Siwa living out lessons of her own song title as ‘karma’ bites down hard

She was a bad girl… or was she? This self-proclaimed “bad girl” was once a renowned, colorful and kid-friendly child star, but now JoJo Siwa is stripping away her Nickelodeon personality in light of her new, edgy look. Along with Siwa’s new adult-look came new music, including a single called “Karma.” This song has sparked controversy across the internet regarding both its vulgar content and seemingly unoriginal musicality. Like her song says, Siwa certainly seems to have been a “bad girl,” but perhaps not in the way she intended.

To take things back to their core, Siwa got her start on hit reality tv drama Dance Moms, where viewers quickly became enamored with her glittery outfits, high pony, huge bows, and quirky personality. While her success may have brought her immense joy and fulfillment, it also caused her an incredible amount of pressure. Growing up in the public eye, Siwa has had to navigate the challenges of balancing her career with her personal life, often sacrificing the typical experiences of childhood for the demands of fame. Being a child star has inevitably shaped Siwa’s identity and development, influencing her relationships, decision-making, and sense of self. Her abnormal childhood led her to feeling the need to break free from the personality that she was chained to for 18 years. 

Part of this rather public transition was first brought about when the star opened up about her sexuality -- something which surprised many. This sent some parents reeling, forcing their children to take a step back from their obsessions with Siwa as they felt her public queerness was something to look down upon. Siwa’s coming-out proved yet again that the world can be a hateful place, but for every morsel of negativity, she gained another fan who commended her for her honesty. Regardless, this was simply an act of self expression for Siwa -- a theme which has continued to the present-day.

Part of this attempt to remain true to herself throughout her transition into adulthood meant switching up her juvenile music style so that it would match the “adult” personality that she has been pushing for. This is what led Siwa to the announcement of her single, “Karma,” which was hinted to be far more mature than past projects of hers. Siwa continued to tease the world with her single, no doubt enjoying the shock viewers continued to display at her “maturation.” Part of this meant her performing some rather horrible dance moves that left the Internet to make a mockery of her. Of course, Siwa is familiar with such hate as for most of her life she was called a “giant toddler,” due to her kiddish persona which dates back to her Dance Moms days.

When “Karma” was finally released, the internet was left in shock. The music video included Siwa displaying some intense, hyper-sexual dance moves with girls crowding around her in every direction. Not only was the theme odd, but the costume design left the audience with a frightening image burned in their minds. Siwa’s KISS-inspired makeup was not executed as well as she had hoped, and has only furthered the mockery of her and her brand. 

Shortly after the release of the video, an unknown artist named Brit Smith came out with a statement, claiming that this song had originally been hers from 2012. The speculations began regarding Siwa’s authenticity and truthfulness with the process of ‘Karma’. To prove that she originally had rights to the song, Brit Smith brought evidence to the table, posting the original song along with a music video that she had created.

While Siwa is continuing to receive backlash for her “cringe-worthy” video, Brit Smith is obtaining many new fans and support from the Internet. People claim that the song simply sounds better coming from Brit rather than Siwa. In fact, Smith’s version has made it higher up on a number of charts than Siwa’s.

Paparazzi approached Siwa on the issue, and the frustration of the situation seems to be clouding her mind. She claims that whenever a song is written but isn’t used, it often is passed on to a different artist who fits the vibe of the song better. Siwa does stand correct regarding this fact, as many newer artists are given songs that have been previously written but never released. But, the Internet has found Siwa’s opinion questionable, as many have claimed that Smith had done a much better job at fitting the vibe of the song. Additionally, people are angered at Siwa as she has been insinuating that this song has been her’s from the very beginning, and that she had spent quite a bit of time on it. Finding out that this isn’t quite the case has caused people to lose trust in her rebrand. 

Though Siwa has had a rocky start to her new image, it seems she has definitely gathered the attention of people on social media. If Siwa has been deceitful about her new song, one could argue that the backlash she is receiving is “Karma” at its finest.

by Haniya Mecci

Published April 29 2024

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VI