People of all generations are pretty divided when it comes to answering this question: Is JoJo Siwa the next gay icon?
Before it was even released, Siwa’s song “Karma” had already reached a Billboard chart, according to Forbes. Currently, it does not appear to be sitting in the top 200.
But it is not necessarily the song that is going viral; it is the music video and Siwa’s interviews.
“I’m going from child star to artist,” Siwa said. “No one has made this dramatic of a change yet in my generation.”
Siwa also explained to Billboard that she wanted to start a new genre of music called “gay pop.” This started an uproar online because people felt as if she did not take into account people like Freddie Mercury, Prince or even David Bowie.
“There are many artists that have been creating music for the queer community out of true passion and personal experiences,” said Kai Williams, a Spanish and music major and member of GC’s Pride Alliance. “Not to say artists cannot rebrand themselves, but that typically happens due to a significant change with the artist. Jojo Siwa’s rebrand seems too much of a coincidence.”
The internet also had a big reaction when finding out “Karma” was not even written by Siwa. Instead, it was written by songwriters Antonina Armato, Tim James and Desmond Child, according to TODAY. When asked to address the situation, Siwa responded by saying there is no such thing as stealing.
“Other than identifying as queer and referencing liking women in a song she didn’t write, she has done nothing for the queer community to be comparable to the lyrical and musical geniuses, such as Prince and Bowie,” said FIRST NAME Gunter, a YEAR MAJOR major. “She speaks highly of the entertainment industry, and some of her most notable mentors are people who are known for profiting off of children.”
The backlash does not stop there. Siwa’s music video, which featured her kissing and sexually dancing with a handful of women, caused chaos online.
“Her music video was not a dramatic shift whatsoever,” Gunter said. “Everything identifiable about JoJo Siwa was in the ‘Karma’ music video. The extreme choreography, the slick-back hair, the wild colors and over-the-top wardrobe is the old JoJo Siwa. The only thing different was that she was outwardly queer.”
Siwa receiving all this backlash has people concerned that it is not possible to rebrand yourself.
“I do not believe JoJo Siwa is a ‘gay icon’ or invented gay pop or anything like that,” Williams said. “I feel as though she has rebranded herself out of a previously failed marketing plan and is trying to target a certain audience but not knowing how.”
“I think JoJo Siwa had the perfect opportunity to go from an artist primarily praised by children to appealing to an older demographic,” Gunter said. “But as of right now, there is nothing of substance for an audience to relate to. Even her social media presence isn’t relatable. Yes, we’ve seen her cry over life stress on TikTok— but while she was sitting in her Lamborghini. It’s hard for oppressed communities to relate to.”
Not everyone is hating on Siwa, though. Some people think she is doing good for the LGBTQ+ community or that she is just seemingly harmless.
“Before anything, I need to point out that we [the community reacting to celebrities] have a tendency to ridicule openly queer celebrities and hold them to certain standards we would never expect of non-queer celebrities,” said Diana Cazacu, a sophomore art and philosophy major and the PR manager for the Pride Alliance. “In some queer circles [typically the faces of the community], JoJo Siwa is the newest icon and a rising gay star. In others [typically more underground parts of the community], she is seldom thought about.”
Siwa’s song “Karma” did not receive the love Siwa thought it would, and she has been brutally attacked online.
“I think queer celebrities should be able to make queer content without a guillotine hanging above them if they represent the queer community ‘incorrectly,’” Cazacu said. “I may not personally be a fan of JoJo Siwa and criticize her for acting as if she is the first queer person to do what she is doing, but ultimately, she is making music regarding her identity that some queer people enjoy and might connect with. If JoJo Siwa is the newest gay icon, time will tell, and she will prove herself memorably associated with queerness.”
People have very strong opinions on Siwa, from her slick-back ponies to her makeup in her new music video. Whether or not Siwa is a gay icon is yet to be determined.
