Chappell Roan has had one of the most incredible and accelerated rises to fame in recent years. She’s become an undoubtable force in the industry–an icon in both musicality and stage presence. She has made an impact on our current culture, from fashion to her personal sound. It seems that she can only go up from here.
But recently, in the dawn of a looming upcoming election, her outspokenness has landed her in some hot water.
Celebrity endorsements have always been a pivotal part of elections. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have been racking up their own, respectively.
Notably, Donald Trump has Zachary Levi, Hulk Hogan, Dana White, and Elon Musk. Kamala Harris has Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Chappell Roan, being one of the biggest artists at the time–known for being outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights, has a big question mark beside her name–when will she be the next star to endorse Harris?
Chappell, however, seems to feel less attached to the cause. The outward pressure to endorse Harris finally manifested itself when Chappell released a statement (if you count a 4-minute, unedited Tiktok video as a statement) that sounded more like a rant, about her opinion on the upcoming election. The video has elicited some mixed reactions.
For some context, this isn’t the first of Chappell’s intensely opinionated statements regarding her navigation of newfound fame. Most notably, only a week or so prior, she released a series of videos chronicling her frustration in creating boundaries with her fans.
In summation, Chappell wants to be treated as a normal person–even though she is now considered a celebrity. The tug-of-war seems to be between her persona, Chappell Roan, and Kayleigh Amstutz, her identity. The things that almost come with the job description of being a celebrity are things she disagrees with.
In my opinion, the most interesting thing about these statements is how earnest they are. She’s opinionated, and fiery–these statements are not “clean-cut,” and it seems that her PR is M.I.A (no pun intended!), instead, letting her almost impulsively share her unedited thoughts for the world to see.
This is interesting because, at this point in time, Chappell is the quintessential pop star. If anything, I’d expect her PR to be working overtime, as they have in past examples, to keep her image “clean,” as she is still creating her own personal brand.
Keep in mind that Chappell was almost unknown before she blew up, seemingly out of nowhere. These months are pivotal in ensuring her success in the long run.
Back to the original point–Chappell has stated, in basic words, that she doesn’t owe an explanation to anyone regarding the election. She refuses to properly endorse either candidate, because she does not agree, wholeheartedly, with their respective policies.
Specifically, she noted her frustration regarding the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, and feeling like members of the LGBTQ+ do not get proper representation/rights recognized from either candidate.
Immediately she received backlash for her statement, causing her to release another statement. She explained that she was not voting for Trump, and was voting for Harris–whose name she pronounced wrong.
That fact is only noted because Chappell has done the same thing in the past: calling out fans and supporters for repeatedly pronouncing her name wrong.
The internet is divided on her response: some agreeing with her opinion, and some disagreeing with it. For a while, Chappell almost seemed untouchable, yet this controversy seems to be rocking her fans to their core.
In the wake of the controversy, Chappell canceled two highly anticipated festival performances in New York and Maryland with only 24 hours notice, leaving fans–and the venues themselves–grappling with the abrupt shift.
Setting boundaries with your fans isn’t the issue, per se: the issue is the way it was handled and delivered. Passion seems to be her forte–though precision is not. The framework and ideas that she is bringing up aren’t wrong. She isn’t the first celebrity to bring this up, and I promise you, she won’t be the last.
But loudly berating the people who literally have brought you to this position of privilege isn’t the way to set healthy boundaries. Yes, Chappell doesn’t owe her fans anything–but her fans don’t really owe her anything, either.
I have a lot of empathy for Chappell, the prospect of blowing up to such a large degree, in such a short amount of time, has to be a whirlwind. I think that she is incredibly talented, and with the right support, she could become one of the biggest stars we’ve ever seen. Her prospects are limitless.
Her music is exactly what has been missing in pop the last few years: fun, exciting, and unapologetically authentic. I hope that after this break, she is able to come back to the scene stronger than ever.
But really, it’s up to her.
Chappell Roan, where do you want to go from here?
