Pop culture is no stranger to the good-girl-gone-bad pipeline. From Britney Spears’ “Slave 4 U,” to Miley Cyrus’ “Bangerz,” transitioning from child stardom to adulthood is an inevitable right of passage that tells the world, “Hey, it’s time to take this girl seriously.”
With the release of her new song, “Karma,” it’s time for JoJo Siwa, former Dance Moms and Nickelodeon star, to take the bow off, let her hairline rest, and follow in the footsteps of her Disney predecessors. Except, rather than this boomerang coming back with a sexy, edgy new persona, it’s more resemblant of baby Jake Paul dressed as Gene Simmons for Halloween. “Karma” comes off as disingenuous, delusional, and did the opposite of what it set out to do. So when Siwa tells Billboard that “no one has made, in my generation, this extreme of a switch. I am the first of a generation…” I won’t say I disagree. Yes, JoJo, you are the first of a generation to alienate, confuse, and traumatize their audience to this degree. Your “extreme switch” doesn’t demonstrate a newfound maturity, but rather reveals how child stardom stunted your development – the effects of which culminate in the auditory quarter-life crisis that is “Karma.”
Becoming a stand-out performer for her sass, audacious personality, and of course, signature high-ponytail and bow, Siwa rose to fame on Dance Moms at 11 years old. Her mother’s one “mission in life [was] to make JoJo a star,” and now, it’s safe to say: mission accomplished. From 2016-2020, you could not walk into a single mall without seeing her face plastered all over accessories, clothing and makeup. It was JoJo’s world, and every American little girl was just living in it. However, after marking her music career with upbeat, child-oriented music such as “Boomerang” and “Kid in a Candy Store,” time made it increasingly apparent that this brand couldn’t last forever. There comes a point when “preteen pop star” blurs to “overgrown child.”
Signs of Siwa’s “gay pop” transition arrived in 2021 when she came out as pansexual. Though supported by the vast majority, some parents withdrew their support, prompting a decline in her child-heavy fanbase. Thus, this milestone fostered the first major demographic shift for Siwa’s content as she began documenting her romances and even letting her hair down – both a physical and symbolic switch.
But now, in 2024, it’s clear that Siwa and her PR team are trying as hard as possible to do a complete 180 with her career. To further solidify this new “bad girl” image, paparazzi have spotted her leaving Romantix, an adult store in Los Angeles, holding a giant genitalia-shaped plushy. In the “Karma” music video, she wears a revealing bodysuit while kissing and humping multiple girls. And the lyrics? They’re not very subtle. Yes, JoJo, we’re sure you were a “bad girl” who did some “bad things,” and I’m shocked that you admit how much you “effed around.” The song doesn’t give the cool-girl energy it craved, but more so sounds like a nine-year-old’s attempt to act teenage after learning the forbidden “b-word” from her older brother. If you’re going to commit to this rebrand, why choose to Kidz Bop-ify the “effed around” lyric? And please don’t make me think about the music video. When Britney Spears dropped “Toxic” or “…Baby One More Time,” yes, it was sexy and some may argue inappropriate, but it worked; it turned heads in the best way possible. JoJo, however, turned heads for all the wrong reasons. I cannot take her attempts at raunchiness seriously when they’re diluted with Disney Descendants-style choreography and bedazzled, cartoon villain-like costumes. Who’s this even for? Parents won’t let their children watch her go on a sex spree, but nobody over the age of 12 can enjoy this unironically.
Still, despite this “extreme switch,” one thing remains constant from Siwa’s time on Dance Moms: her ability to command our attention. And with more music coming soon, we’ll see if she’ll give naysayers the karma they deserve. After all, we know that she doesn’t really care about what [the haters] say, and will come back like a boomerang every time.