For the past two months, JoJo Siwa has been off the radar. After dropping her hit EP “Guilty Pleasure” and disappearing off the internet, I was left questioning: where has this girly-turned-edgy singer gone?
On Nov. 22, JoJo Siwa answered with the release of her latest single “Iced Coffee.” This song is the pinnacle of her music production career, with a lighter and more mainstream take compared to other recent pieces.
Although JoJo Siwa has consistently highlighted her edgier side through releases like her single “Karma,” her newest piece transitions back to her refreshing roots in upbeat pop. For example, the consistent bass, jingling tambourine and rhythmic guitar add a vibrant atmosphere to the song as she sings about her romantic desires.
The catchy piece culminates in a beautiful outro, where she repeats certain sections of the chorus as the background music accelerates. I never expected to say this for JoJo Siwa’s music, but I found myself humming the outro after the first listen.
If “Iced Coffee” has anything in common with her previous pieces, it is the bold embrace of sensuality. Laced with erotic verses such as “Like the way you grindin’ my bean” and “We be underneath the sheets, gutting sweet and low,” JoJo Siwa explores the theme of homosexuality with playful innuendos.
Although “Iced Coffee” is a significant improvement from “Guilty Pleasure,” I wish she would have strayed from the generic pop genre a little more. The piece sounds like an unintentional mix of “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Levitating” by Dua Lipa. While these songs are memorable, “Iced Coffee” comes off as just another basic pop song.
JoJo Siwa continues to surprise me with each new release, and I am glad she is taking another step toward self-discovery. Whether it is serving up a drink or singing about revenge, JoJo Siwa will always be my “Guilty Pleasure.”
