JoJo Siwa Thinks She’s Invented ‘Gay Pop’ and The Internet Has Thoughts

JoJo Siwa has stirred up controversy in the gay music world in her new rebrand as a pop star by claiming that she’s invented a new genre: ‘gay pop’. 

The Dance Mums star made a bold claim in an interview with Billboard Magazine where she shared her ambition to create a new genre called ‘gay pop’.

Last week JoJo Siwa shifted from her child star image with the debut of her first adult single, ‘Karma’. Her song rebrands herself as a ‘bad girl’ where she is facing the consequences of her actions, like cheating on her partner. 

Siwa confesses, “Oh, karma’s a bitch, I should have known better.” Reflecting on her actions, she acknowledges, “If I had a wish I would have never effed around”.

Later, she sees her girlfriend hooking up with the person she cheated with, and she feels like it’s karma catching up with her: “When I saw the pics of you and her I felt the knife twist / Karma’s a bitch and she’s with you right now.”

Speaking with Billboard, JoJo Siwa expressed, “I want to start a new genre of music”. 

“They said, ‘What do you mean?’ and I said, ‘Well, it’s called gay pop.’”

Despite this claim, she cited songs like Lady Gaga’s “Applause” and Miley Cyrus’s “Can’t Be Tamed” as examples of what she considers gay pop, along with her own track “Karma.”

“I have a vision, I’ve always had it. I know what I wanna be. I know where I wanna go. I know the level, I know the craziness. I know what I want to make the world believe”, Siwa said. 

Backlash from LGBT Community

Fans of LGBTQ+ artists were quick to respond to Siwa’s claim, pointing out the longstanding tradition of ‘gay pop’ in the entertainment industry predating Siwa’s debut single, ‘Karma’.

X user @joglo__ wrote, “Hayley Kiyoko did not release Girls Like Girls in 2015 with a music video that still makes me cry to this day just for JoJo Siwa to say that she wants to invent a gay pop genre”. 

While @ViewserAlert wrote, “i’m sorry but jojo siwa claiming that she is launching gay pop as a genre is such a slap in the face to so many other artists who do it so much better”. 

One X user posted, “this is REAL gay pop, jojo siwa”, referencing a performance by drag queen BeBe Zahara Benet with ‘Jungle Kitty’. 

LGBTQ+ artists that have been performing ‘gay pop’ include the likes of Sir Elton John, Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, Ricky Martin, Miley Cyrus, Kim Petras, Girl in Red, MAY-A and Chappell Roan. 

Another X user suggested researching JoJo Siwa’s belief that “she’s the first lesbian ever”. 

Tegan and Sara Silently Diss JoJo Siwa

Musical duo Tegan and Sara weighed in on Siwa’s ‘gay pop’ statement in a TikTok video. 

Tegan and Sara Quin have identified as queer since the early days of their careers in the ’90s. Known for their songs “Closer” and “Where Does The Love Go”, the singer-songwriters have long been outspoken advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.

The openly gay twin sisters shared a silent reaction to a clip from Siwa’s recent interview with Billboard. Fans lauded the pop duo’s subtle response in the comments section of the TikTok video.

“Tegan and Sara coming back from the dead just to silently roast JoJo is exactly what I needed”, one individual wrote. 

Another TikTok user wrote, “Wait until she hears about David Bowie”.