Childhood star Jojo Siwa, known from her reality show Dance Moms, has garnered popularity for all the wrong reasons this year. Abbie Lee's reality show “dance moms” was a hit in the mid 2000’s, and its child stars were the center of its popularity. Now grown up, Abbie Lee's proteges have diversified into adulthood, sparking interest in its fanbase. Jojo Siwa in particular used her platform to solidify herself a career in the social media and entertainment business. Her beginnings of YouTube videos after her dance career were her first efforts to make Jojo Siwa a household name.
That she did, her sky-high ponytails, iconic bows, and loud rambunctious persona landed her numerous life changing opportunities. Bookings with Kim kardashian's daughter, brand deals with Claires, and her own series of television shows. However, during the beginning of 2024 Jojo has circled fans and bystanders for more polarizing reasons. After turning 21 she vowed to be true to her identity and debut a more adult image. Though Her efforts to shed her child-like persona she's known for have been met with mixed reactions. Many fans and critics find her new image and actions to not match her wishes.
Jojo’s performance looks are no different than what she has been known for, Bold colors, glitter and ponytails. Netizens are unimpressed and a bit disappointed in the delivery of her rebrand, feeling that she's doing “bad” all wrong. Many compared Jojo to Miley Cyrus who went through a similar change in her career. Miley also went through a “bad girl” phase where she went from Disney's Hannah Montana to Miley. However, netizens feel Jojo brought nothing different to her new era of expression. Other than cringe moments like getting drunk at Disney world.
The scrutiny of Jojo's actions extends to her music as well. Her latest single ‘Karma” has been embroiled in controversy. Allegations surfaced that the song was stolen from an independent artist who released an identical track prior to Jojo's version. Sharing the same title, lyrics, and melody as Brit Smith's version, the accusations had further tainted Jojo's image with fans. Jojo’s attempts to redefine herself have not necessarily taken the hearts of her fans. The combination of her public behavior and controversy surrounding her single has led to widespread judgment and criticism. It's not uncommon for child stars to face challenges when evolving their public personas, Jojo's case highlights the difficulty of navigating that kind of transition.
Particularly in the age of social media every action is picked apart and scrutinized. It must be difficult for Jojo to be true to herself and share that with the world even though it's not resonating well with her audience. However, with some research done with her team diving into where her fans felt she went wrong. I believe there is a way for her to still embrace who she is in a way that feels authentic while catering to what her audience would like to see. But not addressing these concerns her career could potentially be jeopardized. Hopefully through this year we come to see Jojo find success in her endeavors under the public eye.
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