It’s the track 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 excitement, there’s one identify too typically omitted of the highlight: Jackie DeShannon, the unique co-writer of the now-legendary observe.
Pop provocateur JoJo Siwa reignited the dialog earlier this yr with a radically stylized cowl of “Bette Davis Eyes.” Swapping lyrics like “She’s acquired Bette Davis eyes” with “She’s acquired 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 track into a world No. 1 hit (and a cultural landmark), fired again in a now-deleted Instagram submit:
“There’s a distinction between singing a track and changing 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 track throughout Charlotte’s birthday bash. No flash. No edits. Simply feeling.
It was the alternative of Siwa’s model—and audiences seen. Followers known 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 all the pieces that adopted.
It wasn’t till Carnes radically rearranged the track—with a synth-driven, smoky power—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—have 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 research in disguise, with traces like “She’ll tease you, she’ll unease you,” evoking hazard, seduction, and charisma. That stress offers the track its endurance.
Each era 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 yr the place “Bette Davis Eyes” is having one other renaissance, it’s important to recollect the lady who first imagined it. Whereas Siwa could provoke and Carnes could defend, and HBO could unexpectedly revive—it was Jackie DeShannon who created.
In order the track continues its journey throughout a long time, genders, genres, and screens, let’s not simply sing the hook. Let’s sing the reward of the lady who made it potential.
Jackie DeShannon has Bette Davis eyes—and imaginative and prescient.
Associated
