JoJo Siwa's big rebrand and debut of her new adult era, so to speak, doesn't seem to be going all too well, as her new single fails to even be the highest charting version of the song. But does it really matter?
In less than two weeks, the TikToker's music video for "Karma" has amassed over 23 million views on YouTube. And that's an impressive feat, to be sure. But Siwa's latest foray into pop music has been plagued by bizarre controversies and understandable backlash.
After it was discovered that her big song had actually been recorded (and scrapped) by a different artist over a decade ago, the public's attention largely shifted to that version.
Brit Smith's "Karma's a Bitch" finally got an official release as a result, and has majorly outshone Siwa's "Karma" on the iTunes charts in the days since. In fact, thus far, it's peaked at #5 in the U.S. (and currently ranks within the top 10 in four other countries, including nabbing the #1 spot in Norway).
According to Forbes, "Karma" ranked at #89 on the U.S. iTunes pop charts on Monday. It does not currently appear within the top 200.
There's genuine appreciation for Smith's original recording — not to mention, the narrative of a singer finally getting their due years after leaving the industry is a great one. But considering the critical response Siwa has received at every turn, it's easy to imagine at least some of this is an attempt (by the public, not Smith) to knock her down a peg or two.
Criticism against child stars trying to find their way as adults is nothing new. Siwa herself previously expressed hope that she would draw comparisons to Miley Cyrus when she rebranded with Bangerz after Hannah Montana ended. That hope was quickly shot down by people who had strong opinions about why Cyrus's rebrand ultimately worked for her, much of which revolved around the idea that it seemed authentic.
Recommendations that Siwa take a beat to learn about the industry she's trying to break into and the trailblazers who even made it possible for her to be a visibly queer, high profile persona in any corner of entertainment keep coming in hot. But ultimately, it seems likely Siwa is just going to keep doing whatever it is she wants to do.
"I am giving the world art. And they might not like it, they might hate it, but they’re enjoying it and it’s become a bit of a guilty pleasure for everyone," she said during a recent appearance on Call Her Daddy. "It is doing exactly what I wanted it to do. I wanted people’s heads to turn, I wanted people to go 'What?' I wanted people to go, 'What is she saying?'"
And with 23 million views on YouTube and counting, there's clearly an audience for whatever it is she's putting down. Will we look back on this time in her career ten years from now the same way we look back at Miley's, recognizing that everyone was just too harsh about a dramatic and unexpected change? Or even a Rebecca Black-style reflection, where people remember that everyone was dunking on someone young and just trying to have fun?
Maybe. Maybe not. But we're going to have to watch this all play out in real time all over social media for years to come either way, so might as well settle in for the ride.
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