Chappell Roan took the world by storm by releasing her song “Good Luck Babe.” She was trending and people were fawning over her unique voice. Not even a year after her rise to fame, the boundless call of praise turned into hatred. She had a slow rise to fame but an even faster fall.
Rise:
Roan started by posting YouTube song covers and then released her original song, “Die Young.” She traveled to music showcases in New York, where she signed with Atlantic Records in May 2015. This was short-lived as she was let go in August 2020. Atlantic Records claimed her music was underperforming. She, however, stated that they disapproved of the release of “Pink Pony Club,” one of her famous singles.
Roan has been in the music industry for nine years. She had a small cult following with dedicated fans. She only began to go mainstream with her 2024 song “Good Luck, Babe.” This song not only skyrocketed her, but also her 2023 album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” in which she went from performing in small venues to playing sold-out shows.
Her unique style, voice and performance captivated the hearts of many. She achieved fame rapidly, as only seven months ago, she was unknown to many. She became a household name and with that brought its challenges.
Fall:
On Aug. 19, Roan posted a TikTok calling out fan behavior and asked whether people would treat ordinary people, the way they treat celebrities. This video had a very negative impression on the public. Some thought this was what comes with being a celebrity, while others found her tone condescending. A few hours later she posted another video staying firm on her opinion, which caused outrage to boil over.
On Sept. 20, in an interview with The Guardian, Roan was asked if she would endorse Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. She responded, “she doesn’t feel pressure to enforce anyone,” which led to many mixed reactions.
“I think it’s smart she didn’t get involved in politics,” freshman Grayson Ruefli said.
Others saw that not choosing a side meant that she was against them. After the backlash, she made another TikTok stating that there are problems on both sides when it comes to political parties, hence why she isn’t endorsing either candidate.
It doesn’t end here though as another cause of backlash was the canceling of two of her shows. She canceled the shows due to her mental health, only 24 hours prior.
“It’s definitely frustrating if you’re a fan and you’re really excited to see a show and it gets canceled. But I feel like mental health is really important and if she needs a break to feel fine, I think that’s okay.” junior Ellie Coffey said.
This goes far beyond drama and tells a story about the current state of fan culture. Roan’s setting of boundaries after such a rapid rise in popularity is what caused her backlash.
“I think that’s very interesting to see how the world and her fanbase reacted to that, cause I feel like mental health in the singer/songwriter community isn’t talked about enough,” junior Alex Krous said.
This controversy revealed how stan culture and society have to change when it comes to both mental health and parasocial relationships.
