JoJo covers the Teena Marie classic, “Square Biz” and, umm...

So, when a snippet of JoJo’s cover of a Teena Marie classic hit the internet, some folk had some things to say. People were saying it didn’t sound good, that she shouldn’t have bothered, etc. Seeing such comments about JoJo made me clutch my chest and lean back in disbelief. Because JoJo is a darling.

But the more I listened to this cover, the more I think I got where some people were coming from.

JoJo’s energy and approach to “Square Biz” is completely different to Teena Marie’s, which is unsurprising to me, because JoJo and 80s Teena Marie have COMPLETLEY different voices and approaches to singing. Teena Marie approaches “Square Biz” like she’s already faded, which adds to the character of it. Where-as JoJo approaches the song like she’s fresh and ready to go.

So, let’s get to why I think some folk are unanimously in love with what JoJo did with this “Square Biz” cover. JoJo’s energy and the original instrumental are at odds. JoJo sounds good. The music sounds good. But the two aren’t really marrying together. So it’d be great to hear JoJo sing “Square Biz” with a new arrangement and production which really compliments her voice, singing style and approach to the song, to make it hers; just as she did with her masterful covers of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture” and Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home”.

This is why when I was seeing talk of everybody (including JoJo) talking about her playing Lady T in a biopic, I screwed my face. JoJo sounds nothing like her. JoJo was only being put in that mix because of the parallels between her and Teena Marie on paper; both being white women singing Black ass music, that many thought was Black when they heard them the radio.

And if this Teena Marie biopic ever goes ahead? Joanna, don’t do it gurl. But you should absolutely put out a cover album with a different version of “Square Biz” on it.

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💿 Album reviews: December Baby | Good to Know (Acoustic) | Good to Know | #LoveJo | Can’t Take That Away From Me
📀 Special Edition: The in-between | a makeshift album of unreleased JoJo material
🔙 Flashback Friday: That time JoJo kicked deadbeats and wigs to the curb at the age of 13