After numerous attempts to rebrand, Jojo Siwa released her single “Karma” on April 5, 2024. In the weeks leading up to the single, Siwa teased the song by showing the dance choreo, which went viral on Tiktok. With the outrageous lyrics, standout costumes, and Siwa’s persona, the “Karma” music video is truly an experience like no other.
The video starts out showing Siwa on a deserted island, foreshadowing the second verse. After this, there are many close-up shots of Siwa about to kiss three women. This leads to the first lyric, “I was a bad girl/I did some bad things.”
This then transitions to the past “Dance Moms” star singing about cheating on her past girlfriend. As she grinds on two women at once, she sings the lyrics “Thou should not lie/Thou should not cheat/Thou should not get caught/ or you’ll end up just like me.”
The chorus’ are backed up with two dance mobs as she sings the lyrics that have since gone viral on social media “Karma’s a bitch/I should’ve known better/if I had a wish/ I would’ve never effed around.”
After this, Siwa falls off the boat into the water. As she turns into a “Loch Ness Monster.” As she rolls around on the island with another woman, this is where the music video takes a turn.
Siwa’s explicit acts show that the single and music video are much more than just a rebranding of her character or her fan base, but her identity as a whole.
The song is bad. There is no arguing that. Although catchy, the lyrics lack substance, the production is boring, and the idea that it is Siwa singing the song makes it difficult to get behind. It almost feels like a failed Miley Cyrus copycat.
The point is there. Siwa is trying to rebrand herself from “Jojo with the bow bow,” a name that followed her through her teenage years as she made content for kids. Her fanbase was primarily kids and young girls. But being 20 now, Siwa wants to act like an adult, and this was her moment to do so.
But, the backlash to this song is not social media making fun of Siwa, but shaming her for who she is.
The main backlash surrounds Siwa’s explicit moves with the other women. Although the moves are uncomfortable to watch due to the choreography and the plot of the video doesn’t make sense, the backlash is backed with the tone that it is because she is with a woman instead of a man.
It is not a shock that she is with a woman. Siwa came out as queer in 2020 on Instagram Live. Since then, she has been very public with her relationships with women. The issue arose when instead of making fun of the trainwreck of a video it is, people are judging the fact that she is with a woman.
Siwa should be able to rebrand. She is an adult, she should act like it. By rebranding, she is reaching a target audience around her age. In addition to this, she is giving children the opportunity to see relationships that are different from the normal stereotype.
Overall, Siwa did some “bad things” when releasing this single. Instead of having her Miley Cyrus moment, she put herself in a situation where she would be laughed at. Instead of showing how she is an adult, she shows that she is still in her past.
