JoJo Siwa and the controversy of “Karma"
By Emma Tufo
May 1, 2024
Image credit: @itsjojosiwa on Instagram
In a daring departure from her signature bows and rainbow sparkle aesthetic, JoJo Siwa captivates the internet with her striking 'rebranding.' Her latest single, “Karma,” signifies a shift towards a more mature path, sparking a storm of controversy and online criticism.
The buzz around Siwa’s new persona ignited after a TikTok video of her practicing the choreography for her “Karma” music video went viral. Her powerful moves caught many off guard, eliciting a mix of responses. It quickly became a trend to imitate her dancing somewhat mockingly. Siwa is no longer the Dance Moms star everyone is accustomed to.
“A motive for her current switch-up is she's basically just rage-baiting everyone. If you know what that is, it’s basically just she's trying to get people mad to get more views and gain popularity and it's honestly working because her music I feel like, wouldn't traditionally be popular across this age group is currently trending with which I feel like is older teens,” said sophomore economics major Emmy Heron.
Siwa wants to appeal to a more mature audience, but her fans have always been the younger generation. Now, those she’s trying to reach are confused, and do not know how to feel.
“I'm personally not a fan of JoJo Siwa. I feel like I've never really been able to connect or relate to her,” said junior hearing and speech sciences major Katerina Brown.
But attention is attention, and clicks are clicks. People may not know how to feel about the singer, but there’s no doubt the song’s viral wave on TikTok helped the news of the drop spread. “Karma” was ingrained in everyone’s brain before the video or song even dropped.
“I hadn’t even listened to the song fully and it was stuck in my head for days because of TikTok,” said junior criminology major Sarah Corbus.
The music video finally dropped on April 5, unlike anything Siwa had put out before. The production was grand, taking place on a yacht in the middle of the ocean. The storyline is intense, and the dark vibe is very different from the bright-colored, kid-friendly content she was previously known for.
Following the music video's release, publicity tours around numerous podcasts, and TikTok takeovers, more controversy erupted around the song. TikTok users dug into the internet and found the song wasn’t originally Siwa’s but was actually initially recorded by Brit Smith in 2012, according to a timeline from Forbes.
The spotlight quickly turned to Smith, prompting her to finally release the song and video after not doing so in 2012. Smith's version soared, landing at the eighth spot on the U.S. iTunes pop charts, overshadowing Siwa's rendition, according to Forbes. Siwa was ranked 89th at the time.
Many people were shocked and deceived by the fact that “Karma” was not originally Siwa’s. Reactions to the news flooded TikTok for days.
In a recent interview with Page Six, Smith expressed her happiness that people are enjoying her version of the song, stating, "It's nice to hear different interpretations of it. I was attached to my version, but it's nice to hear [Siwa’s rendition]." She also set the record straight on the drama in a TikTok video, denying any ill-will between the two.
The ongoing conversation about Siwa's rebranding has dominated for the past month. However, there doesn't seem to be any "Karma" catching up with her just yet.
The buzz around Siwa’s new persona ignited after a TikTok video of her practicing the choreography for her “Karma” music video went viral. Her powerful moves caught many off guard, eliciting a mix of responses. It quickly became a trend to imitate her dancing somewhat mockingly. Siwa is no longer the Dance Moms star everyone is accustomed to.
“A motive for her current switch-up is she's basically just rage-baiting everyone. If you know what that is, it’s basically just she's trying to get people mad to get more views and gain popularity and it's honestly working because her music I feel like, wouldn't traditionally be popular across this age group is currently trending with which I feel like is older teens,” said sophomore economics major Emmy Heron.
Siwa wants to appeal to a more mature audience, but her fans have always been the younger generation. Now, those she’s trying to reach are confused, and do not know how to feel.
“I'm personally not a fan of JoJo Siwa. I feel like I've never really been able to connect or relate to her,” said junior hearing and speech sciences major Katerina Brown.
But attention is attention, and clicks are clicks. People may not know how to feel about the singer, but there’s no doubt the song’s viral wave on TikTok helped the news of the drop spread. “Karma” was ingrained in everyone’s brain before the video or song even dropped.
“I hadn’t even listened to the song fully and it was stuck in my head for days because of TikTok,” said junior criminology major Sarah Corbus.
The music video finally dropped on April 5, unlike anything Siwa had put out before. The production was grand, taking place on a yacht in the middle of the ocean. The storyline is intense, and the dark vibe is very different from the bright-colored, kid-friendly content she was previously known for.
Following the music video's release, publicity tours around numerous podcasts, and TikTok takeovers, more controversy erupted around the song. TikTok users dug into the internet and found the song wasn’t originally Siwa’s but was actually initially recorded by Brit Smith in 2012, according to a timeline from Forbes.
The spotlight quickly turned to Smith, prompting her to finally release the song and video after not doing so in 2012. Smith's version soared, landing at the eighth spot on the U.S. iTunes pop charts, overshadowing Siwa's rendition, according to Forbes. Siwa was ranked 89th at the time.
Many people were shocked and deceived by the fact that “Karma” was not originally Siwa’s. Reactions to the news flooded TikTok for days.
In a recent interview with Page Six, Smith expressed her happiness that people are enjoying her version of the song, stating, "It's nice to hear different interpretations of it. I was attached to my version, but it's nice to hear [Siwa’s rendition]." She also set the record straight on the drama in a TikTok video, denying any ill-will between the two.
The ongoing conversation about Siwa's rebranding has dominated for the past month. However, there doesn't seem to be any "Karma" catching up with her just yet.