to hear a little insider on the music video before you see it. But anyways, so then cut to twenty twenty three. Somehow in twenty twenty three, I did four more recording sessions on Karma. We had six sessions on Karma. We had versions of Karma. We had different structures of Karma. I mean the bridge then when I lay me down, sad is anybody next to me? That whole part that was originally on one note that was it was a flat monotone note, and it took so long to record. We did a session just on that. So because you know, it's it's it's hard to get your voice to stick on one note on one breath for the whole line. It's it's it's tricky, but we have ended ended up getting it. And then we're like, mmm, needs a little sway to it, and so then we added a little bit of sway to it, and then you know, there's parts of Karma. The thing with Karma is as a song musically, it is at the top of my range that when I saw the pix of you and her, I felt the knife to us. That's the top of my range. And I was a beg girl. That's the bottom of my range. And so we had to stretch my voice. We had to do days where we did the low stuff days where we did the high stuff days where it was like just scream to get your voice there, like it was. It was not easy, but I am very, very proud of the song that it has become. I remember hearing it back for the first time and being like, damn, like that's a record, that that song is is that song is a record? And then and then we decided that we needed to change the production, whole production, We need to give it to it. We did just you know, a revamp, revamp because the song was originally the song was ten years old, and so we did all feel like it it was not outdated, but sound wise it felt you know, dated, and so we were like, all right, let's let's let's change it up a bit. And then it felt to today and we were like absolutely not. This never got no no way. So then it was a lot of trial and air and trial and Aaron trying this, trying that, trying this, trying that all. So I mean, we I think this is version like twenty eight or twenty nine of Karma in the production sense. Up until the very very last week. The song goes and it gets mastered. Okay, oh, this is actually kind of funny. This is so, this is a story that'll end this podcast on. But so, we were filming the music video right and I realized about midway in through this last day of the music video shoot that I gave everyone the wrong version. It's my duty to send the direct to the version, to send playback the version, to send the choreographer the version of my duty, and I picked it up. I sent them the wrong one. We have twenty eight versions of this. Luckily I sent them number twenty six, not twenty eight, and then it could have been worse, like it could have been I sent number four, you know what I mean. But what happened was then my label, after we shot the video videos done, did all the ad libs that were in the version that I sent. But then what happened was my label sent me the final version and they were like, hey, just want to confirm we're sending it to mixing. You're good. And they sent it to me and I was like, oh my god. No. I was like, this isn't right and they were like, well, this is the latest version. This is the one you lost the frood what do you mean It's all right? And I was like this isn't the one we shot the video too. And they were like, okay, which one did you shoot the video too? And I was like, well, look, there is no difference, but one, I said, there was one difference and it was the smallest, s the lightest. It was a drum in the chorus that was throwing everything off, and I was like, the version that we did in the video is a little bit better, just in this one part. It was when I saw the fix of you I was on. I felt the knife twist. It was on like literally one line. There was one drum that was slightly different, and I told my label. I was like, I don't know what it is, but I think you'll be able to find it. Like good luck, go trial it air. And about a day later they came to me and they found the one thing that was different, and then that they were like, all right, so we'll take that out and we'll send it to mixing. And I was like, perfect, send it to mix it. We are good to go, and they sent it. We got the song. The song is now up and running on social media. The song officially comes out on April fifth. It actually comes out the midnight like April fourth to April fifth. It comes out at nine pm Pacific Standard time on April fourth. I got the date tattooed on my hand as soon as I knew when it was coming out. So I have the day of Boomerang tattooed on my left hand, and then I have the date of Karma tattooed on my right hand. But I'm a little pissed because I got four or five twenty twenty four. But for me in the times when that I'm on, the song comes out at four four, twenty twenty four, So I actually have the wrong date tattooed on my hand. Kind of pissed about it, but it's fine, and all day on four to four, I'm saying, like, song comes out tonight, not song comes out tomorrow. So little little, little little TikTok about it. Definitely got the wrong date, but technically it's four or five, but for me it's four or four. Literally doesn't matter. It's being dramatic. Just let it happen. But yeah, definitely have the wrong date on my right hand. We're all gonna live. Okay. That's a little sneak peek into the making of Karma the song. It it was fun. It was hard, it was a push, it was it was good, there was There's a lot of lot of different versions of Karma that I hope one day the world maybe gets to hear. I mean, like, oh my god, imagine we released the original version. That would actually be kind of sick. I don't think anyone's done that, like released like the like demo version. Not a bad idea. Actually might take that to the label today. Anyways, I'm gonna go and I am going to go get prepared for next week's podcast where I get a deep dive into the music video of Karma. Because as much as I love this song and in the song itself, I am not and I never will be, just a singer. I've always said I'm not a singer. I'm an artist. I'm not a singer. I'm a performer because when it comes to me as a person, I thrive in the world a visual That's where I thrive. I always say my label is in charge of what you hear. I'm in charge of what you see and what you feel. And Karma music video I ran. I ran as the driver in that one, and I'm really proud of it. I've got a lot of inside scoop on it and how it came to be. So get ready because next week we are deep diving into the Karma music video and you don't want to miss It's all a little sneak peak because it comes out like two days before the music video comes out, so I'm gonna get a little bit of inside a scoop. Anyways, I love y'all. Thanks for listening, makes you come back, makes you follow me. I have a write is Showaia. Check out my website www dot Jojaswa dot com. Watch so you can dance on Fox next day on Hulu. What else? I think that's I think that's it. I think that's all my oh my, oh my tea I got for the day. I love y'all. Two says, thank you so much for listening. Everybody. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Jojosa Now podcast. Be sure to write us a review and maybe if you're feeling to leave us five stars, I'll see you next week.