It looks like imitation isn't always the greatest form of flattery for Kim Carnes.
After JoJo Siwa released a cover of her 1981 hit "Bette Davis Eyes," the Grammy winner seemingly expressed her distaste for the rendition in a cryptic message.
In a July 9 TikTok, which has since been deleted, Kim shared a clip of her music video for "Bette Davis Eyes," in which she wears a black pantsuit with matching sunglasses while she performs in an empty warehouse room. And alongside the throwback video, the 79-year-old included a message about what constitutes a quality singing performance.
"There is a difference between singing a song.... And embodying it...." Kim wrote in the comments. "I've always believed authenticity is what makes music timeless."
She added, "I'm forever grateful to be the voice behind this one..... Bette Davis Eyes."
And while Kim hasn't publicly addressed whether she intended to diss JoJo, her comments arrived just two days after the Dance Moms alum shared a teaser clip of her singing "Bette Davis Eyes," which quickly went viral.
In the video posted to TikTok July 7, JoJo evoked the titular movie legend by rocking a short curly bob while singing, "She knows just what it takes to make a pro blush / All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes."
And the 22-year-old hinted that the footage wouldn't be the last fans would hear of her singing the classic track, which she performed in concert earlier this year, swapping in her boyfriend’s name by changing the lyrics to “Chris Hughes’ eyes.”
"After performing this song live and then seeing the beautiful response to it, I decided to go record a studio vocal," JoJo captioned the teaser clip. "I'm undecided if I should release it on Spotify or not…. Would you want me to?!!!"
But a full version of "Bette Davis Eyes" isn't all JoJo has in store when it comes to music. Back in March, the Celebrity Big Brother UK alum—who met Chris on the show—hinted that she had quite a few songs in the works for 2025.
"There's gonna be a lot of new music this year," JoJo told E! News at the time before describing her upcoming releases as a "whole playlist" of tracks.
"I'm in a place in life where I'm like, 'Let's go!'" she added. "I want to put out music, I want to keep going."
For more on JoJo's evolution through the years, keep reading.
September 2013
JoJo Siwa made her reality TV debut at age 9 while competing on the second season of Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, judged by Abby Lee Miller.
May 2015
JoJo celebrated the launch of Abby Lee Dance Company LA's VIP Grand Opening.
May 2015
She rocked a glam jumpsuit at the 3rd Annual Reality TV Awards.
March 2017
JoJo accepted the award for Favorite Viral Music Artist at Nickelodeon's 2017 Kids' Choice Awards.
March 2018
She proved the sun never sets on a badass with her shades at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
July 2018
Batter up: JoJo donned a classic baseball outfit at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports.
August 2018
She showed off her signature style at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards.
March 2019
Even Kim Kardashian and North West keep up with the teen idol.
April 2019
JoJo's star-studded Sweet 16 included a special visit from the Kardashian-Jenner family, with North and Penelope Disick fan-girling over the birthday girl.
September 2019
JoJo belted her heart out while on tour.
November 2019
JoJo spent her Thanksgiving giving back.
February 2020
The Dance Moms alum was all smiles at the Lakers game.
March 2020
It was a party in the U.S.A when JoJo and Miley Cyrus hung out.
March 2020
Who's under that T-Rex? JoJo showed off her singing chops on The Masked Singer.
January 2021
JoJo came out on Instagram in 2020, wearing a shirt reading, "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever."
June 2021
Later that year, she and then-girlfriend Kylie Prew celebrated Pride together.
September 2021
JoJo performed onstage during a screening for her Paramount+ original movie The J Team.
October 2021
Making history as the first same-sex Dancing With the Stars pair, JoJo competed with partner Jenna Johnson on season 30 of the reality competition series.
April 2022
She said bye, bye, bye bye to her signature ponytail.
July 2023
JoJo got inked during an outing with outing with Raven-Symoné and wife Miranda Pearman-Maday. For her first tattoo, she got the number 1031 behind her right ear in reference to her 2019 to 2022 D.R.E.A.M. The Tour concert series.
March 2024
The singer teased her next project might not be suitable for all ages.
"The following content is not made for children," she shared in a series of cryptic Instagram posts, "and may be disturbing or offensive to some viewers."
April 2024
JoJo debuted her more mature look at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, rocking dark makeup and an edgy costume from her "Karma" music video.
June 2024
After turning 21, JoJo took a swig from a tequila bottle while performing at a Pride Month concert. Why?
"I was like, ‘I want to f--king take a shot before this,'" she explained on her JoJo Siwa Now podcast. "And my grandma was like, ‘All right, JoJo. You should do it.’ I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it!’”
March 2025
The former child star literally turned heads—including her own—when she stepped out at the iHeartRadio Music Awards with a towering headpiece made by her mom.
"I had this vision, and I found this online," she told E! News of the unconventional accessory. "I told everyone on my team what I wanted, every piece to the puzzle.”