Chappell Roan On Interview Magazine About Being Queer, Her GayFans, Charts, And More

[RAMROD 100,571]

She was interviewed by Bowen Yang on this piece.

 

About being gay:

ROAN: Yeah. I was at Brooklyn Pride this weekend, and I was in a wig the whole time, and I was also on shrooms. I was like, “I need to stop lying to myself.” So I ripped the wig off, and I was like, “This is me.” [Laughs] It sounds so dramatic.

YANG: I love it.

ROAN: I was just like, this is really weird and really hard. In the past, honestly, eight weeks, my entire life has changed. It’s been really emotional because I’m not just singing pop music, it’s automatically political because I’m gay.

 

About newfound fame and charts

ROAN: I was just like, this is really weird and really hard. In the past, honestly, eight weeks, my entire life has changed. It’s been really emotional because I’m not just singing pop music, it’s automatically political because I’m gay.

YANG: And we’re lucky that we have this point of view by default, but then you end up getting sucked into a whirlpool of other ****. Somehow you’ve ended up at the trash island in the Pacific, when all you wanted to do was get on a boat and sail.

ROAN: [Laughs] Yeah.

YANG: And anytime someone is like, “Wow, it’s all happening so fast, like, how do you feel?” That’s only reinforcing the sense of overwhelm. So if you can tune that out—not me giving you advice right off the ****ing bat like I’m an elder.

ROAN: I appreciate advice. I don’t know anyone who’s going through this, personally. The biggest thing has been getting recognized, and just feeling not myself. And touring, it’s all-consuming. I’ve never given a **** about the charts or being on the radio, but it’s so crazy how industry people are taking me more seriously than before. I’m like, “I’ve been doing this the whole time, bitch.”

YANG: Bitch!

ROAN: Like, my career doesn’t mean anything more now that I have a charting album and song. If anything, I’m just like, “**** you guys for not seeing what actually matters.” A chart is so fleeting. Everyone leaves the charts. I’m just like, “This is giving valedictorian.”

 

About her gay fans

YANG: I still have glitter stars all over my living room, and I’m like, “Don’t vacuum over it.” But you helped me through a lot of **** when I was ****ing depressed. And I will always associate “Casual,” which is a horny song that is not even necessarily for someone like me, who unfortunately loves ****—anyway. There were so many 4 a.m. car trips to set for Wickedwhere I was blasting you. I remember drinking a glass of wine with Ariana Grande after we wrapped and being like, “You should get on Chappell Roan. She’s ****ing awesome. Her live shows are incredible.”

ROAN: I appreciate that. I’ve been like, “Oh, my god. People are legitimately excited about this album.” Like, “Dang, gay people do care.” [Laughs]

YANG: Gay people care. And as long as you have a queer fan base—yes, all humankind is a little bit toxic, a little bit unethical, immoral, whatever—but the queers are going to make sure you’re okay. That’s the guardrail.

ROAN: I agree. Queer people are forgiving, and the fact that I’m not trying to be a perfect person all the time—

YANG: Perfect is boring. Right now, in pop music, we want a rough edge. We want something to grip onto.

ROAN: Yeah. I never really expected it to grow this big. I feel like I peaked a couple of years ago. Back then, I was like, “I sold out Bowery Ballroom and that’s crazy.” It’s been amazing to do bigger shows, and open for Olivia [Rodrigo], but everything right now is truly icing on the cake. Me trying to navigate this, I feel very supported. Because I’ve never not been myself. I’m really glad the persona that I have, the drag version, is still very much me.

YANG: What’s probably such a weird mind**** is, like, “Pink Pony Club” came out April 2020, like, the most ironic time for a song about a queer club to come out. It’s like, “Well, I can’t hear this while I’m out so it’s totally internal,” which is beautiful. It’s yours. You feel self-possessed in that work. But then, it’s this gradual thing where you release song after song, and people really respond to it. But in the last few weeks this floodgate has opened, and now people are coming to you, and consuming you in a way that you did not necessarily anticipate, which is all at once.

ROAN: Yeah. It exploded within a matter of four weeks. All of a sudden I had an album charting that came out in September.

YANG: Yeah, and so it feels arrhythmic. It’s not the timeline that makes sense to anybody.

ROAN: Totally.

ROAN: My career has worked because I’ve done it my way, and I’ve not compromised morals and time. I have not succumbed to the pressure. Like, “Bitch! I’m not doing a brand deal if it doesn’t feel right. I don’t care how much you’re paying me.” That’s why I can sleep at night.

Insomnia & Crush

YANG: Speaking of sleep, I know you have insomnia. Have you been sleeping okay on the tour?

ROAN: Kind of. I sleep for a long time on the bus, but I’ve been talking to this girl that I have a crush on, so I don’t sleep anymore.

YANG: Goddamn it. This is why crushes are great, but they suck a little bit.

ROAN: It’s my favorite part of life, having a crush on someone. It’s the best thing ever when you are at the beginning of a relationship and talking on FaceTime for eight hours a day.

YANG: In a way, that makes it worth it when the crush fades away; all you care about is that feeling. It doesn’t matter what comes next, necessarily.

ROAN: Yeah. I’m a relationship girl. I’ve never dated someone less than a year. So I always cherish the honeymoon phase.

YANG: Well, then I’m glad you have that.

ROAN: Right, I’m excited about my job, yes, but I’m actually excited about a girl, and that’s so fun. I had my best friend who made the album cover with me. She came on tour for five days, and that makes me feel normal, and those are the things I love. It’s just my ****ing friends; that’s what makes all this amazing.

[Didymus 33,516]

Ugh. She is a light in the industry rn.

[Juniper 699]

She’s really the artist I needed right now. So fresh! So good. 

[RadioIsOurs 13,766]

Omg the images are lowkey horrifying...slay! 

[Schizophonic 6,544]

Her Interviews give me strong TF era Gaga vibes

[JohnnyVersace 8,683]

I would kill to know what brand deals, partnerships and appearances she's turned down