JoJo Siwa Says She Likes to 'Dress More Feminine' with Short Hair: 'I Get to Break the Stereotype'

The View/Twitter

JoJo Siwa is speaking out about how her short hair makes her feel empowered –– and feminine.

Siwa, 19, appeared on ABC's The View Thursday to talk about her new position as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, and opened up about her decision to cut off her signature ponytail.

She said she's wanted to cut her hair short since she was 7 or 8, and when she finally got the courage to ask her mom, her mom told her to ask her team.

"So I asked my team and they were all like, 'Yes!' and then all of a sudden my mom was like, 'If they're on board, I'm on board,'" Siwa told the hosts of The View. "And I made my appointment for the next day. Before somebody said no, I had to do it!"

The Dancing with the Stars alum said that the short 'do is "really fun to play with" and to style. "I love it," she said.

Siwa went viral when she first posted about the cut in April, as her ponytail had been a big part of her identity on YouTube and as a singer.

itsjojosiwa/Instagram

When asked about how she navigates pressure around her appearance, Siwa opened up about how the shorter style has helped her express her femininity more.

"I've learned that I like to dress more feminine now with this hair, with jewelry and necklaces and makeup, because my hair is short," she said. "But I think it's great that I get to break a stereotype of like, a feminine girl can have short hair now. It's nice."

RELATED: JoJo Siwa Is 'Obsessed' and Experimenting with Her New Short 'Do: 'It's Gonna Be Different Every Day'

Thursday was also Siwa's 19th birthday, and The View's hosts surprised her with a cake to celebrate her "golden birthday." The day marks 10 years of Siwa being in the spotlight, she shared.

"I can officially say I've been in the industry for a decade, which is wild," she said.

RELATED: JoJo Siwa Opens Up About Coming Out as LGBTQ: 'The First Time That I've Felt So Personally Happy'

Over the past year, Siwa has opened up about her sexuality. She came out in January 2021, and since then has continued to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.

As a star amongst younger kids, her coming out was particularly newsworthy. She told PEOPLE she never wanted it to be "a big deal," but it was. Never before has someone with such a young fan base identified publicly as LGBTQ+.

Since coming out, Siwa says she's found true happiness.

"Performing has always made me super happy," she says. "But for the first time, personally, I am like, whoa, happiness. I am so proud to be me."