JoJo kicks off the new year in a very personal way. Following the visuals for “When Love Hurts” and “Say Love,” the powerhouse singer debuts her most personal video yet for “Save My Soul.” The gripping video was directed by her friend Zelda Williams and is dedicated to JoJo’s father, who lost his battle with addiction late last year. Shot in the desert of Joshua Tree National Park in California, the song tackles all forms of addiction and its effects on people and those around them.
“‘Save My Soul’ is about addiction. Of all kinds. I wanted to convey the feeling of powerlessness I’ve felt in my life in an uncomplicated way and show a range of what it might look like for others who’ve been there,” explained JoJo. “We filmed this video about a month before my father lost his decades long battle with addiction. His death honestly felt like it came out of nowhere…and yet I had been mourning him for years…if that makes any sense. I know all too well from seeing it around me that the fight is not easy. It’s every day. All consuming. I’m not mad at my dad. I love him and I’m sad. He is my greatest heartbreak.”
Williams, whose late father Robin Williams also battled addiction, added, “To say the ‘Save My Soul’ video means a lot to me would be an understatement of stupendous proportions…it’s not even our shared experiences with addiction and loved ones who suffered from them, though that is the very real inspiration behind this song and video. ‘Save My Soul’ is Jo’s very real, very honest ode to addiction, and in her expressing her truth, I wanted to give others the opportunity to do the same.”