Throughout her childhood fame,Siwa remained pastel-clad,relentlessly positive and wholesome.
Now 20 years old,Siwa is testing out a new persona – more sexy than wholesome. This is abundantly clear from her latest single,Karma,which was released in early April. The sequined bows are gone,replaced by Kiss-inspired costumes and heavy gyrating.
JoJo Siwa’s latest single,Karma,has fans and critics wondering where the rainbow-ponytailed,bow-wearing girl has gone.Compiled by Bethany Rae.
Both fans and critics alike have struggled to wrap their heads around the sexually charged music video,unable to reconcile Siwa’s former ponytailed image with her new bad girl aesthetic.Rolling Stone’s described the singer’s antics as deliberately shocking. But Siwa isn’t the first child star to break out of her youthful mould,so why has this particular rebrand proved so controversial?
Wait,who is JoJo Siwa?
Joelle Joanie Siwa,better known as JoJo,broke onto the scene via theDance Moms franchise,a reality TV universe helmed by.
In 2013,she joined one of the spinoff shows,Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition.Despite only being nine,she quickly became known for her high-octane dance moves,bright personality and,perhaps most strikingly,her large bows. In 2014,she earned a spot in the fourth season ofDance Moms,strengthening her position in the cultural zeitgeist.
Shortly before turning 13,Siwa created her YouTube channel,which attracted 12 million subscribers.
After joining Dance Moms,JoJo Siwa became known for big bows and bright colours.Supplied
She also released the anti-bullying pop songBoomerang,which now has over. These moves earned her merchandising deals and a contract with Nickelodeon,for which she released more children’s songs and starred in the feature film,The J Team.
By the time she was 17,Siwa was one of. She went on to feature on the third season ofThe Masked SingerandDancing With the Stars. Notably,she was the first contestant to dance with someone of the same sex (she).
From bows to babes
Karma has been dubbed Siwa’s coming of age track,a departure from her former child-friendly vibe. In the lead-up to its release,she posted a on Instagram,advising fans it may contain sexual themes.
Siwa sings about cheating and being a “bad girl”,and in one particularly controversial scene gyrates on top of a woman. Its sexualised themes are markedly different from her previous PG-rated reputation.
FollowingKarma’s release,Siwa brought her new edgy persona to the stage,performing the track at the iHeart Radio Music Awards in Kiss-inspired make-up.
How did fans react to her rebrand?
Audiences haven’t exactly embracedKarma. described her new song as “a thumping,uninspired beat,with faux-edgy lyrics”. As for her rebrand,he said it felt performative,a mere regurgitation of previous child stars’ “good girl gone bad” transitions (think Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan).
The sexual nature ofKarmais a big contrast from Siwa’s childhood aesthetic,one that was marketed as family-friendly. Such a sudden and marked contrast had some questioning the authenticity behind her evolution,accusing the singer of and over-relying on shock value for clicks.
Then that Siwa allegedly stole the song from Miley Cyrus and,the former of which was said to have recorded a demo of the song about a decade ago. Siwa denied these claims,explaining the song had been pitched to her.
Another controversy erupted when Siwa told she invented the “gay pop” subgenre,seemingly disregarding the long list of queer pop artists preceding her. The singer corrected herself shortly after,telling she merely wanted to “be a piece in making it bigger than it already is”.
What could the backlash say about us?
Siwa’s former dance instructor,Miller,has defended the young star,arguing she’s always been outspoken and confident.
“I think it’s JoJo with paint on her face and a fabulous costume. It’s always been JoJo,” she. “I don’t know if it’s so much of a rebranding,but just maturing,getting older,wanting to show another side of her.”
Siwa isn’t the first former child star who has drawn criticism for a rapid pivot. Miley Cyrus experienced the same in herBangerzera,Britney Spears was chastised after,and Justin Bieber’s transition from teeny-bopper to more tattooed masc energy lost him fans.
argued that derision for Siwa’sKarma is “ultimately about a misogynistic refusal to let female pop stars grow up – at least without forcing them into rigid parameters of what that adulthood looks like”.
But ultimately,everyone has to grow up,even the most rainbow-coloured and bow-wearing among us.
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