Too Little Too Late

"Too Little Too Late" was written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander, and singer-songwriter Ruth-Anne Cunningham. Steinberg identified "Too Little Too Late" as one of the few songs in his career to which he contributed only after a portion of it had been written, with Alexander introducing the song to him after he had already conceived its title, as well as some of the ballad's lyrics and melody, admitting that Steinberg essentially "helped him finish writing that song and that lyric." Born in Ireland, "Too Little Too Late" was one of the first songs Cunningham was hired to write professionally after moving to Los Angeles, California from Dublin at the age of 17. Cunningham's manager at the time, Eamonn Maguire, had introduced her to Steinberg a few weeks after she relocated from Ireland. After hearing Cunningham perform one of her original songs, Steinberg invited her to co-write "Too Little Too Late", which they successfully completed by the following day during a writing session with Alexander. Upon finishing the song, Cunningham felt that it was most suitable for JoJo but the songwriters lacked the necessary contacts and resources to forward it to her at the time. Writing the song in a more urban contemporary style was a conscious decision the songwriters made after realizing pop rock songs they had written for artists such as FeFe Dobson and The Veronicas were not being particularly embraced by contemporary radio stations in the United States; Steinberg elaborated, "I enjoy writing in all different styles. But I particularly enjoy hearing my songs on the radio, and these days pop radio is playing much more urban ... So there's a lot more gratification in writing a song for an artist like JoJo that radio embraces." The singer claimed that she wanted to record the song as soon as she heard it for the first time, elaborating, "When my team heard that song, they knew I could hit the sweet spot, musically and in terms of subject matter." According to Vibe, the overall more mature, personal sentiment of the album prompted her to record "Too Little Too Late", having experienced both her first love and first heartbreak since the release of her self-titled debut album. The song was recorded at both Cryptic Studios in Los Angeles, California and Sony Music Studios in New York, New York. The songwriters later returned to the studio to co-write a second song for the album with JoJo herself, titled "How to Touch a Girl". In regards his musical style, JoJo described Steinberg as a "classic writer and producer." == Release ==

JoJo claimed that she knew she wanted the song to be the album's first single from the moment she recorded it, "Too Little Too Late" was ultimately released as the lead single from The High Road on August 15, 2006, via the Da Family/Blackground/Universal Records. "Get It Poppin'" was released as the single's B-side. A CD single was released in Europe that includes an instrumental version, two remixes produced by Full Phatt, and the music video. A remix of the 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. == Music and lyrics ==

"Too Little Too Late" is a pop and R&B breakup song about a girl ending a relationship with a boy who has mistreated her; she refuses to resume or salvage their relationship even though he begs her for a second chance. Performed at a moderately slow tempo of 80 beats per minute, A power ballad, Kelefa Sanneh, music journalist for The New York Times, observed that production-wise, the single features "airy synthesizers and synthetic-sounding strings" as opposed to loud guitars. while her vocal range on the track spans three octaves, from D3 to E6. Contributing to HuffPost, Sam Lansky concurred that the single is "more restrained but no less bitter" than "Leave (Get Out)" while remaining "a guitar-driven sigh of impotent resignation." Musically, JoJo identified "Too Little Too Late" as a pop song into which R&B elements had been incorporated using various harmonies and chord progressions, "but still kept it rock in the hook when it explodes." Instrumentally, the track also incorporates both acoustic and electric guitars. realizing she is stronger on her own despite sometimes experiencing temptations to relent due to the fact that her former partner continues to know "all the right things to say". Identified as a breakup anthem, "Too Little Too Late" features an empowering message to which most women can relate, Lyrically, the song explores some mature concepts, such as the line "you don't like me, you just like the chase." with JoJo repeating the refrain "you know it's just too little, too late" several times throughout the song. The Boston Globe's Maura Johnston described the song as "chiding" in tone, while Sam Willett of Consequence of Sound described its mood as "sassy" and a "slap-in-the-face". Describing it as simultaneously "a hate track" and "a heartbreak track", Jane Hu, a music critic for Medium, compared the song to Whitney Houston's "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (1999) as though it "were sung by a 15-year-old." Believing that "art predicted life" when she was first introduced to the track, JoJo explained, "when I started dating a few years later, I wondered if those songwriters hadn't instinctively picked up on something." ==Critical reception==

"Too Little Too Late" received positive reviews from music critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt cited "Too Little Too Late" as an example of "the best songwriting a major-label budget can buy", while Billboard identified the song as a track "that can dwell comfortably on both the pop and AC charts", appealing to "listeners of all ages." Similarly, Amazon.ca's Tammy La Gorce described the song as "addictive but not over-the-top". Another Billboard critic felt that the song was better than most singles playing on the radio at the time, lauding it as a track that "provides desperately needed balance to a top 40 landscape that is lacking a lot in the way of singable melodies." The writer also praised JoJo's vocal maturity, concluding, "With so many disappointing 'event' singles on the airwaves, radio needs this record." Crowning the song one of the best 10 "Feel-Good Break-Up Songs" in 2007, Slice contributor Nicolle Weeks joked that nothing is "more humbling than a twerpy 15-year-old who can concisely summarize the way I feel about my stunted relationship". In a more lukewarm review, Evan Sawdey from PopMatters described the track as "appropriately melodramatic," drawing similarities between it and JoJo's debut single "Leave (Get Out)" only "without the angry chorus". Sawdey described the song as "something that Alanis Morissette might have recorded for her last I'm-no-longer-angry-and-therefore-am-content-with-plain-ballads album." Similarly, People's Oliver Jones wrote that the singer "finds her musical comfort zone" singing "Too Little Too Late". Fraser M. of BBC Online described the song as "a slab of confident, sophisticated maturo-pop" but felt that the song's production grew repetitive in addition to overwhelming. The critic concluded that the song was a "catchy tune" that "lends itself well to a singalong in the car". In 2007, "Too Little Too Late" earned JoJo a Boston Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Cunningham won an ASCAP songwriting award for her contributions to the song. AwesomenessTV's Alexis Joy called the song "terrific" and "our go-to #Throwback song!". In 2016, AXS ranked "Too Little Too Late" JoJo's second best song, believing that its popularity eclipsed that of "Leave (Get Out)". In 2016, GQ's Lauren Larson crowned "Too Little Too Late" the "breakup ballad of the decade." In 2017, People wrote that "Too Little Too Late" was one of the 14 most "savage" breakup anthems ever recorded. ==Commercial performance==

"Too Little Too Late" remains JoJo's biggest hit to date. "Too Little Too Late" appeared on both Billboards pop and adult contemporary charts, "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. In its second week on the chart, "Too Little Too Late" moved from number 66 to number three due to a 121,000 increase in digital downloads, becoming the largest jump into the top-three spot in Billboard history. This broke the record previously set by American singer Mariah Carey for her song "Loverboy" (2001), It is her first and so far only single to make it to the top 10 of the Hot 100 chart. The song remains her highest-charting single on the chart. Additionally, the song peaked at number two on Mediabase. The single sold 821,000 digital downloads as of March 2007. By October 2011, "Too Little Too Late" had sold over one million copies. "Too Little Too Late" achieved success worldwide, peaking within the top 10 in six other countries outside the United States. the song is credited with launching Cunningham's songwriting career. As of 2016, Cunningham considers the success of "Too Little Too Late" the highlight of her career because it was her first song to achieve international success. ==Music video==

Background JoJo gave fans a sneak peek of the video on June 3, 2006, in a short behind-the-scenes segment on CD USA. On June 11, pictures from the set of the video leaked onto Wireimage.com. Her RV co-star Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda were also on the set and appeared in behind-the-scenes footage included on the Target exclusive The High Road bonus DVD. The music video for "Too Little Too Late" was directed by Chris Robinson, who JoJo claims had always been her first choice to direct the project; the idea to incorporate sports into the video originated from Robinson. Before deciding on soccer, JoJo considered featuring American football in the video until Robinson convinced her that soccer would have more universal appeal due to being "the biggest sport in the world." The video was filmed in spring 2006 during the playoffs. was cast as JoJo's boyfriend David in the music video. Though he was initially only intended to be featured as an extra, JoJo personally selected Zaher to play the role of her boyfriend in the video after he was screen tested. though both denied that the music video's plot had anything to do with this. == Live performances and covers ==

JoJo's first scheduled performance of the single was during the Miss Teen USA 2006, which aired on August 15, 2006. Mehek Seyid, a writer for Live in Limbo, reviewed the singer's rendition at the Mod Club in Toronto as having "attitude and confidence that defined the Billboard hit [when it] first circulated in the 2000s." In January 2017, JoJo sang verses of "Too Little Too Late" with elementary school choir the PS22 Chorus. JoJo aperformed the song throughout her "Mad Love Tour". Reviewing her performance at the O2 Academy Islington, Attitude wrote that JoJo's rendition of "Too Little Too Late" is a "reminder of the pipes that made JoJo one of pop's most promising young stars". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Jewel Wicker called her live rendition one of the show's "great moments". In late October 2007, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear recorded a version of the song in honor of bandmate Ed Droste's 29th birthday. Musician Daniel Rossen, one of the two lead vocalists of the band Grizzly Bear, covered "Too Little Too Late" live in concert in February 2009. Bandmate Ed Droste's wanted Rossen to deliver the cover "very seriously, as if he really meant all those lyrics". Stereogum described Rossen's rendition as "great, dusty and hazy and hooky". ==Track listings==

• UK and Australian CD single • "Too Little Too Late" (album version) – 3:39 • "Get It Poppin – 3:41 • German CD single • "Too Little Too Late" – 3:47 • "Too Little Too Late" (Full Phatt remix) (featuring Tah Mac) – 4:24 • "Too Little Too Late" (Full Phatt remix) – 3:53 • "Too Little Too Late" (instrumental) – 3:47 • "Too Little Too Late" (video) – 4:04 ==Credits and personnel==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The High Road. • JoJo – vocal arrangement, lead vocals, backgrounds vocals • Josh Alexander – production, recording • Vincent Herbert – production • Billy Steinberg – production • Paul Foley – recording • Dave Russell – mixing • Katia Lewin – engineering assistance • Gene Grimaldi – mastering ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==