Karma (2024 song)

"Karma" or "Karma's a Bitch" is a song written by Antonina Armato, Tim James, and Desmond Child in 2011; two versions were released by American singers JoJo Siwa and Brit Smith in April 2024 to differing reviews. Primarily a dance-pop record, the song was originally written for Miley Cyrus, who scrapped the record after contractual conflicts with Disney. It was recorded by Smith in 2012 and was intended to be her debut single, but it was shelved.

Background and composition
In 2011, Miley Cyrus allegedly recorded the song "Karma's a Bitch", which was written for her. However, the song was scrapped due to her contract with Disney at the time. It was then offered to Brit Smith, who re-recorded the song to her liking in 2012 as her planned debut single. However, her record label encouraged her to release the song "Provocative" instead in 2013. After "Provocative" underperformed, Smith left the music industry.

Musically, the song is an upbeat dance-pop and EDM track. The lyrics speak of a woman's regret of being caught being unfaithful to a romantic partner, seeing it as karma when they move on from her to someone new.

JoJo Siwa version
JoJo Siwa released "Karma" through Columbia Records on April 5, 2024, as the lead single from her debut extended play, Guilty Pleasure. Siwa teased the song and its music video on social media prior to its release, saying she wanted to rebrand herself after performing for eleven years with a child-friendly image.

Reception
"Karma" was panned by music critics, criticizing the song and Siwa's reinvention of her brand and aesthetic. Ivan Guzman, writing for Paper, called the song "raucous" and "early 2010s-esque", while drag queen Aquaria compared the song to "early-2010s Jeffree Star". For Exclaim!, Sydney Brasil labelled the song as "poorly produced" with "no real hook" and wrote that Siwa did not seem fully committed to her "new ['bad girl'] persona". Jason P. Frank of Vulture wrote that "Karma" had "a thumping, uninspired beat" and "faux-edgy lyrics[...] performed with all the conviction of the elementary-age students who used to be her fans".

Harsh social media criticism of the song "Karma" has been attributed to the online disinhibition effect.

Plagiarism allegation
Following the release of Siwa's song on April 5, the music video for Smith's "Karma's a Bitch", uploaded to Vimeo in 2013, went viral on social media. It gained enough media attention to prompt Smith to release the song as a single. When asked about Brit Smith's version after receiving criticism online over "stealing" the song, Siwa stated that she "didn't steal anything" as "people write songs and [....] don't do anything with them", making sense for another artist "a few years later". She also said that she "[doesn't] know who Brit Smith is". Smith expressed her amazement at her version going viral, stating she was shocked that her song has now "got a new life, which is amazing". Smith later defended Siwa on her TikTok account, stating that Siwa "did not steal" the song, and "was totally in the right" in regards to recording her version, adding that Siwa had "done nothing wrong".

Music video
The music video for "Karma", filmed in March 2024, was directed by Siwa and Marc Klasfeld, with choreography by Richy Jackson. Siwa pitched the concept and choreography for the music video a year before its release. It stars Alexis Warr, the winner of So You Think You Can Dance's 17th season, on which Siwa was a judge. The music video contains lesbian themes throughout, and the video depicts a love triangle between Siwa and two other women (one portrayed by Warr). JoJo wore a two-part white outfit with boots during the yacht scenes, an unspecifed outfit while barefoot during the underwater scenes, and a KISS-inspired outfit during the deserted island scenes with Warr also in similar outfits. Upon returning to the yacht in reverse, JoJo sticks with a relationship with Warr's character. Hannah Dailey of Billboard called the video "truly wild" and wrote that it "marks an extreme departure from [her] kid-friendly persona".

As of May 30, 2024, the video has amassed over 40 million views on YouTube. On July 18, Siwa uploads a video about the most disliked music video as of 2024, with her music video ranks as first with 3.1 million dislikes. Siwa jokingly says in the video that "it's the only record that she can beat Taylor Swift."

Brit Smith version
Brit Smith recorded the song "Karma's a Bitch", produced by Rock Mafia and Timbaland (who also appears in the music video), in 2012 but shelved it until independently releasing it on April 14, 2024. The recording garnered viral attention on TikTok following JoJo Siwa's April 5 release of the same year, resurfacing a March 2013 music video on Vimeo and prompting the single's official release.

Reception
Smith's version of "Karma" garnered a positive reception online compared to Siwa's version, which was professionally released first. Smith's version received praise for its "banging hook" and production by Timbaland. Additionally, Smith's version peaked at number 8 on the US iTunes Pop Charts, surpassing Siwa's which peaked at 89.

Music video
The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld, who also directed the video for Siwa's version. It was originally uploaded to Vimeo on March 20, 2013. The shots of Smith and accompanying individuals were shot prior and the graphics were later added by Super77, an animation and design studio located in Columbus, Ohio. It features Smith at a church, club and in her bedroom as she attempts to get a man back after she is caught cheating.