JoJo - In The Dark

The singer that gave us the teen pop hits "Leave (Get Out)" and "Too Little, Too Late" is back in an unexpected way.  Instead of releasing a third album, she released a free mixtape online.  Can't Take That Away From Me has the same amount of songs as a standard album, but it's more of a way to give fans a treat while she wraps up her next project.  The single from the mixtape is "In The Dark".  As the title says, it's darker than her previous work.  Along with the music video, it's also more mature and sexual than her more innocent work.  Is this a good direction for her?  The song has it's pros and cons.

Starting with the good, the song has an amazing beat.  The verses are stripped down to the beat, bass, and vocals only.  The melody sounds seductive and smooth.  Under the chorus is a sweeping synth and piano.  The hook is a choppy and extended "I only know him in the dark".  The entire song has a relaxed, almost slow motion, feeling.

The idea of the song sounds like a radio hit, but the production completely buffers its potential.  JoJo's vocals are way too low.  The beat overpowers her voice and makes her vocals sound weak, but in reality they aren't.  The echo effect applied to the vocal track doesn't sound professional either.  The echo gives off a hollow sound that might have been intended to give the song an airy sound, but didn't quite work.  It may just be a track from a mixtape, but with the mainstream success that JoJo has already had, I would expect the song to have a much more "polished" sound.

While the production of the song is hindering, "In The Dark" is still a catchy song.  The verses standout the most.  They have a strong hip-hop beat and bass line.  You can download the song, or the entire mixtape, for free here.  JoJo's next official album is still in the works, but until then I would check out Can't Take That Away From Me.  She sounds more mature and is headed in a new direction.  Keep reading to check out the music video for "In The Dark"...