Naomi Tamene -- October 8th
From just “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” to explosive widespread global popularity, Chappell Roan’s life has changed a lot since her Coachella performance in April of this year. Her hit singles “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Hot to Go,” along with “Pink Pony Club” and “Red Wine Supernova” have broken into the Billboard Hot 100 nearly a year after their initial release—except for “Good Luck, Babe!,” which was released this year. They’re the first of her songs to reach that milestone after nearly a 10 year long career. But no big pop star comes without their fair share of controversy, something Chappell Roan’s had a lot of recently.
Having to make multiple statements addressing boundaries and stalking from her “fans,” Chappell Roan’s recent rise in success has led to a major decline in her mental health, to the point of even being diagnosed with severe depression. Where people have become upset recently though, comes from her canceling tour and festival appearances. Just recently, she was set to perform at the All Things Go festival towards the end of September, and canceled just the day before, citing stress and mental health issues. Many fans were upset after traveling from different states to see her at the festival. Other recent controversies have come from Chappell’s refusal to endorse a presidential candidate, instead encouraging people to do their own research and make their own decisions on the election, and to also make sure to vote for their local politics as well.
To me, all this controversy really shows is that Chappell Roan seems to be making major strides in the industry in more ways than one. She’ll continue to advocate for herself and her health throughout her career and hopefully normalize it more, and she seems to be one of the rare authentic personalities in the spotlight. Hopefully, there are many iconic “f*** you”s to rude paparazzi and fans to come.