JoJo Siwa is responding to haters in the best way she knows how — through music.
Siwa, 22, released her latest single, “Raspy,” on Friday, August 8. A stark contrast from her most recent song, which was a cover of the 1981 hit “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes, “Raspy” is a rap track that throws shade at the Dance Moms alum’s critics. The title itself is a reference to a viral clip of Siwa singing in a recording studio and a producer saying, “Oh, my God, she’s raspy today.”
Meanwhile, the opening line features a callback to “Bette Davis Eyes,” which sparked controversy due to the severe rasp in Siwa’s voice on the song.
“Eyes like Bette Davis / Hear my voice and you know what my name is / Wise beyond my age / That’s what happens when you’re little and you’re put on the stage,” she sings. “But quit crying ’cause you’re famous / Can’t change this, ‘She’s shameless, this crazy’ / Don’t hate me, I’m just a little baby / Slim Shady, but a lady.”
JoJo Siwa’s viral outfit at the iHeartRadio Music Awards wasn’t an attempt to resurrect Kiss — it was her way of preparing fans for the arrival of her new music video. Siwa’s “Karma” dropped on Friday, April 5, marking the 20-year-old’s first single featuring lyrical content not suitable for children. At the start of the […]
In the pre-chorus and chorus, Siwa continues, “It just happens when I’m happy / I get (Hey) / Raspy / Raspy / Raspy, I get raspy / You know I’m raspy, you see I’m raspy / You hear I’m raspy, I get raspy.”
Siwa’s line about happiness may be a reference to her relationship with Chris Hughes, which she confirmed in June after they met while filming the U.K.’s Celebrity Big Brother in April.
In the second verse, Siwa seemingly pokes fun at the various stories about her online.
“Say what you want, go ahead, try to insult me / I’m sulking, I’m sulking / All press is good press / ‘Hey JoJo, you’re a mess’ / OK (Capture my feelings) / If you yell at mе I’m gonna cry (Boo-hoo),” she sings. “Another headline for thе late night news / Who’s my dream guest on my podcast? / My exes confessed to construction vets / And I can’t say my R’s, but I can buy a Rolls-Royce / Was on The Masked Singer ’cause I couldn’t make The Voice / You act like I can’t hear the noise, but I can / My happiness is a choice (That’s right) / Karma never came, yeah, she’s still a traitor.”
Jojo Siwa ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP
Ahead of the song’s release, Siwa promoted “Raspy” with clips on TikTok, garnering mixed reactions from fans. Her initial post featuring the first verse received several negative comments.
“UNRELEASE THIS 🔥 🔥,” one user wrote, while another critic added, “I can’t imagine being a human and making this with a team and thinking ‘wow this is good’ 😭.”
However, a video featuring the second verse received a more positive response.
“‘Can’t say my r’s but i can buy rolls royce’ goes too hard for no reason,” one fan wrote.
“I can’t lie this is iconic 😭 I don’t agree with all of Jojo’s actions but I’ve always thought she was overhated and I gotta say this kinda slaps,” another person added.
“If there’s one thing jojo does it’s laugh all the way to the bank,” a third user commented.
It’s certainly not the first time that Siwa has clapped back at hate over her music. In 2024, her song “Karma” topped a list of “Most Disliked Music Videos by a Female Artist on YouTube in 2024,” coming out ahead of fourth place’s “Yes, And?” by Ariana Grande, third place’s “Woman’s World” by Katy Perry and second place’s “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift.
“You know, I am the only person that can say I beat Taylor Swift on a list of something,” Siwa said in a TikTok video about the list. “I’ll take it.”
“What a day to celebrate,” she added in the caption. “Karma broke a record. 900% more than 2nd place. A win is a win.”
