Whether you watched “Dance Moms” or not growing up, it seems that everyone under the age of 25 has heard the name Jojo Siwa. The 20-year-old “Dance Moms” star has taken the Internet by storm through her presence on TikTok where she has developed her brand catered towards a very young audience. JoJo has recently announced her new song “Karma” which, unlike any content she’s previously released, is being advertised for an adult audience.
Fans have commented on JoJo’s new song comparing it to a song she released in 2016 titled “Boomerang,” which in contrast to “Karma” was very kid-friendly and targeted toward a much younger audience. JoJo has seemingly been trying to market herself to an older audience in recent years through adjustments made to her brand, but “Karma” is her first big jump into a more mature era of her career.
#TBT
Siwa’s career began when she appeared on “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” which led to her becoming a prominent addition to seasons five and six of the hit show “Dance Moms.” This is where her career truly took off. JoJo was marketed as “the girl with the bow” and began building her brand selling hair bows and other accessories for small children.
Siwa signed with Nickelodeon in 2017 where she began appearing in multiple Nickelodeon shows and movies as well as releasing a wider variety of merchandise such as bedspreads and dolls.
This child-friendly brand is the one that JoJo maintained up until the last couple of years. The star slowly began to rebrand around 2021 and now is officially marking the transition into this “new era” by announcing her new single “Karma.”
Now
JoJo began to tease her new song on TikTok where she’s been posting vague video teasers hinting at a new project. These videos included behind-the-scenes clips of dance rehearsals which fans speculated to be for a music video. JoJo officially gave fans a teaser of her new song titled “Karma” on April 18 through social media.
Why the Rebrand?
So, what sparked this rebranding by JoJo? The answer is best summed up by JoJo herself in an interview with Teen Vogue in 2021. When asked about the transition into her adult career and what she wants the next phase of her brand to look like Siwa responded, “I want to move forward, and I want to age as I age.”
It can be easy for us to forget that JoJo is a real person who we are watching grow up and not simply a character. She is aging and maturing in real time, and it would be unfair to assume that her brand would not grow and evolve right along with her. I mean let’s be real, are any of us still acting the same in our twenties as we did at 14?
Have you listened to “Karma” yet? Let us know your thoughts @VALLEYmag on X!
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