Jojo Siwa’s “bad girl” rebranding is inauthentic at best and pathetic at worst. “Karma” was supposed to mark her entrance into a rebellious adulthood, but don’t forget that this is the same girl who sold large, colorful, girly bows at Walmart. Siwa claims that she wrote “Karma” herself, despite her name not showing up on writing credits. Worse, the Internet found a 2012 music video of Brit Smith singing the exact same song, bar for bar. Siwa speaks about the song as if she spent months writing it, pouring her creative spirit into the lyrics, yet it’s all a farse.
On “Karma,” Siwa said “This song is special, ‘Karma’ is special. This was 2 years ago, so I was, I was 18 still. I was very afraid of the lyrics of ‘Karma.’ I wasn’t ready to say ‘I was a bad girl.’ I wasn’t ready to say ‘I should’ve known better / If I had a wish I would’ve never effed around,’ ‘Another late night, another crazy mood / And I didn’t think twice what it would do to you.’ I didn’t feel comfortable saying that yet, I didn’t feel comfortable singing that yet.” Miss Siwa, you didn’t even write it. The song is over a decade old. There are also rumors that the song was originally meant for Miley Cyrus, who Siwa compares her intense “switch” to.
Dressed in a sparkly black and white bodysuit with Gene Simmons-esque makeup (she claimed not to know who Gene Simmons was!), Siwa’s claims of originality and shocking authenticity are baseless. She said that she wanted to invent a new genre of music called “gay pop,” which is just downright offensive, as gay pop already exists. Iconic artists such as Tegan & Sara, Hayley Kiyoko, Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, and Charli XCX are gay pop artists who pay homage to the frontiers of gay pop – David Bowie, Elton John, Little Richard, and more. Siwa cannot invent what already exists, but she sure can take credit for it in every interview she does.
Her rebrand is incredibly inauthentic and flat-out disappointing. There is no shock value in stealing concepts from other artists, including an entire song, and claiming to be a “bad girl.” She has become the laughingstock of the Internet, and no one can tolerate her blatant disregard for artists who came before her. You can paint a pink sequined outfit black, but that doesn’t make it radical.
