Just weeks after the internet dragged her for her cover of “Bette Davis Eyes,” 22-year-old JoJo Siwa is back with a new track titled “Raspy.” This time, instead of running from the headlines, she’s leaning into them. The song is a chaotic, self-aware response to her critics, her past, and the viral soundbites that have kept her name in everyone’s mouths.
“Eyes like Bette Davis…”
The track opens with a nod to the recent backlash, singing: “Eyes like Bette Davis / Hear my voice and you know what my name is.” It’s a bold move—starting a song with the very controversy that had fans divided just days ago—but that’s the point.
From there, she dives into her origin story: “Wise beyond my age / That’s what happens when you’re little and you’re put on the stage.” It’s a clear reference to her time on Dance Moms, where she got her start under the eye (and wrath) of Abby Lee Miller—who even makes a cameo in the track via soundbite. “JoJo, have you learned nothing?” echoes Miller’s voice.
A Self-Drag for the Digital Age
But “Raspy” isn’t just a reflection on her past—it’s a full-on internet spiral set to music. JoJo pokes fun at her own viral moments, including her infamous “dream guest on my podcast” clip that sparked endless memes. However, one of the most buzzed about lyric has to be: “Don’t hate me, I’m just a little baby / Slim Shady, but a lady.” We’ll let you make your own opinions on that one.
The song continues with references to her Masked Singer appearance (“’Cause I couldn’t make The Voice”), her cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor,” and more moments pulled straight from her public rollercoaster of a career.
New Era, New Backlash
While some fans are applauding her unapologetic, meta approach, others are calling out “Raspy” for sounding a little too similar to Mad Tsai’s “Bite.” Tsai has even commented on the comparison via Instagram story, but Siwa has yet to respond.
Regardless, JoJo’s latest release is pure pop spectacle: messy, self-aware, and ready to start another round of discourse. Love her or hate her, she’s steering the conversation—and that might be the raspiest flex of all.
