Too Little Too Late

For the song by the Barenaked Ladies, see Too Little Too Late (Barenaked Ladies song). For a similarly titled song, see Too Much, Too Little, Too Late.
"Too Little Too Late"
Single by JoJo
from the album The High Road
B-side "Get It Poppin'"
Released August 15, 2006
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded Cryptic Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Sony Music Studios
(New York City, New York)
Genre Pop, R&B
Length 3:41
Label Da Family, Blackground, Universal Motown
Writer(s) Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, Ruth-Anne Cunningham
Producer(s) Josh Alexander, Vincent Herbert, Billy Steinberg
JoJo singles chronology
"Not That Kinda Girl"
(2005)		 "Too Little Too Late"
(2006)		 "How to Touch a Girl"
(2006)
Music sample
Too Little Too Late

"Too Little Too Late" is a song by American recording artist JoJo. It was written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham for her second studio album, The High Road. It was co-produced by Alexander, Vincent Herbert, and Billy Steinberg. "Too Little Too Late" was released as the album's first single in North America on August 15, 2006 and in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2007.[1]

"Too Little Too Late" broke the record for the biggest jump into the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, moving from number 66 to number three in one week; this record was previously held by Mariah Carey, whose single "Loverboy" rose from number 60 to number two in August 2001.[2] However, the record was ultimately broken by Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You", which jumped from number 97 to number one on the issue dated February 7, 2009.[3]

Recording history

"Too Little Too Late" was written by Peter Mlynarczyk, who composed the music in the verse and chorus. Billy Steinberg and Ruth-Anne Cunningham worked on the lyrics and the melody for the bridge. The beginnings of "Too Little Too Late" trace back to Universal Records Executive VP of A&R Bruce Carbon, who placed a publishers ad in a trade journal saying that JoJo was looking for songs to be on her latest album. Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander sent their demo (sung by co-writer Ruth-Anne Cunningham) to Bruce's office in New York City, who then arranged a meeting between Josh, Billy, and Vincent Herbert at Blackground Records. Herbert agreed to co-produce it with Billy and Josh in September 2005.[4]

Lyrically, the song is about disappointment and getting over your first love, according to JoJo. Radio Disney played this song on their station but had to edit one short part of the song from "Come with me, stay the night" to "Come with me, stay awhile".

In late October 2007, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear recorded a version of the song in honor of bandmate Ed Droste's 29th birthday.[5]

The company Wavegroup did a cover of the song for the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore.

Vocal range

JoJo's vocal range expands from E3, to several C#5's at the chorus and two F#5's after the bridge, all in full voice. In head voice a few C#6's and an D6-E6 crescendo in whistle register at the end of the song can be heard, totaling 3 octaves of vocal range, similar to the likes of American Singer Anastacia.

Promotion and release

The single was leaked to the Internet on June 29, 2006, having been buzzed about since December 2005. JoJo first performed the single on August 15 during the Miss Teen USA broadcast. She has also performed it on TRL, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, CD USA, The Megan Mullally Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Sessions@AOL, and Music Choice.

The single was released to iTunes on September 12, 2006. Numerous mixes have been produced since the track's release in July 2006. Notable mentions are Full Phat, Josh Harris, and Raul Rincon. A remix of this song is featured on the dance video game Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party. A Spanish version of the song was released on select non-US editions of The High Road.

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Too Little Too Late" received positive reviews from music critics. Matt Collar of Allmusic also gave the song a positive review, saying "Jojo is an assured and likeable performer who can somehow embody the yin-yang persona of a suburban cheerleader slinging hip-hop attitude, as she does in the video for the ridiculously overwrought and utterly addictive lead-off single, 'Too Little Too Late'."

Alex Macpherson from The Guardian gave the song a positive review, saying "JoJo is, however, at her best when compulsively dissecting emotional situations straight out of high-school movies via the medium of big, heartfelt choruses: the wonderfully weepy pinnacle comes with the bleak resignation of 'Too Little Too Late'."[6] Evan Sawdey from PopMatters gave the song a mixed review, while the album as a whole got a negative one. "Certainly, the lead single 'Too Little Too Late' is appropriately melodramatic, covering the exact same ground that 'Leave (Get Out)' covered but without the angry chorus (if it ain't broke ...). It's something that Alanis Morissette might have recorded for her last I'm-no-longer-angry-and-therefore-am-content-with-plain-ballads album. As repackaged as it is, it actually has something that the rest of the album is sorely lacking: personality."

Chart performance

"Too Little Too Late" initially debuted at number 13 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles the week of August 19, 2006, topping the chart the week after. The following week, it jumped to the Billboard Hot 100 at number 90. By its fifth week, "Too Little Too Late" moved from number 66 to number three, making it one of the biggest jumps in Billboard history, especially for a top three entry. It is her first, and so far, only single to make it to the top ten and the top three of the Hot 100 chart. The single has sold 821,000 digital downloads as of March 2007.[7]

In the United Kingdom, the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 22 based on downloads alone two weeks before its physical CD release. This is because from 2007, the United Kingdom changed charting rules and downloaded singles can enter the UK Singles Chart at any time. When the song was released to physical CD, it went up the chart to number four, its peak position. This made it JoJo's second top five and third top ten single in the United Kingdom. The song also reached number one on the UK iTunes Top 100 Songs on January 10. With "Too Little Too Late" having spent six weeks in the top ten, and 11 weeks in the top 40, it has been named her most successful single in the United Kingdom, although "Leave (Get Out)" peaked at number two. The song also managed to stay in the top 75 until late April.

Music video

The music video was directed by Chris Robinson for HSI Productions represented by Robin Frank Management. It was filmed between May 19 and 23. Originally, a contest sponsored by JoJo's label and street team would've allowed a fan onto the set of the video to interview her personally on May 19 in Los Angeles but was cancelled at the last minute. JoJo gave fans a sneak peek of the video on June 3 in a short behind the scenes segment on CD USA.

On June 11, pictures from the set of the first scenes from the video leaked onto Wireimage.com. Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda appeared in the photos and in footage featured in the "Lights, Camera, Action (Behind the Scenes of the Video Shoot)" section on the Target exclusive The High Road bonus DVD. The full video can be accessed in "Visual Imagery (JoJo Videos)" on the DVD. The world premiere of "Too Little Too Late" was on July 17 on AOL Music's First View.

The video was given a soccer theme because it was shot during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, not because she broke up with soccer star Freddy Adu as many believed at the time.[8] On her MySpace, JoJo said she wanted to use the video to expose soccer to an audience who may be unfamiliar with the sport. UCLA Bruins men's team players Sean Alvarado, Greg Folk, Maxwell Griffin, Damon James, James Jaramillo, Jason Leopoldo, Edwige Ligonde, Mikey Meschures, Kyle Nakazawa, Eric Reed, Sal Zizzo, and former goalkeeper Eric Conner were involved in the video shoot. Initially, everyone was told by their coaches that they were needed for a Lindsay Lohan project.[9] Lead male actor Mike Zaher (who was 20 when the video was shot) commented that he would've earned over $8,000 for the three day shoot, but due to NCAA regulations, him and his teammates' status as non-professional athletes prohibited them from accepting any charges for their work in order to stay eligible for the next season.[10] Shooting took place on location at East Los Angeles College's Weingart Stadium for the soccer game scenes as well as at Universal Studios' Universal CityWalk and a house off Interstate 10.

Synopsis

The video starts with an acting sequence in which JoJo confronts her boyfriend David, played by junior defender Mike Zaher, after she spots him at a house party flirting with another girl, with a drink in his hand. In the dramatic opening scene, JoJo is very upset. The couple talk and David finally invites JoJo to an important soccer game for his team. As the video progresses, JoJo sings next to the window in her room. She walks around the room looking at photos, reminiscing about the time they spent together and how generally ungrateful he was. These shots are intercut with David playing at the important soccer game. In the video's finale, rain begins to pour on the game. We see JoJo taking down photographs of the couple and picking up a stuffed animal that David had bought her in happier times. She takes it outside and throws it in the garbage can. It is raining, proving that this is the same moment as the game and she has chosen not to attend. David's team is down one goal with 2:14 seconds remaining in the second half. As he makes the shot for the home team, JoJo sings in the rain. He is not quick enough, failing to score the tying goal and the game ends, suggesting that JoJo's absence from the game has had an unfavourable effect on his performance. The video ends with the camera zooming out and panning away from JoJo's window as the rain subsides. Noticeable in the video is a poster for the Rockcorps Boost Mobile concert at Radio City Music Hall on September 24, 2005, an ad for Q-Tip's single "For the Nasty", and the book "Riding on a Blue Note: Jazz and American Pop" by Gary Giddins, which she is reading on top of the car at the game. The fountain in front of the Universal City Hard Rock Cafe is also visible. The video for "Too Little Too Late" premiered in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2006 on The Box's Kopooka Hot. "Too Little Too Late" was released on CD on January 15, 2007, in the United Kingdom. The song was added to Radio 1's playlist, under the C-list on November 29, 2006, and was upgraded to the B-list at a later date. The video premiered on teen network The N on November 17, 2006 at 7:55 p.m. EST.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single
  1. "Too Little Too Late" (Album Version) – 3:39
  2. "Get It Poppin'" – 3:41
European CD maxi single
  1. "Too Little Too Late" – 3:47
  2. "Too Little Too Late" (Full Phatt Remix featuring Tah Mac) – 4:24
  3. "Too Little Too Late" (Full Phatt Remix) – 3:53
  4. "Too Little Too Late" (Instrumental) – 3:47
  5. "Too Little Too Late" (Video) – 4:04

Official mixes

Unofficial mixes

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2006–07) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 10
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 40
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 44
Brazil (Hot 100 Airplay)[14] 1
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[15] 66
Denmark (Tracklisten)[16] 11
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[17] 10
Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 30
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[19] 25
Ireland (IRMA)[20] 2
Italy (FIMI)[21] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 96
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 18
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 53
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[28] 28
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[29] 28
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[30] 2

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[31] Gold 35,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[32] Gold 7,500
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 200,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Year-end charts

Chart (2006) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[34] 72
Chart (2007) Position
Australian Singles Chart[35] 82
UK Singles Chart[36] 45

References

  1. ↑ chartsingles.net - Single Schedule
  2. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (September 21, 2006). "All Timberlake, All The Time On Billboard Charts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  3. ↑ Pietroluongo, Silvio; Cohen, Jonathan (January 29, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson Breaks Record For Hot 100 Jump". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  4. ↑ Billy Steinberg Talks About His Hit
  5. ↑ Daniel Rossen - Too Little Too Late (JoJo Cover)
  6. ↑ JoJo, The High Road
  7. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (March 9, 2007). "Ask Billboard: End of the 'Road'?". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
  8. ↑ http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/saltlake/2007-05-09-adu_N.htm
  9. ↑ UCLA Soccer Team Plays A New Part
  10. ↑ Picked Out Of Crowd, Player Makes Music Video Appearance
  11. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – JoJo – Too Little Too Late". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – JoJo – Too Little Too Late" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – JoJo – Too Little Too Late" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" Brasil Hot 100 Airplay for JoJo.
  15. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200705 into search.
  16. ↑ "JoJo – Too Little Too Late Hitlisten.nu" (in Danish). Tracklisten.
  17. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" European Hot 100 for JoJo.
  18. ↑ "Musicline.de – JOJO Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  19. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  20. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 8, 2007". Irish Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – JoJo – Too Little Too Late". Top Digital Download.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – JoJo – Too Little Too Late" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – JoJo – Too Little Too Late". Top 40 Singles.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – JoJo – Too Little Too Late". Singles Top 100.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – JoJo – Too Little Too Late". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "JoJo: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  27. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for JoJo.
  28. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for JoJo.
  29. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for JoJo.
  30. ↑ "JoJo – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for JoJo.
  31. ↑ NO certyear WAS PROVIDED for AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATION.
  32. ↑ THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
  33. ↑ "British single certifications – JoJo – Too Little, Too Late". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 10, 2015. Enter Too Little, Too Late in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  34. ↑ "2006 Year End Charts – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  35. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  36. ↑ "UK Year-End Charts 2007" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. ChartsPlus. Retrieved June 7, 2011.

External links

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