On her 22nd birthday, JoJo gave her fans the gift of free music with her mixtape AgápÄ“. Just days before the new year, we caught up with the singer in sunny Venice, Calif. Overlooking the beachfront boardwalk, a red-hot JoJo spoke about her André 3000-inspired single “André,” 2013 plans, and how her new puppy inspired her mixtape.
“Agape has changed my life. She is a joy,” said JoJo, who is an advocate for dog adoption. “She makes me a better person, a more patient person, more loving.”
She felt a deeper connection to the pup, who appears on the mixtape cover. “I could kind of relate to being left or mistreated and when I saw her and I looked into her eyes, I was like, ‘You’re my babe, you’re my girl,’ and I wanted to bring that spirit of unconditional love into this mixtape.”
One of the songs on AgápÄ“, “André,” was inspired by the famed OutKast rapper. “Andre’s style is something that I love. I just think the sexiest thing is when a man is himself and does his own thing, and there’s a really great example of that in André Benjamin,” said JoJo, who has had André’s 2003 album The Love Below on replay.
She plans to tour this year with her friend Leah LaBelle and has more music on the way. “There’s really encouraging, awesome things going on,” she teased.
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