Trying Not to Think About It

2021 EP by JoJo
Trying Not To Think About It
EP by
JoJo
ReleasedOctober 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
Studio
  • California
    • (Blackwood Studios; T4U Studios; Sphere Studios; Luuna’s Room; Ameraycan Recording Studios)
  • Nashville, Tennassase
    • (Prescription Songs Nashville Studios)
GenreR&B
Length32:56
Label
  • Clover Music
Warner
Producer
  • Jordan XL
  • Noise Club
  • Dernst “D Mile” Emile II
  • Nikki Flores
  • DZL
  • Rob Grimaldi
  • Joanna Levesque
  • Cardiak
  • Kevin Wu10
  • Caroline Baker
JoJo chronology
December Baby
(2020) 		Trying Not To Think About It
(2021)
Singles from trying not to think about it
  1. "Worst (I Assume)"
    Released: August 20, 2021
  2. "Anxiety (Burlinda’s Theme)"
    Released: October 1, 2021

Trying Not To Think About It is the third extended play by American singer-songwriter JoJo. It was released on October 1, 2021, by Clover Music and Warner Records. Incorporating a base core of R&B, pop and soul music, It serves as her first commercially released EP that was released both digitally and physically. JoJo co-wrote every song on the EP with the exception of B.I.D. and became JoJo's third release under her own label imprint Clover Music.

JoJo wrote and produced the EP alongside Jordan XL, Noise Club, Dernst “D Mile” Emile II, Rob Grimaldi, Cardiak, Nikki Flores and various other collaborators. Following the release of her first Christmas album "December Baby'" (2020), production began on the "time capsule project" at the start of 2021 while JoJo was writing through all the depression and anxiety she went through at the end of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its affects it had on her personal life, career and confidence as a performer.

Trying Not To Think About It was promoted through two separate tours, the promotional trying not to think about it Tour in 2021, before embarking on the worldwide JoJo Tour 2022. The EP's official lead single, "Worst (I Assume)" was released on August 20, 2021, to moderate success debuting and peaking on the Adult R&B Airplay Chart at number 25. The second single Anxiety (Burlinda's Theme) was released on the same day as the EP.

Upon its release, the EP received generally favorable reviews from music critics, reaching the top 10 on three different music publications R&B albums of the year list for 2021. Trying Not To Think About It failed debuted on the US Billboard 200, but did chart on the Top Current Album Sales chart at number 51, while also debuting at number 32 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. A vinyl LP edition of the EP was made available on November 18, 2022.

Background

On October 30, 2020, JoJo released her first Christmas album and the fifth studio album December Baby, It was released at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and failed chart on the Billboard 200.[1] Following its release, JoJo had taken time off and had began work on her next project and signed on to compete in the fifth season of The Masked Singer.[2][3][2] On May 26, 2021, JoJo was unmasked and revealed as the Black Swan and placed second as the last female standing in the competition, that night she teased a new single "Creature of Habit" to be released the next day.[4] On May 27, 2021 "Creature of Habit" was released as the lead single from the EP as well as the songs official music video premiering that same day.[5][6][7][8] In a live stream for the release of the single's music video JoJo announced her new EP "Trying Not to Think About it", she labeled the project as not an album or EP but as a capsule stating, "I really want it to exist in its own little moment, have it look a certain way, feel a certain way and sound a certain way".[9]

Trying Not to Think About It's recording commenced less than two months after the release of December Baby. The producers conducted most of their recordings at Blackwood Studios in California and scheduled additional sessions in California's T4U Studios, Sphere Studios, Luuna's Room; Ameraycan Recording Studios and the Prescription Songs Nashville Studios in Nashville, Tennassase.[10]

Reception

Critical reception

Dani Blum from Pitchfork provided a mixed review of the album, who called it her "rawest and most cohesive project to date", but also said that it "too often relies on familiar imagery".[11]

Commercial performance

Trying Not to Think About It failed to debut on the US Billboard 200, however the EP debuted on the Top Current Album Sales and Top Album Sales chart at number 51 and number 80 respectively.[12][12] The extended play also made its debut on the UK R&B Albums Chart at number 32 only spending one week on the chart.[13]

Year-end lists

Publication List Rank
Yardbarker[14] The Best R&B Albums of 2021 10
Vibe [15] The 21 Best R&B Albums of 2021 5
American Songwriter [16] The 41 Best Albums of 2021 2
Rated R&B [17] 30 Best R&B Albums of 2021 16

Promotion

After being revealed as the Black Swan and placing second on the fifth season of The Masked Singer, JoJo immediately announced the project and released the stand-alone single "Creature of Habit" to promote the upcoming project.[18] Released on May 27, 2021, JoJo described the song as "someone who feels addicted to the habit a relationship, even though they’re not truly happy in it,”. [19] Initially released as the EP's lead single, the song was eventually excluded from the final track listing and became just a stand-alone single to promote the EP.[20][21][22]

In the weeks leading up to the EP's release announcement, JoJo begun blanking everything on her Instagram page. On August 17, 2021, JoJo announced the EP for an October 1, 2021 release date, alongside the EP's artwork cover and the first single "Worst (I Assume).[23][24] JoJo also announced a set of intimate tour dates, the "Trying Not to Think About It Tour" to support the "capsule project" traveling her through New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, Philadelphia and Boston. Tiara Thomas was set to open for her on each date of the tour.[25][26]

Singles

"Worst (I Assume)" was officially released as the lead single from the EP on August 20, 2021. The song was written by JoJo alongside Tiara Thomas, Carl McCormick and Kelvin Wooten and produced by Cardiak and Kelvin Wu10. The song accompanying music video was shot in Downtown, Los Angeles and was shot in one take with director Alfredo Flores.[27] The song was written "from the protective mechanism that sometimes people have of bracing for the worst in a relationship, whether it's romantic, or professional, even though that might not be what ends up happening".[27]

Tour

Trying Not To Think About It Tour
Tour by JoJo
Promotional poster for the tour
Associated albumTrying Not to Think About It
Start dateOctober 2, 2021 (2021-10-02)
End dateOctober 11, 2021 (2021-10-11)
Legs1
No. of shows6 in North America
JoJo concert chronology

JoJo announced on her official Instagram that the Trying Not to Think About It Tour would commence immediately following the release of the EP. The tour was a six-date run of intimate live shows that visited Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Nashville & Los Angeles. It was JoJo's first time on tour since the cancelation of her 2020 Good to Know Tour, the show was set to include first time performances from JoJo's fourth studio album Good to Know. General on sale tickets went on sale on Friday, August 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.[28][29] Tiara Thomas was announced as the opening act on all tour dates.[25][30] On October 2, it was announced that due to unforeseen circumstances Tiara Thomas was no longer able to support the tour dates and only was available for the Los Angeles show.[31]

Setlist

This set list is representative of the performance on October 4, 2021, in New York City, Music Hall of Williamsburg. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the show.

  1. "World of Sunshine"
  2. "Anxiety (Burlinda’s Theme)"
  3. "Pedialyte"
  4. "Gold" (Rain Down on Me interlude)
  5. "Worst (I Assume)" (Pick Up Your Feelings Interlude)
  6. "Kiss"
  7. "Fresh New Sheets"
  8. "Lonely Hearts"
  9. "Thinking Out Loud"
  10. "Think About You"
  11. "Feel Alright"
  12. "Too Little Too Late"
  13. "Spiral SZN"
  14. "Say Love"
  15. "Marvins Room (Can't Do Better)" (Drake cover)
  16. "Dissolve"
Encore
  2. "Comeback"
  3. "Leave (Get Out)"

Tour dates

Date City Country Venue
North America[32][33]
October 2, 2021 Boston United States Sinclair
October 4, 2021 New York Music Hall of Williamsburg
October 5, 2021 Philadelphia Underground Arts
October 7, 2021 Atlanta Terminal West
October 9, 2021 Nashville Exit/In
October 11, 2021 Los Angeles El Rey

Track listing

Trying Not to Think About It [34]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."World of Sunshine" (Intro)
  • Joanna Levesque
  • Jordan Orvosh
  • Jordan XL
2:42
2."Anxiety (Burlinda’s Theme)"
  • Levesque
  • Kennedi Lykken
  • Robert McCurdy
  • Christopher Petrosino
  • Noise Club
4:05
3."Dissolve"
  • Levesque
  • Thomas Lumpkins
  • Isabella Sjöstrand
  • Dernst Emile II
  • D’Mile
3:31
4."Good Enough" (Interlude)
  • Nikki Flores
2:08
5."B.I.D."
  • Michael Holmes
  • Gracie Ella
  • DZL
3:07
6."Feel Alright"
  • Rob Grimaldi
2:56
7."Fresh New Sheets"
  • Levesque
  • Flores
  • Nikki Flores
4:59
8."Sugar & Carbs" (Interlude)
  • Levesque
  • Levesque
0:21
9."Spiral SZN"
  • Levesque
  • Nate Cyphert
  • Riley Biederer
  • Grimaldi
  • Rob Grimaldi
2:48
10."Nikki's Sound Bath" (Interlude)
  • Levesque
  • Flores
  • Nikki Flores
0:48
11."Worst (I Assume)"
  • Levesque
  • Tiara Thomas
  • Carl McCormick
  • Kelvin Wooten
  • Cardiak
  • Kelvin Wu10
3:08
12."Lift"
  • Levesque
  • James Droll
  • Caroline Baker
Caroline Baker2:23
Total length:32:56

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

Creativity and management

Performers

  • JoJo – lead vocals, background vocals, writing, producer
  • Nikki Flores – background vocals, writing, recording
  • Tommy Parker – background vocals

Technical

  • Jordan Orvosh – writing
  • Jordan XL – producer
  • Xu Zhu – recording
  • Tyler Scott – mixing
  • David K. Younghyun – mixing engineer, mixing assistant
  • Kennedi Lykken – writing
  • Robert McCurdy – writing
  • Christopher Petrosino – writing
  • Noise Club – producer, recording
  • Thomas Westly Lumpkins – writing
  • Isabella Sjöstrand – writing
  • Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II – writing, producer, recording
  • Donaldson "DC" Cenatus – mixing
  • Michael Holmes – writing
  • Gracie Ella – writing
  • DZL – producer
  • Elijah Blake – writing
  • Bianca "Blush" Atterberry – writing
  • Rob Grimaldi – writing, producer
  • JinJoo Lee – guitar
  • MoDre – bass
  • Katsuya Sezaki – guitar recording
  • Nate Cyphert – writing
  • Riley Biederer – writing
  • Tiara Thomas – writing
  • Carl McCormick – writing
  • Kelvin Wooten – writing
  • Cardiak – producer
  • Kelvin Wu10 – producer
  • Randy Urbanski – recording
  • James Droll – writing
  • Caroline Baker – writing, producer, recording
  • John Lowell Anderson – mixing engineer assistant

Charts

Chart listings for Trying Not to Think About It
Chart (2021) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[35] 56
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[36] 80

Release history

Release formats for Trying Not to Think About It
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various October 1, 2021
Digital edition [37]
October 15, 2021 CD Physical edition [38]
November 18, 2022 Vinyl [39]

References

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  2. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2024-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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  10. ^ a b Trying Not to Think About It (booklet). Clover Music/Warner. 2021.
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  21. ^ Folk, Antwane (2021-10-27). "JoJo Announces 2022 World Tour". Rated R&B. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
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