Jojo Siwa’s magazine cover for Ladygunn has left the internet shocked and divided

Jojo Siwa’s bold and edgy outfit choice for her photoshoot with Ladygunn has gone viral, sparking varied reactions from social media users.

Siwa is a singer and dancer who started her career as a child star on Dance Moms and Nickelodeon. Given her collaboration with Nickelodeon, she produced lots of children’s entertainment, including kid-friendly music, movies, and books. Recently, though, she entered her post-Nickelodeon career era and began an extensive rebrand. She has since released her first EP and lead single, “Karma,” as an adult artist and has begun to debut more daring fashion looks. However, her rebrand has sparked quite a lot of controversy. The singer was forced to walk back her claim that she invented “gay pop” and to set the record straight after she faced accusations of stealing “Karma” from Miley Cyrus and Brit Smith.

A lot of controversy has also stemmed from her new looks and attitude. She received scrutiny after showing up at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a mesh Kiss-esque bodysuit. Her edgier style choices garnered criticism, as people complained her rebrand was too “jarring,” and she was accused of trying too hard to shock audiences and portray herself as a “bad girl.” However, the criticism raised some problematic implications that there’s such thing as too much artistic or queer expression. Now, her latest and most daring style choice has resurfaced this discussion.

Jojo Siwa’s bedazzled outfit generates strong reactions

Recently, Siwa participated in a racy photoshoot for the magazine Ladygunn. She appeared on the cover sporting a gold rhinestone-encrusted chest plate and matching jock strap. The chest plate was molded into the shape of a male torso and featured nipples and a subtle built-in six-pack. The gender-bending outfit quickly went viral on social media as viewers reacted to it. On the one hand, social media users expressed confusion and shock over the outfit and mocked it with memes. Others, though, praised her for the bold look, noting that she pulled it off surprisingly well.

Those defending Siwa pointed out that she was simply partaking in gender expression and hyped her up as the next “drag king.” Meanwhile, some also pointed out a double standard in the negative reaction to Siwa, pointing out that people likely wouldn’t have these reactions if it were Lady Gaga or Chapelle Roan doing it. She’s far from the only artist to make drag-inspired, bold fashion statements, but the criticism towards her is often more pronounced, likely because of her personal controversies or because she started in children’s entertainment.

To be fair, Siwa has been involved in several controversies over the course of her career, including allegedly mistreating the girl group XOMG Pop! and defending Colleen Ballinger after the YouTube creator was accused of grooming children. It’s understandable that some may not approve of Siwa’s outfit because they’re having difficulty separating the artist from the art. However, others appear far more angry that she’s breaking gender roles and being edgy with her outfits than with her actual controversies.