XOMG POP!, the pop group created by singer and social media star JoJo Siwa along with her mother Jessalynn Siwa, has launched a new podcast, TheWrap has exclusively learned. The “XOMG POP! Podcast” will follow all four members of the group as they share behind-the-scenes stories and reveal what it’s like to be a teen pop star.
The podcast, which features members Dallas, Brooklyn, Tinie T and newcomer Penelope, launched on YouTube as well as all major podcasting platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, on Monday. New episodes will be released weekly.
“I’ve kind of passed down the torch to my XOMG POP! kids. Watching them grow over the last two years has been so special and magical,” JoJo Siwa told TheWrap.
The star sees some of herself in their journeys as Dallas, Brooklyn, Tinie T and Penelope navigate what it’s like being a teenager. The struggles of growing up, including the “the small stuff and the big stuff,” will be discussed on the “The XOMG POP! Podcast,” which is designed to be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.
“I don’t think I ever necessarily gave myself a break going through those things or a moment to be like, ‘Oh, this is what being a teenager is like,’” Siwa said. “It’s hard. There’s a lot that no one talks about, so I think it’s going to be a fun way to talk about it.”
Described as being filled with “honesty, humor and lots of fun,” the podcast will also feature special guests, giveaways and a chance for listeners to call in and talk directly to the girls.
Because of her own path to fame, Siwa is in the unique position of understanding exactly what the young members of XOMG POP! are going through. Siwa first came into the national spotlight at the age of nine when she appeared on “Dance Moms.” Since then she has become beloved for her daily YouTube dances and a celebrity in her own right. When asked what advice she has for her young mentees as they navigate fame, Siwa emphasized finding your “rock.”
“You are only going to get through life with your rock by your side. For all of them, that’s their mom. For me it was also my mom. But for somebody else that might be a close friend, a father figure, a mother figure, a sibling,” Siwa said. “But I think who you surround yourself with is so important because growing up is scary alone. But then growing up in the public eye is a whole other ballgame. Your support system — your bubble around you — is everything.”
Siwa also spilled on the newest member of XOMG POP!: Penelope. “Sweet little Penelope” was chosen after reviewing thousands of submissions. The challenge was finding a member that matched Dallas, Brooklyn and Tinie T’s talent, passion and focus while also being cognizant of age of these members.
“Once you put a few years into this and you decide you’re not passionate anymore about it, that is a lot of hard work and a childhood gone to waste,” Siwa said. “So it was very important to us to find somebody who really, really wanted it, and Penelope seemed like the perfect fit. She is a little firecracker. She’s awesome.”
XOMG POP! was created from Siwa’s Emmy-nominated TV show “Siwa’s Dance Pop Revolution,” which followed Siwa and her mom as they picked the nations’ top singers and dancers to form a group. Shortly after their TV debut, XOMG POP! performed onstage during Siwa’s international arena tour. The group currently has over 3 billion social media views, 12.5 million YouTube subscribers and more than 50 million likes on TikTok. They’ve also appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “America’s Got Talent.”
Since her “Dance Mom” days, JoJo Siwa has become the rare social media star to become a household name. She has released two singles — “Boomerang” and “Kid in a Candy Store” — and has appeared in several high-profile projects such as “The Masked Singer,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Angry Birds Movie 2” and “So You Think You Can Dance” where she served as a judge for the competition series. Currently, she can be seen on Season 2 of the Fox reality competition series “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”
