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JoJo Siwa has gone viral with “Karma” — the new single that serves as her rebrand from child star to “gay pop” icon — and fans have uncovered some interesting origins about the polarizing track.
Ever since walking the red carpet at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards earlier this month — dressed in full KISS-inspired costume, which she also dons in the single’s music video — Siwa, 20, has explained just how much she’s been influenced by Cyrus’ 2013 Bangerz era, in which Cyrus transitioned from Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana to bonafide pop star.
“This is what I want. [Miley] is my number one idol. I was like, ‘I want to do what she did with Bangerz. I want to have that moment.’ I’m flattered that the world even can compare [it to] that,” she told Access Hollywood on the red carpet.
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As Siwa continues to promote “Karma,” the public has had a mixed reaction. Some believe she’s trying too hard, others feel like she needs to learn more about LGBTQIA+ music history – Siwa, who came out as gay in 2021, recently told Billboard she “wanted to start a new genre of music … called ‘Gay Pop'” — while others still are here for the undeniably catchy earworm and love her new look.
Fans all across the board, however, are now taking to social media to attempt to piece together the origin of the song, which appears to begin with Brit Smith’s version, which was recorded in 2011, according to TikToker @hi_im_becks. Smith’s demo of the track went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday, April 10, with one user sharing a clip of Smith’s video along with the caption, “JOJO SIWA STOLE KARMA HELP.” (The vast majority of replies are fans claiming that there was no stealing involved — Siwa simply purchased the song, the social media users claim.)
As fan lore goes, after Smith’s version was scrapped in 2011, Cyrus then recorded her version of the song.
TikToker @adamtheflop did a deep dive into this theory. In his own video, which he shared earlier this week, he provided screenshots of some seemingly telling tweets. In 2012, one year after a Miley Cyrus fan account claimed they heard rumblings of a new song of hers called “Karma’s a B****,” Cyrus tweeted production team Rock Mafia to “not forget about her.” Rock Mafia — made up of producers Tim James and Antonina Armato) — replied to the “Flowers” artist in part with the hashtag, “#karmasab****.”
Moreover, @adamtheflop (real name: Adam Barrera) pointed out, the songwriters credited on Siwa’s “Karma” are none other than James, Armato and Desmond Child.
While Siwa has yet to comment on the song’s lore, she is fully committed to her more adult persona, telling Entertainment Tonight: “I do have such a young fan base, and I do have a lot of kids that look at JoJo Siwa and still follow my music from years ago. However, you know, I’m not the same that I was when I was 14. That can live on and people can know that human. But this now is 20-year-old, 21-year-old, here for a good time [JoJo]. Let’s be honest, let’s be real. Let’s make some art.”
Love or hate the Dance Moms alum, Siwa isn’t here for the judgment. After its release on Friday, April 5, the “Karma” music video is currently at 16 million views and counting.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.