Eden Havel | Head Editor & Newsroom Manager
May 15, 2024
Say goodbye to the signature relaxed-neon fashion and lasso-like ponytail—there’s a new Jojo in town. Jojo Siwa has entered a new era, introducing her new and improved edge with her most recently released song, “Karma”. The song signifies a departure from her most recent tracks, like “Boomerang” and “Bop!” Jojo’s viral song and dance, and even more dramatic music video, compose the essence of her message to the world.
“I want it to be as ballsy as possible,” said the 20-year-old singer and Dance Moms star. “There is nothing more ballsy than this song.”
Jojo’s frequent choreographed crotch-grabs and pirate-like vocals have altered both Siwa’s performance styles. This “ballsy” move is reinstated in her music video—which alternates in setting between a desolate mini-island and a yacht filled with underage girls. Despite its redundancy, the music video is undeniably lengthy with Jojo’s three filmed takes repeating cyclically: Jojo dances, proceeds to sort of make out with the background dancers, body slams a woman on the beach during low tide, repeat. That being said, the video doesn’t fail to mirror the quintessence of adulting, attracting the kind of fixation that a successful rebranding launch requires.
But despite the mass media attention Jojo’s launch has garnered—has it really been successful?
“It’s awful,” said senior Layla Jessop. “It’s so awful. It’s just awful…It’s bad.”
Jojo appears to have a significant goal in place. Rather than solely recreating her image, the artist claimed to be set on inventing something greater. “The genre is—I said it back in the day when I first signed with Columbia. I said, ‘I want to start a new genre of music.’ And they said, ‘What do you mean?’ And I said well, ‘It’s called gay pop.'”
From Freddie Mercury, to Elton John, to Sam Smith, to Brandie Carlile, to Lady Gaga…fans have been intensely determined to sway Siwa on whether or not gay pop existed prior to the recent birth of her artistic expertise. It seems that the entire setup for Jojo’s new stage has garnered controversy. Whether it’s the expensive music video, the viral out-of-pocket bombs dropped in conversation, or the song itself, Jojo’s self-actualization has seemed to capture vast and negatively unsustainable publicity.
“I get secondhand embarrassment,” said senior Celine Manuel. “The amount of money they’re being paid to do this is not worth it honestly.”
In KISS attire at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Jojo briefly mentioned her personal icon Miley Cyrus as the inspiration behind her song. “I want to do what she did with Bangerz,” Siwa told Access Hollywood. “I want to have that moment. I’m flattered that the world can even compare [it to] that.” However, the world immediately corrected this statement, clarifying that they weren’t “comparing” her to Cyrus. Rather, they had made a connection.
“It’s not even her song,” stated senior Celine Manuel.
Indeed, “Karma’s a B***h” was released by Brit Smith in 2012, after Cyrus decided not to release it. Then, after it was released by Smith, it was scrapped; ultimately landing in the hands of Siwa who triumphantly claimed, “No one in my generation has made this big of a change!”
Jojo has denied stealing “Karma”, claiming that there was at least some songwriting involved on her part. “What happens is people write songs, and then they don’t do anything with them. Then, a few years later, it makes sense for another artist.” Regardless of public perception, neither Smith nor Cyrus is bothered by the song’s release, nor have they claimed it as their own. Furthermore, the choreography and music video definitely belong to Siwa—nobody seems to be eager to take credit for that.
Although there is no way to predict the road ahead for Jojo and her new song, fans remain reluctantly tuned in; interested to see what arises in the months following the song’s release. What kind of karma will “Karma” receive? Though now, it doesn’t look great, Jojo appears unphased (perhaps unaware) and continues promoting, pushing, and prodding her audiences to gain the publicity the song needs to become a hit regardless.
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