Remember last year when JoJo Siwa rebranded from her kid-friendly image in favor of a “not made for children” image? Well, it seems that homegirl is rebranding yet again, but with a more distinct look and a cover of *checks notes* “Bette Davis Eyes”?
If you’ve not been keeping up with Siwa lately, let’s just say that she’s going through another reinvention phase. Siwa has been in the news based on her relationship with her Celebrity Big Brother UK castmate Chris Hughes. Not only that, but Siwa has opened up about no longer identifying as a lesbian, as she is still exploring both her gender and sexual identities. Go off, JoJo.
And when it comes to exploring, it seems as though Siwa is taking that attitude and exploring a new sound. On July 9, Siwa teased a cover of Kim Carnes’ 1981 hit “Bette Davis Eyes.” A little context for those who aren’t familiar with the song: The song pays homage to Old Hollywood actress Bette Davis. Notably, Carnes touches on the mysterious and enticing personality of a woman whom she is attracted to. However, the woman’s striking allure could be trouble in disguise, thus using her eyes to manipulate the one she becomes romantically involved with.
Siwa’s cover version is packed with a vintage aesthetic and lovey-dovey lyrics. In the clips uploaded to her Instagram and TikTok, she switched out her “Karma” era look with a 1930s-inspired outfit, complete with glamorous blonde curls and Old Hollywood-esque makeup. While most fans took note of her “bad girl” detransition, others complimented her retro twist on the song. However, there’s always that one corner of the Internet that is quick to post their criticism.
When is Jojo Siwa dropping her cover of “Bette Davis Eyes”?
Despite the fact that Siwa has already performed the song live in concert months prior, she is now preparing for it to be released on all platforms on July 11. I guess we’ll see how fans, and the internet, react to the song in its entirety.