Opinion | JoJo Siwa’s rebrand sucks

If you are as chronically online as I am, then I am sure you know about the recent rebranding that JoJo Siwa is currently attempting. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then let me explain. 

JoJo Siwa started her fame while on “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” and became a part of the “Dance Moms” cast. From there, she created songs like “Boomerang” and “Kid in a Candy Store” while also selling merchandise like her iconic bows, backpacks, clothes and other types of accessories. While this made her extremely successful, she marketed her brand towards kids. This was fine, but as she got older, her audience was still full of seven-year-olds. 

There was a sort of flip in her brand in 2021 when she publicly came out — we started to see a different and more mature side to her. This, along with her debut on “Dancing with the Stars,” made it seem like we were going to finally have the opportunity to know more about JoJo. But we were wrong. This was only the start of her downfall. 

After cutting her hair and having two very public and unsuccessful relationships, Siwa is coming in hot with a new persona — by ditching her bubbly, perky personality and becoming a true bad girl. Now, if you’re thinking that this sounds extremely cringey, you would be correct. To promote her new image, Siwa has come out with a new song called “Karma” to show that she is no longer the person she used to be.

It completely makes sense why Siwa would want to have this complete 180 as her brand. Having kids as your only audience can only take you so far, and it’s obvious that she grew out of that phase in her life. Siwa, who is super young, deserves the opportunity to grow and experiment. I’m all for a rebrand, but this one is just terrible. 

First of all, no one likes JoJo Siwa. Yes, people love to make fun of her, but I don’t think anyone likes her as a person. People hating on you can give you the fame you want, but all of that is permanent. To rebrand, you want to reach out to a different audience and connect with other people. JoJo has no real audience to connect with, making her rebrand pointless. 

It doesn’t help that JoJo is only an influencer as well. Compared to A-list celebrities, the fame of influencers is more short-term. They all come and go, and their fame is temporary. When it comes to being an influencer, people like you when you’re relatable, funny or just have an overall good vibe about you. These are things that Siwa does not have. 

With her rebrand, Siwa also came out with a new song “Karma.” Of course, I had to give it a listen and even watch the music video. The only words that I can use to describe the music video are traumatizing, confusing and somewhat erotic. From the weird sparkly outfits to the random dry humping, I can say very confidently that this was the worst music video I have ever seen. Not only was the music video bad, but the song‌ was also horrific. 

To say the least, I think that JoJo Siwa’s rebrand isn’t even a rebrand. Nothing about her has changed, and the changes that she is making are unsuccessful. While it may seem that Siwa is completely changing herself, she isn’t. She is still the same person she was three years ago. There has been no growth and no maturity shown. 

If I were JoJo Siwa, I would take my rebranding in a completely different direction. Instead of having a 2013 Miley Cyrus wannabe rebrand, I would try to do something similar to what the other girls of “Dance Moms” have done. If you look at the cast, you can see that there has been a lot of self-development, not only within themselves, but within their brand. This is something that I think Siwa hasn’t been able to do yet. I feel like she doesn’t know who she really is and is just trying to do whatever will keep her famous. 

If I were Siwa, I would have used the fame I acquired from “Dancing with the Stars” to make connections in the dance world. She is a very talented dancer, and there is no denying that. If she put herself in an environment where she could thrive, people would take her much more seriously. I think that if Siwa tried, she could make a name for herself in the dance world, whether that be choreographing, being a backup dancer or even teaching others. 

I would also stop making music or at least try to make better music. Siwa’s new song “Karma” sounds like Kidz Bop discovered curse words. Just because you’re famous does not mean that you also have to have a music career. 

Another thing that I would do if I were Siwa is experiment more with her style. For the past 10 years, the only thing we have seen her wear is outfits completely covered in sparkles and bright colors. Of course, when she was 12-13, this worked, but Siwa is almost 21 years old. She has completely outgrown this and definitely should try out different aesthetics. 

I think Siwa would strongly benefit from showing the world that she is much more than the bubbly child who wore bows in her hair. Even though she is trying to show us she is different now, she is going about it in the wrong way. To show growth and maturity, she needs to find a way to break out of the bubble that she has put herself in. Siwa obviously has the platform, but she must work on finding an audience first before going about the rebrand that she wants. 

Danae Poteat writes primarily about pop culture and current events. Write to her at dmp152@pitt.edu.