I have a lockdown browser test due at midnight tonight and instead of studying and actually doing it, I am here breaking down and analyzing JoJo Siwa’s recent career moves. It is not like I do not have anything better to do, I do, but when JoJo Siwa said to Billboard, “No one has made, in my generation, this extreme of a switch. I am the first of a generation…,” I just had to take time out of my day to write about her.
With that being said, as someone who is chronically on TikTok and X, and it pains me I cannot say Twitter, I am painfully aware of Siwa’s “rebranding” that is taking place.
If you do not know who Siwa is, she is a former reality television star and professional dancer from the show “Dance Moms.” You know, the girl with the bows.
Siwa then signed to Nickelodeon and her brand of children’s entertainment really took off. Now, she wants to be one of the bad girls of pop.
I am not here to talk about her new song “Karma” and my feelings towards the song itself. I am here to discuss the strategies her and her team are executing poorly to make me believe she is really grown up.
Listen, I am all for a good PR stunt or an image shake up. I understand this is an industry and you have to make yourself standout somehow. But Siwa and her team are so doing it so poorly, it is almost insulting.
And it is not just Siwa who lacks sincerity when changing her style, there have been plenty others.
For example, Machine Gun Kelly’s (MGK) switch into Pop Punk was an embarrassment and while he did find success in that genre, real emo’s like myself were not having it and could see right through his scheme.
To promote this bad girl image, Siwa was caught by paparazzi leaving Romantix which is an adult store in Los Angeles. Obviously, I see what they are trying to do. They want us to know she is sexually active like adults tend to be. She left the store with a giant X-rated plushie because nothing screams adult like carrying around a three-foot plushie of male genitalia. Like, come on. All it does is think she went in there like a teenager going into Spencer’s because they think it’s funny.
But I think the main problem with this rebranding and plenty others is that it is so disingenuous. Like I said, I am all for artists having eras and switching up their styles and genres, but this is nothing like that.
I think what makes it so disingenuous is that it is very clear she has not grown up yet. She says “effed around” instead of the curse word in her song, she is still wearing glitter and rhinestones head to toe and the sleeve of tattoos on her arm are fake.
Not to mention, Siwa does not even have writing credits on the song. This might not matter to most people, but I do find it weird when singers talk about a song’s meaning and make it about their life and they do not even have writing credits on them.
And all she does is talk about other celebrities and their rebranding, Miley Cyrus especially.
The whole thing just seems very calculated and manufactured, and it is truly sad at how celebrities will change themselves and do these weird things for more fame and attention.
I was not ever a fan of Siwa, even when I was a hardcore “Dance Moms” fanatic, but I do not hate her. I did not write this to bash her and bully her like the rest of the internet. I honestly wish she stayed true to herself and rocked the rainbow glitter and bows if she so wished to. And if she did want to be seen as more mature because that is who she truly has become, then I wish she just did it without a single to promote and very clear PR stunts.
But, I am still aware that this is a business and people have to make it somehow. And I am no public relations expert, but I am active on X and I know what the people really want to see. So, if she still wants to rebrand and do a bunch of PR stunts to achieve that bad girl image, I have a few suggestions.
Miss Siwa, ditch the blonde hair. Dye it black or really dark brown. Next, ditch the glitter and rhinestones entirely.
Then, you have to kiss your child fanbase goodbye. If you really want to shake off that image of a child star, you have to shake off the children too. I want to see headlines of angry parents denouncing you and saying they never want their kids listening to you again. If you could get yourself on FOX News, even better.
Maybe we could get you into a PR relationship with someone older with a little bit of edge. No more social media stars, you have to get in with the real stars.
I think the best thing you can do is get in touch with Charli XCX. I know that woman could do wonders for your image and career if you get a song with her.
I genuinely hope this is a wake up call for celebrities that are lazy and obvious PR stunts will not fool the general public and drastically change the audience’s opinion. You have to be a lot smarter than that.
