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"Karma's a Bitch" redirects here. For the TV show, see Karma's a B*tch.
"Karma"
A fuzzy, red-toned image is illuminated by a vertical column of light cast on the bejeweled left eye of a young woman.
Single by JoJo Siwa
ReleasedApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Genre
Length3:07
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
JoJo Siwa singles chronology
"Nonstop"
(2020) 		"Karma"
(2024)

"Karma" is a song by American singer JoJo Siwa. It was released through Columbia Records on April 5, 2024, as the lead single from her upcoming debut studio album. The dance-pop and EDM track is about a woman who cheats and later sees it as karma when her girlfriend finds someone new. The music video is set on the deck of a ship and on a small tropical island, with Siwa dancing in two glittering outfits that represent her good and bad sides.

Siwa teased the song and its music video on social media prior to its release, saying she wanted to rebrand herself after performing for 11 years with a child-friendly image. The song and its accompanying music video were met with universally negative reviews from critics and social media users.

Background and release

"As I got older, I really wanted to create stuff that was gonna make the world say, 'What the hell?' And the fun thing is with 'Karma', I wanted this first breakout adult moment ... to make people's heads turn."

— Siwa at a listening party prior to the song's official release.[1]

JoJo Siwa began her career as a child star on the reality TV series Dance Moms, where she appeared from the show's fifth season to its eighth, and later found fame through her YouTube channel and her collaborations with Nickelodeon, around the time she released songs such as "Boomerang".[2] She came out as queer in January 2021 and dated two women in 2022.[3]

On March 12, 2024, Siwa teased "Karma" with a viewer discretion warning on social media, stating that it was "not made for children" and "may be disturbing or offensive to some viewers". She posted the title of "Karma" on social media on March 18, 2024 along with a snippet of the song,[4] which received negative publicity.[citation needed] Siwa stated that the Internet had "taken [her] through the frickin' wringer" while teasing the song.[5]

Siwa appeared at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a black mesh bodysuit, a fauxhawk, and makeup inspired by American rock band Kiss, where she compared her rebrand to that of Miley Cyrus in 2013 during the release of her album Bangerz.[2][6] Charlie Duncan of PinkNews described it as a "fairly jarring rebrand", while Sydney Brasil of Exclaim! opined that "she looks the same as she once did, just in darker colours".[7][8] The look became an Internet meme.[9] Siwa called "Karma" her "first breakout adult moment" after performing for 11 years with a child-friendly image. The song was released as a single on April 5, 2024.[1]

Composition

"Karma" is an upbeat dance-pop[2] and EDM song,[10] its lyrics about a protagonist regretting having cheated on her significant other after getting caught.[6][11] Strings accompany Siwa throughout the song, specifically at its beginning. In its chorus, she sings, "Karma's a bitch, I should've known better/If I had a wish, I would've never effed around".[2]

Reception

"Karma" was panned by music critics, criticizing the song and Siwa's reinvention of her brand and aesthetic.[10] Ivan Guzman, writing for Paper, called the song "raucous" and "early 2010s-esque", while drag queen Aquaria compared the song to "early-2010s Jeffree Star".[10] For Exclaim!, Sydney Brasil labelled the song as "poorly produced" with "no real hook" and wrote that Siwa did not seem fully committed to her "new ['bad girl'] persona".[8] Jason P. Frank of Vulture wrote that "Karma" had "a thumping, uninspired beat" and "faux-edgy lyrics [...] performed with all the conviction of the elementary-age students who used to be her fans".[11]

Music video

The music video for "Karma" was filmed in March 2024 & directed by Siwa with Marc Klasfeld, with choreography by Richy Jackson.[1][12] Siwa pitched the concept and choreography for the music video a year before its release. It stars Alexis Warr, the winner of So You Think You Can Dance's 17th season, on which Siwa was a judge. The music video contains lesbian themes throughout.[3]

In the video, Siwa first appears in the same black bodysuit and makeup as at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards. She is shown on a desert island, caressing another woman who is in a red sparkly bodysuit. She is then on a boat, where she is shown in a love triangle between the woman from the island and another woman, played by Warr, before again appearing on the island, where she humps the first woman.[6]

The video was met with negative reviews from critics. Hannah Dailey of Billboard called the video "truly wild" and wrote that it "marks an extreme departure from [her] kid-friendly persona".[2] As of April 15, 2024, the video has amassed over 22 million views on YouTube.

Other versions

Miley Cyrus allegedly recorded an unreleased demo of the song, originally titled "Karma's a Bitch", for her album Can't Be Tamed, but it was scrapped due to Cyrus's contract with Disney at the time.[13][14] In 2012, singer Brit Smith recorded her version of the song, originally produced by Rock Mafia and Timbaland[15] and made a music video. However, it was not officially released back then and the rights were later sold to Siwa.[16] Smith's music video was uploaded to YouTube and subsequently went viral on TikTok following Siwa's release,[17] prompting Smith to officially release her recording to streaming platforms on April 15, 2024.[18]

Charts

Chart performance for "Karma"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 93
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[20] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 76

References

  1. ^ a b c Paul, Larisha (April 5, 2024). "JoJo Siwa Is All Grown Up on New Single 'Karma'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Dailey, Hannah (April 5, 2024). "JoJo Siwa Unleashes 'Bad Girl' Rocker Persona in Wild Yacht Party 'Karma' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Kile, Meredith B. (April 4, 2024). "JoJo Siwa Talks Viral Single 'Karma' and Navigating Her New Era". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Delgado, Sara (March 12, 2024). "JoJo Siwa's First 'Not Made for Children' Single Is Called 'Karma'". Teen Vogue. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Tanaka, Stefanie (April 5, 2024). "Jojo Siwa Opens Up About New Song 'Karma,' Drastic Rebrand, Miley Cyrus Inspiration & More". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Wratten, Marcus (April 5, 2024). "JoJo Siwa's raunchy lesbian 'Karma' music video sets internet alight". PinkNews. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Duncan, Charlie (April 3, 2024). "JoJo Siwa wants a Miley Cyrus Bangerz 'moment' amid bad girl rebrand". PinkNews. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Brasil, Sydney (April 5, 2024). "Karma Is Not JoJo Siwa's Girlfriend". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Rodriguez, Mathew (April 5, 2024). "JoJo Siwa's 'Karma' Video Features Her New KISS-Inspired Look and Lots of Humping". Them. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Guzman, Ivan (April 5, 2024). "JoJo Siwa Is Here To Make History". Paper. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Frank, Jason P.; Alter, Rebecca (April 5, 2024). "Is JoJo Siwa's 'Karma' a Flop or a Flop?". Vulture. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  12. ^ Fern, Matthew (April 4, 2024). "Richy Jackson Elevates JoJo Siwa's Artistic Vision in 'Karma' Music Video" (Press release). Los Angeles: WAVY-TV. EIN Presswire. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  13. ^ Patrick, Holly (April 10, 2024). "Fans suspect Jojo Siwa's new song is scrapped Miley Cyrus hit". The Independent. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (April 8, 2024). "Erm, so JoJo Siwa's new single is apparently an old Miley Cyrus song from 2011!?". The Tab. Tab Media Ltd. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Smith, Brit [@BritSmith] (July 13, 2012). "Big thanks to @Timbaland and @Rock_Mafia for a great collaboration on #karmasabitch" (Tweet). Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Flaherty, Eileen (April 10, 2024). "JoJo Siwa's "Karma" Was Sung By Another Artist In 2012 & TikTok Is Shook". Her Campus. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  17. ^ Murray, Conor. "Artist Who Recorded JoJo Siwa's 'Karma' A Decade Ago Goes Viral—And Outcharts Siwa On iTunes". Forbes. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  18. ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (15 April 2024). "OMG! Brit Smith officially releases Karma's A B*tch on streaming after the JoJo Siwa drama". The Tab. Tab Media Ltd. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  19. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  20. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karma_(2024_song)&oldid=1219181506