After teasing that she might release it earlier, JoJo Siwa stuck to the original plan and released her cover of Kim Carnes‘ “Bette Davis Eyes,” on Friday, July 11th. In a post announcing the release, Siwa said, “Performing ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ live in London was one of the most thrilling moments on stage. The crowd’s reaction was so amazing, I knew I had to release it as a single. The song is a classic, full of confidence and mystery, and I wanted to bring my own interpretation to it while honoring the original. I can’t wait for my fans to experience it!”
Siwa first performed the song in London at a gig in May, in which she dedicated the performance to her boyfriend (and former Celebrity Big Brother UK cast mate Chris Hughes.
However, Kim Carnes seemed less than impressed with the recording. In a TikTok comment, Carnes said, in part, “There is a difference between singing a song…. And embodying it….I’ve always believed authenticity is what makes music timeless.”
Siwa’s take on the song updates it just a little, adding more synths and some more drum machines. She does invoke the Kim Carnes rasp that is such a hallmark of the original. In fact, it could be argued that the cover hews too closely to the original and is perhaps unnecessary.
However, perhaps Carnes’ opinion of the song has softened over time- she had since deleted her video criticizing Siwa’s cover.
