JoJo Siwa facing backlash after Karma single release: Genre controversy explained

JoJo herself said it perfectly, “Karma’s a b**ch, and [she] should have known better” than to claim she invented a whole new music genre called ‘gay pop’. Continue reading for our deep dive on all the backlash JoJo Siwa is currently facing following the release of her new single, Karma.

JoJo Siwa first found fame after appearing in the hit reality TV show Dance Moms. Since then, Siwa has made a name for herself on social media and through her online drama surrounding ex-girlfriends and comments she has made online.

However, the performer has found herself at the center of major controversy following the release of her brand-new single, Karma. The song became a hit on TikTok as well as on YouTube thanks to the music video Siwa released alongside the song.

The music video amassing over 23 million views on YouTube alone in less than 2 weeks.

Since the release of Karma, Siwa has been doing the rounds on various podcasts, many of which have asked her what inspired her new look. After all, fans have come to expect to see Siwa in a colorful palette, not the dark and grungy look she is sporting in the Karma music video.

This controversy all came to a head when Siwa claimed in an interview with Billboard that Karma is a part of a whole new genre of music she wants to champion called gay pop.

“When I first signed with Columbia [Records], I said I wanted to start a new genre of music,” Siwa told Billboard News. “They said, ‘What do you mean?’ and I said, ‘It’s called “gay pop”.’ It’s like K-Pop, but it’s gay pop.’

JoJo Siwa slammed for claiming she invented a new music genre

This statement from Siwa was immediately met with backlash online, many calling the performer out for claiming gay pop is a new genre for music when the likes of Freddy Mercury and Elton John have been in the music business for decades. Both queer musicians who have been in the zeitgeist longer than she has been alive.

Of all the backlash, one particular instance that garnered the biggest response online was when openly queer pop duo Tegan & Sara duetted her comments on TikTok.

The two women don’t speak at all but their faces say it all. Siwa must be completely unaware of their decades-long musical output.

However, in a new interview with SiriusXM’s Hits 1 Miami with Mack & Jen, Siwa clarified what she meant with these initial comments.

“So, here’s the thing. Gay pop, right, is a thing that people have done, but it is not an official genre of music,” she told the program. “You know what I mean? It is a style, but it is how there’s rap, there’s rock, there’s R&B, there’s pop. Gay pop is not an official genre of music. If you look on the iTunes charts, there is no… there’s a pop chart.”

Siwa continued to elaborate on her initial comments, doubling down on the notion that anything she said would garner backlash due to the nature of the internet.

“I could say I want world peace, and everyone would be like, ‘How dare you want peace for the world…It’s kind of crazy. People ask me all the time, they’re like, Do you feel like you have to be very careful about what you say? I’m like, “No, because no matter what I say, it’s going down anyway.”