Jojo Siwa Confesses Same-Sex Lovers At 17 Years Old, Marketing Strategy?
JAKARTA - Singer Jojo Siwa revealed himself to be a same-sex enthusiast through a social media post.
Saturday, January 23, the 17-year-old singer uploaded a photo of himself wearing a shirt that reads "Best Gay Cousin Ever" or means the best gay cousin. He said, the clothes were given by his cousin. This upload received a response from netizens up to 105 thousand retweets and 1.2 million likes.
On the Saturday after Jojo Siwa uploaded the photo on Twitter, he started livestreaming Instagram. He thanked fans for the support on social media and had never felt this good before.
“What's important now is that you know no matter who you love, that's OK, that's awesome and the world will come to you. There are many people present for you, ”said Shiva in the livestream session.
Who is Jojo SiwaMy cousin got me a new shirt pic.twitter.com/DuHhgRto7b
- JoJo Siwa! 🌈❤️🎀 (@itsjojosiwa) January 22, 2021
Jojo Siwa is one of the rising young singers. She started to shine after appearing in the reality series, Dance Moms. His 'quirky' appearance stole children's attention. Then, he digitally released his first song Boomerang in 2016. This song tells the phenomenon of online bullying. Currently, his music video has been viewed more than 900 million.
In 2019, Shiva held his first concert titled DREAM The Tour. He has held concerts in 52 cities in the United States and Canada as well as the UK and Australia. After signing with Nickelodeon, Jojo Siwa appeared in Lip Sync Battle Shorties, School of Rock and others. He has also released three albums and eight singles.
Jojo Siwa's appearance attracts attention, he always wears a big bow in his hair and wears colorful clothes. This characterizes him to become a major influence among schoolchildren in England. He also collaborated with various clothing lines such as Claire's and JC Penney to release big ribbons, accessories, room decorations, with colors like what Jojo was wearing.
In addition, he actively uploads video blogs (vlogs) on YouTube. Its YouTube channel contains daily life, prank content, challenges, and collaborations with other YouTubers.
Criticized for his appearanceApart from his persona, Jojo Siwa's figure often receives criticism, especially on social media. At the age of 17 years, not a few internet users criticized his appearance as not suitable for teenagers in general.
Many compare himself to TikTok artist, Charli D'Amelio who is 16 years old but he looks mature. On one occasion, Jojo Siwa appeared wearing a black shirt and his hair was not tied up and netizens began to praise him.
Through his TikTok account, Shiva responded to the criticism with a video. “I was hated for years to dress childish and youthful - people think I 'changed' No !!! I love myself! It's me at night or in the morning! "
LGBT communityA few days before his upload, Jojo Siwa was seen visiting the Pride House in Los Angeles. Pride House is a venue dedicated to LGBT athletes and visitors.
TikTok artist Kent Boy shared a moment when he and Jojo Siwa were at Pride House. The caption says "Now you're one of us" or now you are one of us. Fans consider this a sign that Jojo Siwa is part of the LGBT community.
Then, Jojo Siwa danced the song Born This Way from Lady Gaga. This song is said to be one of the LGBT anthems. He sang the lyrics for “No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgendered life, I'm on the right track baby, I was born to survive. No matter black, white or beige. " which means even if he is lesbian or transgender, they are on the right path.
This video received 25 million views and 4.5 million likes. Several YouTubers such as Bretman Rock, James Charles, Colleen Ballinger congratulated and supported Jojo Siwa.
After announcing he was gay, he got various responses. When asked how long he had been in the LGBT community, he didn't know what to say. Because all this time he liked anyone without question.
At the end of the video, Jojo Siwa tells fans that his family is very supportive of his decision. He also encourages fans to always do what makes them happy in life.
The pros and cons regarding Jojo Siwa's announcement continue. Some consider this part of a marketing strategy because he is 17 years old. On the other hand, many consider Jojo Siwa to be a good representation for the younger generation because of his courage.