Concert Reviews

Self-love was on the setlist for the former tween pop icon during the Boston stop of her Too Much to Say Tour.

JoJo, with Emmy Meli, at Roadrunner, March 26, 2025

Early 2000s tween pop icon Joanna “JoJo” Levesque charted the Billboard Top 40 at only 13 years old. But before her rise to fame, she was a young girl growing up in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 

“Boston, welcome to the Too Much to Say Tour,” said Levesque from the stage at Roadrunner on Wednesday night. “I can’t believe I’m home.”

Levesque, 34, has had a whirlwind of a year. She published her deeply moving memoir “Over the Influence” last September, and her latest EP “NGL” dropped in January. 

Her book — written without a ghostwriter — delves into emotional stories from her past, from struggling to make friends to talking her mother down from suicidal ideation. The pop and R&B artist also describes spending 10 years in a legal battle with her record company. Since being set free in 2014, she’s been working on making music that feeds her soul. “NGL” is a vibrant sonic collection of resilience and forgiveness. 

Flashing lights, fog, and low rumbling filled Roadrunner as the audience cheered in anticipation. JoJo emerged on top of an elevated platform in a leather jacket and pants complete with an “NGL” belt buckle. 

She flashed a bright smile and danced across the stage singing “Nobody.” The high-energy bop preaches self-love and not settling. The audience swayed along to the punchy bass as Levesque sang, “Nobody gon’ love me like me.” She surveyed the room, intentionally connecting with audience members as she moved. 

Levesque looked completely at home on stage. She commanded the space with ease as only a person who grew up performing could. It seemed like the vast majority of the audience knew nearly every word to her songs as they sang along. She flew through soulful vocal runs on “Baby It’s You” and rolled her body under deep purple lights. 

On “Fresh New Sheets,” she invited fans to snap along as she poured her heart into the track about not knowing how to let love in.

“I get so attached then the comedown’s bad/ And I just end up hating me/ ‘Cause even though I love your touch/ I know that it’s way too much,” she sang with enchanting runs.

The stage lights fittingly warmed to a glimmering gold for “Gold.” Levesque delivered silky smooth vocals as she sang about an intoxicatingly sweet love. 

She crouched down at the front of the stage as fog surrounded her for the heartbreaking track “Dissolve.” Levesque began soft, and her vocals and stage lights burst as painful emotions heightened. 

“Dissolve” is off her 2021 EP “trying not to think about it.” She explained that this time was her “healing era.” It seems that this new period of her life is a self-love era where she is giving herself grace.

She transitioned into catchy electronic “Ready to Love” off her new EP about knowing your worth and what you want. The audience danced as orb lights descended from the ceiling and bounced up and down.

Levesque covered some of her favorite love songs: SZA’s “Love Galore” and Teddy Swim’s “Lose Control.” For SVW’s “Weak,” she asked for an audience volunteer to join her. She spotted a familiar face and invited Brandon Lee Harris to the stage. She had previously seen the Berklee alum perform as Michael Jackson in “MJ: The Musical” and was giddy to sing with him. Their rendition was soulful and could have passed for being pre-planned. They shared a sweet hug before Harris left the stage. 

Of course, Levesque couldn’t leave without singing her first hit single “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little Too Late.” 

Continuing the high-energy party vibes, Levesque sang the pulsating electro-pop version of “Porcelain.” The track is a stunning exploration of the beauty in imperfection and the importance of being gentle and kind to yourself. 

“Had to shed a couple layers just to feel my skin/ Porcelain/ I let it happen ’cause I’m tired of forcin’ it/ Porcelain/ And now I’m stronger than I ever been,” she sang. 

I much prefer her alternate version of the song, titled “Porcelain Reimagined,” which ditches bouncing synths for soft piano chords. The ballad centers Leveque’s soaring vocals and emotional vulnerability. I understand that she wanted to end the concert with club-like tracks, but I yearned for the depth of this other version. However, she did perform a stripped down version of “Never Say Goodbye” for her encore. 

Levesque’s performance was filled with joy, healing and self-love. She allowed herself to be vulnerable with her fans and trusted that they would embrace all of her. And what better place to be herself than back home?

Setlist for JoJo at Roadrunner, March 26, 2025

• Never Say Goodbye
• off again
• Nobody
• Baby It’s You
• Like That
• Fresh New Sheets
• Bad Habits
• Gold
• Think About You
• Marvin’s Room (Drake cover)
• Dissolve
• Ready To Love
• Start Over
• Love Galore (SZA cover)
• Weak (SVW cover)
• Lose Control (Teddy Swims cover)
• Kiss
• One Last Time
• Too Much To Say
• Leave (Get Out)
• Too Little Too Late
• Good Thing.
• Porcelain

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