Our favorite Midwest princess Chappell Roan has found herself in hot water following recent controversies, both in real life and on social media. From canceling shows the day before to lashing out on TikTok, how has one of the most prominent upcoming artists fallen from the good graces of social media?
Chappell Roan rose to fame seemingly overnight after opening for fellow pop star Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts World Tour. Roan is a sapphic pop artist who is well known for her songs commenting on the struggles of being LGBTQ+ in a small town in the Midwest. This connected with many fans, turning her into one of the most prominent pop icons of the decade.
“Before, it was very captivating to see how she made queer music so mainstream…there was no questioning about i:, it was queer music and she made it pretty popular which was exciting to me,” OH junior Megan Kratsch stated.
Roan has mastered the perfect look for her brand. With elaborate glittery costumes to match the themes of her songs and drag makeup, she easily stands out in the pop world. With so much thought put into her brand, how has she gotten into so much controversy?
The primary debate was sparked following Roan making a multi-part series on TikTok, defending herself in her right to a “normal” life. She continued, explaining she doesn’t owe her fans her attention or pictures. While this is completely valid, many fans were off-put by the harsh tone of the videos.
Following her sharp rise in popularity, Roan has been subject to several stalkers. Some of whom discovered private information regarding her family and even her home address. This is not okay in any sense. Our entertainers are people as well and deserve their right to privacy. However, with this level of fame, there are obvious things that come with it.
“People were kinda blowing up at her for wanting a normal life, when everyone deserves that,” OH junior Morgan Pawlisz explained. “People were kinda going out there, and being very like blunt with like asking her weird questions…she deserves to be a normal person.”
Many fans have highlighted the rude tone that was shown on social media when she addressed her boundaries. Some fans believe she’s not ready to be a pop star, as this is what happens to most popular musicians nowadays.
“Chappell had an insane year and I could assume it is difficult for her to process the change but her actions can come off as harsh,” said OH senior Abby Geers.
Chappell Roan has been featured at many different music festivals, including Chicago’s Lollapalooza which she set an attendance record. It was evident that fans would come out to these festivals just to be able to experience her unique stage presence.
“I loved her fun energy [[…]] her style was very reminiscent of early 2000s pop music which could have influenced her growth,” said Geers.
However, Roan has started canceling these shows a mere 24 hours before performance time. She had stated that it was to prioritize her health and that things had started getting overwhelming following the scandal stated before.
“I just think her reasoning for canceling is just a little iffy because [of] the controversy. [She] made that for herself, [she] was the one that said that, and the people who are going to be going to [the concert], they’re not upset at [her] for that,” Kratsch explained.
The best way she could relinquish the backlash would be to hire a PR team to help stay in the good graces of the public eye.
“I think she can work towards getting a stronger PR team because she didn’t have one before, and also just kind of talking to the public…not so much on a attacking basis,” Pawlisz said.
When all is said and done, no celebrity owes their fans attention, however, it is the fans themselves that boost the star into fame, so taking extra care to honor your fans while also keeping boundaries is a thin line that every celebrity must learn to draw. With time and trial, Chappell will learn how to deal with the parasocial pressures of celebrity life.
Hello! I'm Fionnuala Quinn. I'm currently a senior at OHS and this is my third year of journalism. Apart from journalism, I am involved in Cross Country, Track and Field, Best Buddies, and horticulture club. I'm so thrilled to serve as EIC this year!
Hi I'm Chayse! I'm a Senior at OHS and this is my first year on the 42Fifty team. When I'm not at school, I participate in activities such as BIONIC, Commotion, SOTC, and many various Honor Societies! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
I hope that everything turns out ok for Chappell Roan; sudden fame can be difficult to handle. Great article. 🙂