On Monday, Brown Lecture Board welcomed JoJo Siwa for a talk at Salomon DECI.
During the talk, she announced and performed a segment of her new song “Iced Coffee,” set to be released Nov. 22, with a sneak peak to appear on TikTok starting Nov. 13.
For many members of Gen-Z, Siwa has become a household name in pop culture and a global internet celebrity like no other. Siwa started her career as a participant on the reality television show “Dance Moms,” and gained further prominence with her release of kids-targeted songs, features on various television shows and even her own line of hair bows. Earlier this year, Siwa established her professional transition from child to adult pop singer, marking a key transformation in her aesthetic and musical style.
Siwa, who identifies as lesbian, reflected on how her sexuality has shaped her overall identity and creative artistry as a performer. She shared that coming out at the age of 17 definitively changed her career and was a “big deal and (a) game changer.”
“I was one of the first child stars to come out while still being a child star, and that was very different,” Siwa said. “The world had not seen that before, and the world didn’t necessarily know how to react.”
Despite the barrage of reactions that her coming out initially received, Siwa expressed gratitude for being able to share her identity publicly at an early age. “It has led my career in really cool ways. I’ve gotten to shine light on how your sexuality isn’t something that’s weird, it’s something to be proud of,” she said.
For Siwa, the growth in her career has been synonymous with the growth of her own identity. Having undergone an uncommonly drastic rebranding, she recalled facing the dilemma of figuring out how to break out of her initial “kid-friendly” pop-star persona.
“Honestly, what I realized is I could have had a signed, seal-delivered career, being set for life if I kept doing what I was already doing. But I realized that wasn’t where my passion was anymore. My passion was to go into this world of gay pop,” said Siwa.
With such an animated public persona, questions of whether the version of herself Siwa shows online is genuine have been widely circulated. Having grown up constantly scrutinized on “Dance Moms” and now consistently documenting her life on social media, the singer reflected on how her content online usually gives her followers only small glimpses of her day.
“That’s kind of how I plan my career. I keep it entertaining because that’s what I was put on this earth to do, and that’s what I want to do,” Siwa said. “However, it all comes from me. There’s definitely a more emotional side of me.”
“I live a great life, and I love to share it. Yes, there is more, but what you see is what you get,” she added.
Siwa also took the time to relate to students who were in attendance at the talk. Sharing her experiences dealing with online hate at a young age, she gave insight into how she dealt with negativity directed at her over the years.
“People have hated (me) since I was nine on my first show,” she said. “It never gets easier. It actually gets harder, because as I get older … I take things more seriously.”
Siwa said that she continued to remind herself of those closest to her to tune out the hate that she receives. “The advice that got me through this year is (that) my bubble of people is so unreal. I really try to surround myself with them.”
Siwa, 21, recognized that she was the same age as many of the students in attendance. Although she made the decision to not attend college to continue her professional career, she acknowledged that as a young adult, she felt bonded with students that were around her age in the audience and gave them props for their efforts in pursuing their education.
“It’s not easy to be somebody our age. You’re dealing with being a baby adult … There’s so much in your life that you’re figuring out right now,” she said. “Be proud of yourself for (something) as simple as waking up everyday.”
“You’re never alone,” Siwa added. “I can guarantee every single one of you and me have one problem slightly in common.”
Siwa’s talk left Zoe Weissman ’28 “dumbfounded.”
Seeing Siwa was “more than I could ever ask for,” she said. “She has no impulse control and we learned so many new and special things, including her new single.”
“She was just so real,” Pooja Yerneni ’26 said after the event. “I appreciated that she didn’t hold herself back with her answers.”
Others felt a more personal connection to seeing Siwa in person, having grown up watching her appearances on Dance Moms and her rise to stardom.
Nayani Modugula ’26 grew up with Siwa on Dance Moms and felt it was “really nice” seeing her at the event, especially given that “now she’s all grown up too.”
For attendees like Rhiannon Chaston ’28, Siwa’s talk was “so Brown.”
Anel Zhussubali ’26 agreed, saying that Siwa “really matched the vibes of our campus, and I think everyone related to her a lot.”
Siwa herself acknowledged the various steps in her career that have brought her to the unique position she is in today and how she sees herself evolving in the future. “As of right now, I’m very grateful for my life and my childhood. It was very different, but it did shape me to who I am. It got me here … I wouldn’t want one thing to be different.”
Isabel Hahn is an Arts & Culture editor who concentrates in English and Behavioral Decision Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and journaling.
Tom Li is a Metro editor covering the health and environment and development and infrastructure beats. He is from Pleasanton, California, and is concentrating in Economics and International and Public Affairs. He is an avid RIPTA passenger and enjoys taking (and criticizing) personality tests in his free time.
