The 'Karma' singer stresses that she's 'for sure' not the inventor of gay pop despite her previous comments, but points out that gay pop 'is not an official genre of music.'
- Apr 17, 2024
AceShowbiz - Singer-dancer JoJo Siwa has clarified her previous statements about creating a new genre called "gay pop," sparking controversy online. In an interview with Billboard, Siwa expressed her desire to see a more official recognition of queer pop music.
"Gay pop is not an official genre of music. If you look on the iTunes charts, there is no, there's a pop chart," she said. She believes that LGBTQ+ artists deserve a more prominent platform, stating, "I think that those gay pop artists do deserve a bigger home than what they have right now."
Siwa emphasized that she didn't create the concept of gay pop but acknowledged the contributions of queer artists who have paved the way. "I am not the inventor of gay pop, for sure not. But I do want to be a piece of making it bigger than it already is," she said.
However, her initial comments sparked backlash, with many pointing out that queer artists have been making pop music for decades. LGBTQ+ pioneers Tegan and Sara even expressed their amusement on TikTok.
Despite the criticism, Siwa maintains her stance. She explained that she wants to see a "literal" category for queer pop music, similar to existing genres like rap, rock and R&B. "It is a style, but it should be a literal genre of music," she said.
Siwa has faced ongoing backlash for her comments, but she remains unfazed. "I could say I want world peace, and everyone would be like, 'How dare you want peace for the world!' People ask me all the time, they're like, 'Do you feel like you have to be very careful about what you say?' And I'm like, 'No, because no matter what I say, it's going down anyways,' " she claimed.
