Photo credit Justin Higuchi, via Wikimedia Commons
Recent pop-craze Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known professionally as Chappell Roan, has seen a quick rise to the top of US and UK music billboards. As a freshman at Ohio State, her music follows me everywhere—I hear it at frat parties, school-sanctioned events, and even my part-time job.
After releasing her debut album last September, Chappell Roan set attendance records at major festivals like Coachella, Gov Ball, and Lollapalooza, and toured alongside pop icons such as Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. Her song “Good Luck, Babe!” skyrocketed to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after its release, with synth-pop anthem “HOT TO GO!” trailing not far behind at #16.
However, despite her rising popularity, her relationship with fans on social media—and her mental health—has been declining. In recent weeks, Chappell Roan has been the subject of many online controversies, prompting her to cancel shows in New York and DC, and leading many fans to wonder if she’s really cut out for the celebrity life.
In a TikTok posted by the popstar herself on August 19th of 2024, Chappell Roan called out her fans for what she claims is stalking and harassment, stating, “I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job […] I don’t want whatever the f*ck you think you’re supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity,” she continues, “I don’t give a f*ck if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug; that’s not normal, that’s weird”.
Her comments come amidst fan criticism that the pop-star has no pictures with her fans to be found online, with many labeling her selfish and ungrateful for the role that they’ve played in her rise to stardom. Regardless, Roan held true in expressing her distaste for superfan behavior with an Instagram post in which she set a boundary between her and the fans: “Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me,” she writes. Underlined, her post contains the sentence: “women don’t owe you shit.”
The post sparked a debate among her fans; some called her selfish and ungrateful, while others praised her for being transparent about the entitled and disrespectful behavior that fans often exhibit toward celebrities in the age of social media.
Most recently on September 25th, Chappell Roan received backlash from her fans for failing to endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In an interview published by The Guardian, she expressed her disillusion with the government as a whole, stating that there are “problems on both sides” and stressing the importance of using critical thinking skills and voting locally. Her fans responded with anger and disappointment that she had not endorsed the Democratic ticket, claiming that she was instead playing both sides. Responding to the backlash, she posted a TikTok where she clarifies her stance: “Actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement” she says. In a follow up video, she states “Yeah, I’m voting for f*cking Kamala, but I’m not settling for what has been offered,” referring to the transphobic and pro-israel policies of the Democratic Party. The main message of her video? Continue to be critical of both sides.
Chappell Roan is just one of many celebrities to weigh in on the 2024 election; Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala over Instagram after Republican candidate Donald Trump used AI generated photos of her likeness for her campaign, and Billie Eilish recently posted a video on Instagram with her brother Finneas in which they endorse Kamala Harris and call upon fans to “vote like your life depends on it, ‘cause it does.”
Following the backlash, Chappell Roan canceled her All Things Go music festival performances in New York and DC, releasing an apology on her Instagram story: “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.” Many fans were disappointed by the canceled shows, pointing to the resilience of other stars like Katy Perry, who performed the same night her husband Russel Brand informed her that he wanted a divorce. Others say the pop-star needs to take a break from social media and let someone else run it for her. All Things Go voiced their support for Chappell Roan, encouraging fans to “continue to show the world that music fans support not just the art, but the artists themselves.”
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