Who is JoJo Siwa? Dance Moms child star rebrands herself as a 'bad girl' in new single 'Karma'

JoJo Siwa has just launched her new single, Karma. The 20-year-old singer shared a bold music video for the song, rocking a KISS-inspired look which got the nod from Gene Simmons.

JoJo co-directed the clip with Marc Klasfeld. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, during an exclusive visit to the set of the video, JoJo said: "Karma, to me, is something that you do to yourself. That can be good, that can be bad, but you're always gonna get it. There's actually quite a few different meanings in the song.

"Part of it's about life and choices you make. Part of it is about things that people have done to me. Part of it might even be about things that I've done to people."

This comes less than two months after reports about the dissolution of XOMG Pop!, the girl group she assembled with her mother in 2021. “It’s like, they use you,” said one former member of the band, Leigha Sanderson, adding, “and then they throw you in the trash”. JoJo and her mother denied allegations of verbal abuse and physical duress via legal council.

JoJo got her start on the American reality TV show Dance Moms, which took a look at the lives of the children at the Abby Lee Dance Company and their mothers.

JoJo Siwa was born Joelle Joanie Siwa, in Omaha, Nebraska in 2003. She started her career as a top-5 finalist and the youngest contestant on the second season of Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, produced by Abby Lee Miller of Dance Moms fame. 

She then went on to appear on Dance Moms, beginning with auditioning for Miller's "ALDC" dance competition team in 2014 and being selected for the team in early 2015.

JoJo has also had success as a pop star for children, with the release of singles "Boomerang" (2017), "Kid in a Candy Store", "Hold the Drama” and more. 

Both JoJo and her mother were disliked by many of the contestants due to their "loud" personalities.

In 2016, JoJo released a line of hair bows in collaboration with fashion accessory and jewellery company Claire's, as she is known for wearing this accessory. The line had particular success among primary school pupils in the UK, where some schools took to banning them for various reasons. 

In 2017, she described her bows as a "symbol of power, confidence, believing-ness”. However, they were later recalled after the FDA issued a warning about dangerous levels of asbestos in a JoJo Siwa-branded cosmetics kit.

When Karma was released, social media users on X (formerly Twitter) took to the platform to share their thoughts. Some felt that the new song and the "bad girl" persona she tried to emulate weren’t authentic. 

"I’m lost for words after seeing JoJo Siwa Karma music video. If you have to tell people you’re a bad bitch, then you really are not one. What an absolute mess. I’m so embarrassed," one person said. "When Miley Cyrus did the good girl gone bad thing, it felt so authentic. Can’t deal!"

Another said: "JoJo Siwa needs to realise that the ;child star turned bad girl’ thing is done out and nobody cares at this point."

Some tweets also noted that she censored swear words. For example, "If I had a wish, I would’ve never effed around," is a line in the new song.  

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she referred to her younger fanbase, but also reflected on how she has changed as she got older.

She said: "I do have such a young fanbase, 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."