Jojo Siwa’s recent cover of one of the1980s' best songsis going viral, and thus causing some controversy. The star launched hermusiccareer back in 2016 with her first single “Boomerang,” but did a complete rebrand in 2024.
Her single “Karma” was met with a lot of backlashfrom listeners who felt she was trying too hard to be edgy. However, the negative opinions haven’t stopped Siwa from pursuing music, and she has since released another controversial song.
Jojo Siwa’s Cover Of “Bette Davis Eyes” Isn’t Landing Well With Listeners
The Viral Cover Has Been Met With A Lot Of Backlash
Unfortunately, Jojo Siwa’s cover of Kim Carnes' “Bette Davis Eyes” has not resonated with its audience. Siwa performed the song live in May, and on July 8th, she shared a clip of her recorded version on TikTok. In the video, Siwa is dressed in 1950s attire,a vast difference from her usual loud and campy style.
Siwa has since shared two more clips from the “Bette Davis Eyes” music video, even announcing on July 10th that the song will be available for streaming at midnight. However, none of the clips she’s shared have garnered a positive reaction. While Carnes' original vocals are quite raspy,listeners feel Siwa’s version is even scratchier, and it doesn’t suit her.
One user commented “This makes me wanna clear my throat and drink water.” Siwa is used to this kind of backlash for her actions; after all, she was a child on a reality TV series. However,she hasn’t let it stop herfrom releasing her version of “Bette Davis Eyes,” which she seems very proud of.
The backlash to Siwa’s cover is also tied toher recent rebrand. Siwa came out as queer in 2021 and has since been in a few relationships with women. However, on the recent season ofCelebrity Big Brother, Siwa cheated on her girlfriend, Kath Ebbs, with fellow contestant Chris Hughes.
The new style of her rebrand has upset the public asthey feel she’s leaving her authenticity behind, which she embraced throughout her career, and falling in line with the rise of conservatism, which took off in January 2025. That, on top of what they view as a subpar cover, has turned them against Siwa.
An Already Challenging Cover Song Doesn’t Couple Well With Siwa’s Vision
It’s Hard To Do “Bette Davis Eyes” Justice
In Siwa’s defense, “Bette Davis Eyes” is an incredibly difficult song to sing. There have been a handful of covers in the past, including Taylor Swift, who performed an acoustic version at herSpeak NowWorld Tour in 2011.However, she didn’t try to mimic Carnes, but instead put her own spin on it.
Since the original version is soft rock, Siwa’s just doesn’t measure up.
Siwa, on the other hand, was trying to match the vocals of the original iconic version, and it didn’t work out. Siwa also seems to be using quite a lot of autotune in her version and haschanged the production to be a little more pop.
Since the original version is soft rock, Siwa’s just doesn’t measure up. This doesn’t mean the internet’s cruel reaction toJojo Siwa’s cover is acceptable, but it does shine a light on just how iconic Carnes' version of the song is.
