2024 was the year of Chappell Roan. From songs like “Casual” to “HOT TO GO!” people could not escape America’s newest singer sensation. Roan’s upbeat pop music, flamboyant aesthetic, and touching story of growing up LGBTQ+ in the Midwest captured the hearts of many. However, her overall successful year was not without controversy.
Her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” originally debuted in 2023, despite her blowing up the most this year. The 14-track album takes listeners through Roan’s life as she left her hometown in Missouri to pursue a music career in Los Angeles. While the album had hits like “Casual” and “HOT TO GO!” her biggest song came out as a single in April 2024. “Good Luck, Babe!” hit 1 billion streams on Spotify less than eight months after its debut.
With such a quick rise to fame, however, Roan faced many lifestyle changes. Her first controversy occurred in September when she pulled out of the All Things Go music festival just one day before. She wrote on her Instagram story that she needed a few days to prioritize her health after “things [had] gotten overwhelming.” However, some fans disagreed with her pulling out of the festival at the last minute, as many fans looked forward to seeing her, and some even bought tickets just to watch her performance.
As they do to many famous individuals, fans stripped Roan of much of her privacy. Not too long after the All Things Go music festival incident, she took to the popular social media platform TikTok to address some of her fans’ behavior.
“I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever is a normal thing to do to people who are famous, or a little famous, or whatever,” says Roan.
This video left fans divided. On the one hand, all people, even celebrities, deserve privacy and do not owe anyone attention, especially not the attention some people so rudely demand. However, some believe she overreacted in her statement. While they acknowledged that it is not fair that celebrities deal with this lack of privacy, comparing her experiences to abuse was too far and highly insensitive.
Instances like these make Roan seem like a “diva” or “overly demanding.” But it begs the question, is she genuinely being that difficult, or is she just saying what performers will not?
It’s no secret that Hollywood levels of fame break people down. Aside from potentially overly demanding or aggressive fans, performers must adhere to the overall demands of the music industry. People pushed other female singers into the spotlight, like Britney Spears and Taylor Swift, both of whom went on to face very publicized criticism. By setting these boundaries, Roan prevents these situations from worsening. People may complain there are better ways to go about it, but at the end of the day, her health and safety take priority over how nice or respectful she is when addressing issues like these. She cannot control the actions of all of her fans, but she can separate herself from those disrespecting her or others.
Truthfully, these minuscule controversies will end as quickly as they started. With such a unique sound and over-the-top, colorful persona, Roan already cemented herself in pop-star history. No one is currently doing it like her, and no small waves of backlash can change that. Her music, her style, and her message help pave the way for future stars, but her attitude regarding her own well-being may be her most significant impact on future generations of performers.