"When Love Hurts" is a song recorded by American recording artist JoJo that was intended for her third studio album, Mad Love (2016), (though didn't actually end up on it) and is included on her "tringle" (triple single) extended play (EP), III. (2015). The song was written by Ammar Malik, Benny Blanco, Daniel Omelio, Jason Evigan, creative team "The XX" and Ryn Weaver, while Blanco and Evigan also handled the production. "When Love Hurts" was the first song from the tringle to be promoted to radio via Atlantic Records.[3][4] An official remix package was released on October 2, 2015.[5] The song officially impacted Mainstream radio in the U.S. on November 17, 2015.[6]
Composition
"When Love Hurts" is an uptempo house[1][2] and dance[3] song with a duration of three minutes and thiry-five seconds (3:35). It is instrumented by piano and synthesizers and features layered vocals. Lyrically, the song is about being moved by a strong emotion and fighting for things we love, even when it hurts.[3]
Critical reception
Billboard praised "When Love Hurts" as the "most vivacious" song on the EP and declared it a "banger worth a thousand disco balls."[7] Carolyn Menyes of MusicTimes gave a more mixed review, writing that the song was "the least stunning of the three," but that it was the most mainstream-friendly and succeeds at making the listener dance.[8]
The music video for "When Love Hurts" was shot on September 1 and was directed by Patrick "Embryo" Tapu.[9] It premiered September 28, 2015 through MTV. The video features JoJo and various backup dancers performing the vogue and a "finger tutting" dance in an abandoned warehouse.[10][11]
