In an insightful conversation, pop artist Chappell Roan offers a candid look into the meticulous and often emotionally taxing process behind her music. She emphasizes the deep personal connection woven into her latest single, "The Subway," a track that has resonated profoundly with listeners globally, propelling it to the top of streaming charts. Roan also sheds light on her unique approach to creating accompanying visual narratives for her songs, stressing the artistic integrity and the considerable effort involved in bringing these visions to life. Her discussion further highlights a conscious decision to disengage from the incessant demands of social media, opting instead for a more introspective and authentic creative journey, free from external pressures and online scrutiny.
Chappell Roan's Artistic Journey: From Subway Car Set to Chart-Topping Success
In the vibrant heart of Downtown Brooklyn, on a warm July afternoon, the dynamic pop artist Chappell Roan, known by her birth name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, orchestrated an extraordinary scene. Within a decommissioned subway car at the New York Transit Museum, she transformed the ordinary into an electrifying, strobe-lit club. This unconventional setting served as the backdrop for the highly anticipated music video for her latest single, "The Subway." The song, first teased to enthusiastic crowds at last year's Governors Ball music festival, had been fervently requested by fans for a studio release. Despite initial delays—moving from an April target to June, and then July—its eventual debut last Thursday night propelled Roan to the coveted number one spot on the global Spotify charts, marking a historic achievement as the highest-streamed debut by a female artist this year.
In a private moment within her trailer, Roan candidly confessed the emotional weight that had initially stalled the song's release. "It was just too painful. I was just too angry and scared—just about my life—to put it out," she revealed. "The Subway" is an intensely personal narrative, articulating the disorienting rush of emotions that arise from an unexpected encounter with a former lover. Roan elaborated on the genesis of the lyrics: "I was having a hard time getting over this one person, and I just could not get over them. When I was writing, I was constantly trying to be like, we’re done, we’re done, we’re done, we’re done. The feelings are still there, even though we’re done." Co-written with producer Daniel Nigro, the track, much like her earlier hit "Casual," proved to be a challenging creative endeavor, demanding an "annoying amount of time to just get it right."
The creation of the music video mirrored this demanding process. Roan, who hadn't filmed a video in years due to their "unnecessarily hard and sometimes traumatic" nature, was initially hesitant. After releasing "Good Luck, Babe!" in 2024 and "The Giver" earlier this year without accompanying visuals, she confessed, "It’s such a labor of love that I’m like, I don’t know if I have that love in my heart right now." However, "The Subway" was different. Roan envisioned a vibrant, campy New York narrative, where her distinctive fiery red hair, almost engulfing her face, symbolically led her on a whimsical chase after the "Cousin It-esque" figure who had caused her heartbreak. She aimed for a lighthearted tone, despite the song's serious undercurrent. "I didn’t want it to be super serious," she explained. "It is a serious song, but at the same time it’s not, because I say, ‘F*** this city, I’m moving to Saskatchewan.’ It’s not that serious."
The filming of the video quickly became a public spectacle. Just a day after our conversation at the museum, fans across Manhattan captured grainy footage of Roan lip-syncing to the song on a fire escape, her signature red locks flowing dramatically like Rapunzel's. These TikToks rapidly went viral. Soon after, images of another scene surfaced online, depicting Roan being humorously dragged by a taxi by her hair, spreading like wildfire. Roan humorously acknowledges her distinctive hair's pervasive impact: "I can’t hide if my hair is out. I just cover it and wear a wig. I got pretty frustrated with my hair and got really close to cutting it all off or dyeing it really dark, so it just didn’t scream red hair, but it’s always been a part of my brand."
Speculation has been rife among fans regarding the follow-up to Roan’s Grammy-winning debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Her recent fascination with dragons, knights, and medieval themes, along with clues in "The Giver"'s lyric video, have fueled anticipation. However, Roan clarifies, "the second project doesn’t exist yet. There is no album. There is no collection of songs." She emphasizes the time-intensive nature of her creative process: "It took me five years to write the first one, and it’s probably going to take at least five to write the next. I’m not that type of writer that can pump it out." Roan firmly believes that forcing creativity stifles quality. "I don’t think I make good music whenever I force myself to do anything," she asserts, addressing fan impatience by adding, "Even if I was in the studio 12 hours a day, every single day, that does not mean that you would get an album any faster."
In a move towards artistic independence and mental well-being, Roan has significantly reduced her social media presence, using Instagram only to post before quickly deleting the app. "Socials harm the f*** out of me and my art," she states. "I’m not doing that to myself anymore." She is excited about the prospect of developing her next project untainted by online influence. "I’ve never written an album where I don’t have Instagram or anything," she muses. "The album process is purely, only mine. No one on TikTok gets to see it."
Beyond her music, Roan has been embracing her personal life in New York City alongside her best friend and creative director, Ramisha Sattar. "I have to see what New York is like in my 20s, ’cause it’s what everyone says," she explains, savoring the city’s culinary scene and her beloved bike rides. Despite the city's relentless pace—"New York is doing exactly what it does to me, which is kicking my a**," she jokes—Roan remains optimistic. She anticipates a series of pop-up shows this fall in New York, Los Angeles, and Kansas City, Missouri. "This pace is good right now. This feels good and manageable," she concludes, expressing a renewed enthusiasm: "I feel like, for the first time in over a year, I can finally be excited about going to work and doing my job."
Chappell Roan's journey reminds us that true artistry often blossoms away from the relentless glare of public expectation. Her commitment to authenticity, patience, and a deep, personal connection to her craft serves as a powerful testament to the idea that creative integrity, not speed, dictates the path to meaningful artistic output. In an era where instant gratification and constant digital presence are the norms, Roan's deliberate detachment from social media for the sake of her art is a bold and inspiring move. It compels us to consider the often-overlooked benefits of introspection and the space needed for genuine creation to flourish. Her experience highlights the importance of setting boundaries in a hyper-connected world, ensuring that creative endeavors remain driven by passion and truth, rather than the fleeting demands of online algorithms.