Over the Influence
A Memoir
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
A breathtakingly candid memoir by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, the chart-topping, multi-platinum recording artist behind hits like “Leave (Get Out),” “Too Little, Too Late”, and the Grammy Award-winning "Say So"
Signed to a major recording deal at just 12 years old, JoJo catapulted to the top of the pop-and-R&B-infused charts in the mid 2000's. The relatability of her youth and the appeal of her cool-girl mystique earned her millions of fans around the world. JoJo was an undeniable superstar and pop culture fixture, spanning roles in major studio films, omnipresence on Top 40 radio, frequenting magazine covers, and appearing on national TV. Then, out of the blue, everything came to a halt and JoJo seemingly stepped out of the spotlight, leaving many fans to wonder: What happened to JoJo?
In OVER THE INFLUENCE, JoJo holds nothing back as she brings her against-the-odds story of adversity and triumph to center stage. From being raised by parents who were both battling addiction and depression, to emerging victorious in a never-ending lawsuit with her record label, to putting the fragmented pieces of herself together after a maddening period of rebellion and self-betrayal, she takes the reader through the turbulent years that led her to where she is now: releasing new music under her own imprint, performing in shows and festivals around the world, headlining a Broadway show, and beyond. In this raw, behind-the-scenes look at her life, both personal and professional, JoJo’s unflinching vulnerability allows readers to connect with her on a whole new level through stories of success, heartbreak, redemption, and resilience.
More than a victory lap from an artist with over two decades in an ever-changing entertainment industry, OVER THE INFLUENCE is an unapologetic rallying cry to anyone who’s ever been terrified to fail and still said, “Count me in.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her fascinating debut, singer Levesque chronicles her rise to fame and subsequent disappearance from the spotlight. She begins with an account of her tumultuous childhood in 1990s New England as the only daughter of parents who met in Alcoholics Anonymous. Both of her parents sang and played instruments at home, and Levesque's vocal gifts became clear by age two. By 12, she'd turned down one recording contract for a better one, "scaring the shit" out of her mom as she galloped toward stardom. In bingeable, sometimes-hilarious prose, Levesque recounts the early success of her songs "Too Little, Too Late" and "Leave (Get Out)," and the humiliation of getting booed while opening for Usher in France. She balances those frothy reflections with darker subject matter, including sections on her compulsive use of alcohol and sex to escape the "discomfort of being in my own skin," and how her rapid ascent caused her mother's mental health to worsen. Whether she's discussing the 2013 lawsuit she filed against her record label for keeping her career in limbo or waxing poetic about the physical pleasures of singing, Levesque sets this celebrity memoir apart with her bracing candor and generous refusal to villainize those who've let her down. It's a memorable glimpse behind the curtain of fame.
