Internet drama might not end your career, but it can certainly knock you off the U.S. iTunes pop charts.
JoJo Siwa has experienced all of this and more in the last couple weeks, following the release of her single “Karma”, in an attempt to shed her whimsical and child-like persona. Think: Miley Cyrus.
The 20-year-old teased snippets of the unreleased song to fans for weeks, telling Billboard April 5 that she was “so excited to bring this version of pop music back … I want to start a new genre of music … Well, it's called gay pop.”
It didn’t take long for people to start piling on, openly making fun of the former Nickelodeon and “Dance Moms” star in the comments of that video and a number of other videos since with remarks about her outfits, exaggerated dance moves and some of the statements Siwa made while promoting the single.
Then TikTok users began to pull up receipts, proof that Siwa’s single was actually recorded in 2012 by Brit Smith, then a newcomer on the scene. Many users said they felt deceived by Siwa, and immediately began siding with Smith.
“Brooo the fact that Britt Smith sang this in 2012 and it was never released so Jojo taught she could trick us all,” one user wrote. Others chimed in to say they liked Smith’s version “100% better.”
Smith’s version of “Karma” became viral in the days following the discovery, gaining traction quickly.
It is now No. 8 on the iTunes charts, knocking Siwa's version from the list altogether.
Here’s what we know.
Smith sat down with Page Six last week, confirming that she recorded the song more than a decade ago.
“Yeah, back in 2012 so it's a shock to me that it's got a new life, which is amazing. But yeah, with Rock Mafia back in the day. It was supposed to be my first single. And … things changed. And I went with ‘Provocative,’ instead. And shouldn’t have done that really. We should have gone with 'Karma.' That was my first choice,” she said.
Smith says that she left the music industry after releasing "Provocative," telling the publication that “it [Karma] hasn’t seen the light of day until now.”
Renowned producer Timbaland not only produced the unreleased single, but also starred in the music video alongside Smith. “Karma” was never released because Smith's record label at the time thought “Provocative” was the better single, causing “Karma” to take the backseat at the time. And the rest was history.
Smith said she was beyond flattered to receive compliments about her version of "Karma" so many years later, telling Page Six “That’s very nice of them to say. I just feel like it's a testament to how strong the song is itself that it stood the test of time … 12 years later.”
“I’m just happy people are hearing it and liking it,” she concludes.
Smith also said she felt like Siwa did the song justice, saying “It’s nice to hear different interpretations of it. I was attached to my version, but its nice to hear.”
While Smith doesn’t have any immediate plans to release more music, she said the positive response is making her “question” whether she should “jump back in a little bit.”
Smith has moved to capitalize off all the new-found attention in recent days, posting her official music video on YouTube, interacting with fans and keeping an eye on the charts, of course.
Its business as usual for Siwa, who continues to post about “Karma” on social media. She has yet to address the online controversy publicly.
But she did clarify her comments about “gay pop,” telling TMZ on April 10 “I definitely am not the inventor of gay pop, for sure not. But I do want to be a piece in making it bigger than it already is. I want to bring more attention to it."
Siwa says she is “happy” with “Karma” despite all the online hate she has received.
“The internet has taken me through the freaking ringer. But at the end of the day, I made the art that I wanted to, and I’m so happy, so proud, so excited to bring this version of pop music back,” she told Billboard.
Contributing: Katie Camero