On April 5th, 2024, JoJo Siwa, former star on “Dance Moms” and Nickelodeon, released
her single “Karma.” Siwa told her audience that a new, more mature, era of hers was coming with the release. Instead of the positive interaction she was hoping for, fans online criticized the release.
Just days after the song was released, clips emerged of an artist known as Brit Smith singing the same song in 2012, nearly a decade before Siwa’s release. Social Media users accused Siwa of stealing the song, garnering more negative attention to the singer. Siwa stated that she had no idea who Smith was and denied any accusations of theft, saying many singers get songs that were originally meant for other artists.
The song was written by Rock Mafia and produced by Timbaland for Brit Smith, but her
label, Interscope Records, wanted to release a different song. The different song, “Provocative,” failed to chart in 2013. After seeing the new rise of attention to the song, Brit Smith released her version. This version sits at No. 8 on the U.S. iTunes pop charts, while Siwa’s “Karma” is at No. 89.