Interview: JoJo Siwa Talks ‘D.R.E.A.M. The Tour’ & New Music

Mike Wass | November 20, 2019 2:35 pm
JoJo Siwa's 'Celebrate' EP
Kid-friendly bops! Teen sensation JoJo Siwa drops her second EP, 'Celebrate.'

In addition to being a wildly popular Nickelodeon star and YouTube sensation, JoJo Siwa is also a budding pop artist. The 16-year-old has already released two EPs — Celebrate and D.R.E.A.M. — and embarked on one of 2019’s most successful tours. In fact, 80 of the whopping 96 dates of D.R.E.A.M. The Tour sold out. Which is why the teen mogul is bringing it back for another 50 shows in 2020 (see all the dates and buy tickets here). Oh, and she’s also starring in her very own TV special, which airs on Nickelodeon on November 22.

I recent spoke with JoJo about her new concert dates, and she explained that D.R.E.A.M. The Tour has undergone radical changes including new costumes, new props, new lighting and new songs. Speaking of which, the “Boomerang” hitmaker also revealed that she has recorded nine new tracks and is in the very early stages of thinking about an album. Other topics of conversation included her custom-wrapped car, connecting with fans and managing unkind comments on social media. Get to know JoJo a little better in our Q&A below.

You have some exciting tour news. How long have you been planning the next leg of D.R.E.A.M. The Tour?

I’m a terrible secret keeper. No, wait, that’s a lie. I’m a really good secret keeper. If my friend tells me a super serious secret and she really doesn’t want it to be told, then obviously, I’m not going to tell. But stuff like this, where it’s really exciting, and I’m really happy to share with it the world. It was really difficult for me to keep it a secret, but it’s been about three months now that I’ve known about this.

How is it different from your last tour?

The thing is, it is still D.R.E.A.M. The Tour. But we are making sure that there are incredible changes to it. We’re going to elevate the show to a level that I didn’t think was possible. We’re going to upgrade everything. We’re going to add a couple of new songs. We’re going to change costumes, change props, change lighting, change the scenes. We’re going to add a whole new world into it. There is going to be a lot that’s different, but it is going to be based around the same thing.

Did you add extra shows due to fan demand?

Yes! They want to see more and I want to give them a different show. A lot of people — over 500,000 people — have already seen it. I want to make sure that I’m giving people a reason to come back to see what’s new.

Does this also mean that you have some new music coming?

I do. I have actually nine new songs that are already done, that are coming out hopefully soon.

Are you releasing an album or another EP?

I think I’m going to release them slowly. I don’t think I will release them all and then go away for a year and go work on more stuff. I wanted people to keep being excited because new things keep coming out.

Is the sound the same as your previous songs?

It’s not. I’m trying to bring real music, instruments, back into my music. That’s what I’m trying to do with my new stuff, is make sure that it is going to be based around real music.

Have you started thinking about an album?

That is on the horizon and I do have a timeline in my head with it, but that’s definitely in the future. It’s not currently.

I was recently in West Hollywood and saw you driving a car that was covered in your face.

That was definitely my car. That’s what I drive around town in.

Really?

I’m dead serious. [Laughs]. Why would I lie about that?

How did that come about?

I don’t know which one you saw but I have two cars. I have one where my entire face is all over the car, then I have another car that I call my dream car because the whole car is literally D.R.E.A.M. The Tour. It’s an incredible car. I love it so much. Depending on the one that you saw, both of them I just got them wrapped, paid for it, and drove away.

Do you like driving?

I love it. It’s so fun. I have a blast driving.

You’re not scared in LA? The traffic is crazy.

It’s really weird because everyone says that. The thing is this is the only place that I have driven. I don’t have anything to compare it to. Therefore, it’s all I know. So you don’t know the difference because all you know is the one that you know.

Can you tell me about your upcoming TV special?

It’s really exciting! Nickelodeon and I, we created three TV specials. The first one was digital. We did a whole bunch of digital video, digital content to show people the behind the scenes of the tour, and what tour life is like. That was really fun. I enjoyed that very much. Then we created a behind-the-scenes look into tour life and that was the last TV special that aired. This one is now at my concert. This one is really what my show is and what my show is about. That’s why this one is my favorite documentary.

Is it the whole show?

It’s all just the concert. Anyone who hasn’t seen it will get to see the show and anybody who wants to re-see it can do so. There’s also a lot of behind the scenes tour in it.

How do you feel about being so open on social media?

My life is pretty incredible and I have fun every day in my life. For me, it’s really cool that I get to bring people along on this journey with me of my life.

How did you get so many YouTube followers?

For me, it’s about being genuine. For me, it’s about being real in who I am. I think that translates and I think kids like it when things are relatable. I feel like I’m relatable.

People can also be a little unkind on social media.

Yes.

How do you manage that?

Honestly, it can be tough because people are just so mean sometimes. My thing is there’s so many really nice people that there’s no reason to let the mean people overrule the nice people.

That’s a good attitude. What’s your favorite song to perform on the tour?

My favorite song to perform? Oh boy. I think probably, “High Top Shoes.” That’s my favorite of my songs. It is one of the hardest of my songs to perform live but it really is so fun.

Why is it the hardest?

It just requires a lot of energy. They all do, but “High Top Shoes” is tough. It’s also in the middle of the show. It’s literally the middle song. That’s also makes it hard.

Congratulations on the new tour dates. Good luck!

Thank you so much.

How did you discover JoJo’s music? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!