It’s the music that simply gained’t stop—and 2025 has confirmed it. From viral TikToks to moody HBO karaoke scenes, “Bette Davis Eyes” is having a second. Once more. However amidst the thrill, there’s one title too typically ignored of the highlight: Jackie DeShannon, the unique co-writer of the now-legendary observe.
Pop provocateur JoJo Siwa reignited the dialog earlier this 12 months with a radically stylized cowl of “Bette Davis Eyes.” Swapping lyrics like “She’s received Bette Davis eyes” with “She’s received Chris Hughes eyes,” Siwa paired the observe with a daring, Stepford-chic visible that leaned extra camp than cool. It wasn’t only a remix—it was a full transformation.
However not everybody was clapping.
Kim Carnes, whose gravelly 1981 model turned the music into a worldwide No. 1 hit (and a cultural landmark), fired again in a now-deleted Instagram put up:
“There’s a distinction between singing a music and turning into it. Authenticity issues.”
The message? Reinterpretation is one factor, however the soul of “Bette Davis Eyes” comes from someplace deeper—and it isn’t present in glitter and gimmicks.
Then got here a scene nobody anticipated: in And Simply Like That (Season 3, Episode 7), Logan Marshall-Inexperienced stole hearts—and cab rides—by performing a stripped-down, emotionally weak karaoke rendition of the music throughout Charlotte’s birthday bash. No flash. No edits. Simply feeling.
It was the other of Siwa’s model—and audiences observed. Followers referred to as it “surprisingly charming” and “higher than JoJo’s” throughout Reddit and X, praising the rawness and connection he dropped at the scene.
For a lot of, his efficiency hit nearer to the essence of what made “Bette Davis Eyes” resonate within the first place: it’s not about flashy reinvention—it’s about haunting attract and emotional complexity.
Earlier than Kim Carnes ever entered the studio, and lengthy earlier than JoJo Siwa was born, Jackie DeShannon co-wrote “Bette Davis Eyes” in 1974 with Donna Weiss. DeShannon even recorded the unique model—a sultry, funk-tinged observe that didn’t chart however laid the groundwork for every little thing that adopted.
It wasn’t till Carnes radically rearranged the music—with a synth-driven, smoky vitality—that the world took discover. However the bones of the observe—the lyrics, the cinematic mystique, the daring idea of utilizing Bette Davis as a metaphor—had been all DeShannon’s.
And now, in 2025, her writing is once more shaping popular culture moments.
“Bette Davis Eyes” isn’t only a catchy tune—it’s a personality examine in disguise, with traces like “She’ll tease you, she’ll unease you,” evoking hazard, seduction, and charisma. That stress offers the music its endurance.
Each technology reimagines it:
1981: Kim Carnes redefined it for the MTV period.
2025: JoJo Siwa reshaped it into queer futurism.
2025 once more: Logan Marshall-Inexperienced introduced it again to fundamentals, reminding us of the uncooked story behind the glam.
However in each model, Jackie DeShannon’s lyrical DNA stays intact.
In a 12 months the place “Bette Davis Eyes” is having one other renaissance, it’s important to recollect the lady who first imagined it. Whereas Siwa might provoke and Carnes might defend, and HBO might unexpectedly revive—it was Jackie DeShannon who created.
In order the music continues its journey throughout many years, genders, genres, and screens, let’s not simply sing the hook. Let’s sing the reward of the lady who made it attainable.
Jackie DeShannon has Bette Davis eyes—and imaginative and prescient.
Associated
