JoJo's New Single Should Put Her Back On The Map

Get hyped: On Thursday morning, JoJo's new single, "When Love Hurts," leaked online, just one day ahead of its scheduled Aug. 21 premiere. The big-voiced singer — who first hit it big with "Leave (Get Out)" in 2004 when she was only 13 years old — is hoping the uplifting dance tune will put her back on the map. If you're wondering why we haven't heard much from JoJo in recent years, you're not alone. According to BuzzFeed, after the premiere of her sophomore album, The High Road, in 2006, JoJo entered a frustrating, seven-year legal battle with her former record label, which almost completely prevented her from putting out new music. Fortunately, she was released from her contract in Dec. 2013 and signed a new deal with Atlantic Records. Now, she's finally ready to make a comeback.

JoJo will officially debut two other singles alongside "When Love Hurts" on Friday: "Say Love" and "Save My Soul." However, as the now 24-year-old artist explained during an interview with a San Francisco radio station on Wednesday, "When Love Hurts" will be the first single to be sent to pop radio. On the emotional track's first verse and pre-chorus, JoJo sings about going through a rough patch with her partner:

It's like we speak a different language

These double-sided conversations set me up

Keep dodging bullets in the bedroom

But neither one will ever say we've had enough

Help, I can't tell if we're bending until we

Break down, say it now, we're through

The soaring chorus really allows JoJo to show off her powerhouse pipes — and they're as impressive as ever:

When love hurts, baby

Yeah, that's how you know it's real

When love hurts

Yeah, that's how you know it

Yeah, that's how you know

When love hurts, baby

Yeah, that's how you know it's real

When love hurts

Yeah, that's how you know it

Yeah, that's how you know it's real

JoJo recently told Idolator that "When Love Hurts" was produced by Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Rihanna) and Jason Evigan (Demi Lovato, Fifth Harmony), two majorly in-demand pop music hit-makers. She also revealed that she's finished recording her new album (which she described as a mix of genres), but still needs to decide on the final track list. The overarching theme of the upcoming project is, unsurprisingly, love. She explained:

... I think the album is infused with my favorite subject, which is love. Love of all different areas — romantic love, sexual love, self love. That’s my favorite thing to sing about. That’s what moves me the most. Love is the illest drug I’ve ever tried.

"When Love Hurts," "Say Love," and "Save My Soul" hit iTunes on Aug. 21. However, all three songs are available to stream on JoJo's official website now.