Joanna “JoJo” Levesque is a singer, songwriter, actress, and now an author. The multi-hyphenate talent has announced her new book, Over the Influence: A Memoir, out Sept. 17 via Hachette Books.
The memoir, penned solely by JoJo, takes readers on a tumultuous journey through her personal and professional life — from being raised by parents who battled addiction and depression to her legal battle with her former record label, Blackground Records, in which she won the lawsuit, allowing her to be freed from the company and its imprint.
Over the Influence also gives readers a first-hand account of “putting the fragmented pieces of herself together after a maddening period of rebellion and self-betrayal” and brings them up to speed on where she is now in her life—both on and off stage.
According to an Instagram post by JoJo, she first started working on the book nearly two years ago when she was planning a 20th anniversary celebration for her self-titled debut album, which was released June 22, 2004.
“This book is for anyone who has ever felt disillusioned, disconnected, but underneath it all determined to find themselves and a new way of being,” she wrote. “A couple of years ago, when I realized it would be the 20th anniversary of my first album this year, I started jotting down the framework for what would become this book about my life so far,” she continued.
“This is a story of addiction, generational trauma, fame on a developing brain, lies, love, stamina, spirituality, resilience, and reinventions. It’s insight into the evolving music industry over the part of the past two decades and a cautionary tale that I want to be the one to tell.”
She concluded, “I wrote every single word of what you will read and I’m [not gonna lie] — I’m nervous. It’s the most challenging yet meaningful project I’ve taken on.”
Over the Influence is available for pre-order in the following formats: hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.