Why JoJo Siwa Feels Like She’s Been “2 Different People”

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JoJo Siwa’s head is spinning like a boomerang.

The former star of Dance Moms recently shared a playful look at how she’s grown and changed as a person throughout her career.

JoJo’s latest music video for “I’m Still Dancin’” features her portraying six different versions of herself, each one symbolizing a distinct period in her life.

To showcase her rebellious side, inspired by her 2024 song “Karma,” the 22-year-old singer wore striking black facepaint, a sparkly black outfit, and hair gems. She also presented a more refined image as “Joelle,” a sophisticated version of herself wearing a pale pink skirt and sweater, representing her growth and maturity.

In a TikTok video posted on March 16th, singer JoJo Siwa created a funny contrast by having two versions of herself lip-sync to a clip of Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian arguing.

JoJo wrote in the caption of the video, ‘You could convince me these are two different people, and I’d believe it.’

JoJo, who began dating Chris Hughes in April, has been reflecting on how much she’s matured over the past ten years, especially when comparing her life now to her time on the show Dance Moms. She’s also made light of the contrast between her past and present.

She recently told TopMob News’ The Rundown that she’s getting used to being called Joelle. While her boyfriend uses the name, her family doesn’t. Friends call her JoJo, but Dancing With the Stars’ Jenna Johnson refers to her as Joelle, so it’s a name she’s heard in different contexts throughout her life.

 

However, JoJo added, “I feel like Joelle more so now than ever.”

 

As for who this new version of herself truly is?

 

JoJo explained, ‘I’m still getting to know her. I see Joelle as the happier, more relaxed side of myself, while I think I’m the more intense, unpredictable side of her.’

 

JoJo isn’t alone – many performers change their names during their careers. Here’s a look at other celebrities who use stage names.

She recently told TopMob News’ The Rundown that she’s become more used to being called Joelle. Her boyfriend uses the name, while her family doesn’t. Friends call her JoJo, but Dancing With the Stars’ Jenna Johnson calls her Joelle, so she’s heard both names throughout her life.

However, JoJo added, “I feel like Joelle more so now than ever.”

As for who this new version of herself truly is?

JoJo explained, “I’m still getting to know her.” She described Joelle as a happier version of herself, and jokingly said she felt like the more chaotic side of Joelle.

JoJo isn’t alone – many performers change their names during their careers. Here’s a look at other celebrities who go by stage names.

Congratulations to Post Malone! He chose to include his last name as part of his stage name, but he actually prefers his close friends to use his given name.

At the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift called Post Malone “Austin” when their song “Fortnight” won the award for Best Collaboration.

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, known as Lilly on Modern Family, now goes by Frances Anderson. She made the name change to reflect her new focus on a music career.

In a 2025 interview with TopMob News, Aubrey explained that ‘Frances’ is actually her middle name, given in honor of a family friend of her mother’s. She also mentioned she shortened her name because ‘Aubrey Anderson-Emmons’ is quite long, especially with the hyphenated last name.

Oh my gosh, can we talk about the Fanning sisters for a second? It’s so fascinating! They actually grew up using their middle names – Dakota and Elle – and when they decided to become actresses in Hollywood, they just kept using them! It’s like, those names were always meant for stardom, you know? I just think it’s so cool!

Elle explained that since their mother used her middle name, the sisters decided to follow suit.

She remembered feeling embarrassed during roll call at school. She explained to Glamour in 2016 that when the teacher called ‘Mary?’, classmates would respond that no one by that name was present. She’d then hesitantly raise her hand and say, ‘It’s me.’

The Summer House star shocked Bravo fans by revealing his legally given first name isn’t actually Carl.

“My driver’s license and passport both say William,” explained Carl, a veteran of all nine seasons of the reality show, in an August 2025 interview with PopViewers. “But I’ve always gone by Carl, ever since the beginning.”

Sterling K. Brown went by his middle name Kelby until he was a teenager.

During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show in April 2025, he explained that his father is Sterling Brown Jr. and his grandfather is Sterling Brown Sr. He decided he wanted a name of his own because ‘Sterling’ made him think of an older man.

Years after his father passed away from a heart attack, the actor—known for his role in This Is Us—chose to go back to using his given first name as a tribute.

He explained that after his father died when he was ten, he hadn’t heard anyone say his father’s name in over five years. By the time he was sixteen, he simply wanted to hear the name again, so he asked people to start calling him Sterling.

The winner of Traitors revealed on TopMob’s Hot Goss that his full name is Nicholas Dylan Harrison Efron, but he goes by Dylan. He explained that because Nicholas was his first name, everything else shifted up a spot, making Harrison his middle name now.

Andrew, Matthew, and Joey Lawrence all decided to change their last names professionally. Joey, whose middle name is also Lawrence, was the first to make the switch, prompted by feedback from a talent agent who didn’t like their family name.

Kat Dennings started using a professional name when she was nine years old, long before she appeared on an episode of Sex and the City in 2000.

Kat Dennings, known for her role on 2 Broke Girls, shared on the March 13, 2025 episode of Kylie Kelce’s podcast, Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce, that she prefers not to have her birth name publicly advertised, like on a poster.

As a bit of a name enthusiast, I always love hearing how people choose their stage names! This actress has a really sweet story behind hers. She was inspired by Christina Ricci’s character, Kat, from the movie Casper – such a fun, slightly spooky choice! And the surname part? That came from Janine Denni, the wife of Lloyd Alexander, who wrote The Black Cauldron. Apparently, my client’s mother was very close friends with Lloyd, so it was a lovely way to honor both a childhood favorite and a cherished family connection.

Oh my god, can you believe it? For over thirty years, Cher thought her full name was Cherilyn! She always just went by Cher, obviously, but everyone told her her ‘real’ name started with Cherilyn. It wasn’t until the late seventies – she actually had to get her birth certificate to legally change her name to just ‘Cher’ – that she found out the hospital had registered her as Cheryl! Can you even imagine? All this time, she was technically Cheryl, but the world knows her as Cher, and that’s just… perfect. It’s such a Cher thing to happen, honestly.

In her 2024 memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, the singer Cher wrote about how her mother, Georgia Holt, reacted when she found out something surprising.

When she told her mother, who had her at 19, about it, her mother said, “Let me see!” Then, remembering her own experience after giving birth, she added, “I was just a teenager myself, and it was really painful. Cut me some slack.”

The country artist known as Shaboozey got the nickname—and later his stage name—from a simple mistake: a misspelling of his last name by his high school in Virginia.

The singer first released music under her real name in 2001, but she decided to use the stage name Katy Perry—taken from her mother’s family name—believing it would appeal more to pop music listeners.

Cardi B got the nickname ‘Bacardi’ because people started calling her sister Hennessy. She later shortened it to the name we all know now, which she felt fit her better.

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel. 

Shania Twain revealed the story behind her stage name during a recent interview on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio. Born Eilleen Regina Edwards, she was later adopted and became Eilleen Regina Twain. When she started her career as a singer, she decided she needed a stage name that didn’t sound so much like her grandmothers – she’s named after both of them, Eilleen and Regina. She simply didn’t want to perform under a family name, so she chose ‘Shania Twain’ after meeting someone with that beautiful name.

Chappell Roan, the singer behind ‘Good Luck, Babe!’, has always approached performing as a distinct ‘drag project.’ This helps her create clear boundaries between her stage presence and her personal life, and protects her from the demands of the music industry.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE how Gigi got her name! Apparently, back in school, her teacher kept mixing her up with another girl named Helena. It was so annoying for everyone! So, Gigi’s mom always called her ‘Gigi’ as a cute nickname, and she just asked the teacher to call her that instead. And it totally stuck! It’s the cutest story, and now everyone knows her as Gigi Hadid – it just fits!

If you’re looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?

Miley Cyrus got her childhood nickname, Smiley, because she was always so cheerful. Over time, people started calling her Miley instead, and that’s the name that stayed with her.

Okay, so get this – before he was Bruno Mars, he actually resembled a Bruno more than a Peter, believe it or not! His dad noticed it, and just started calling him Bruno, and honestly? It stuck. That’s how the name happened, and I’ve been obsessed ever since, knowing the story behind the legend!

Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.

Jason Sudeikis revealed on the Today show that his father’s name was Daniel, and he was originally named after him. However, to avoid confusion with another Daniel in the family, his mother began calling him by his middle name, Jason.

Emma Stone chose to use a stage name because her real name was already taken by another actor registered with the Screen Actors Guild.

Interestingly, Reese Witherspoon’s first name isn’t actually her middle name. She was named after her mother’s family name, Reese.

Every artist has a different side to their public image, and for Lana Del Rey, that persona is the one she presents to the world.

In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not? 

Many fans don’t realize that Tina Fey’s real name is actually Elizabeth. She playfully honored her given name by naming her iconic character on 30 Rock, Liz Lemon.

This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.

It seems the singer known for “Royals” has a strong interest in nobility, which is why she decided on the name Lorde, adding a feminine ‘e’ to the traditional spelling.

Before becoming a world-famous singer, Ricky Martin was known by a different, more common name.

It’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!

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2026-03-17 05:18