Chappell Roan has had one of the fastest, most organic rises to stardom that the music industry has seen in the past decade — but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
While talking to host Drew Afualo on the Wednesday (July 17) episode of The Comment Section podcast, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter got candid about the pitfalls of notoriety. “People have started to be freaks — like, [they] follow me and know where my parents live, and where my sister works,” she said of intrusive fans. “All this weird s–t.”
Roan also revealed she once promised herself years ago that if she ever had fans giving “stalker vibes,” or if her family was ever in danger as a result of her fame, she would stop making music. “We’re there. We’re there!” she told Afualo. “I’m just kind of in this battle … I’ve pumped the brakes on, honestly, anything to make me more known. It’s kind of a forest fire right now. I’m not trying to go do a bunch of s–t.”
Fans can only hope that the Missouri native doesn’t actually quit, but it’s true that she’s reached unprecedented levels of exposure in the months since she dropped her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess last year. After a series of headline-making performances — including at Coachella and Gov Ball 2024 — the 14-track project earned a new peak of No. 5 on the Billboard 200 earlier this month.
It’s not all bad, though. Roan also opened up about the good things her newfound fame has afforded her, including recognition from her idols. “People who I’ve looked up to my entire life are like peers, which is sick,” she told Afualo.
Her biggest pinch-me moment? “Miley [Cyrus] invited me to a party, and I was like, ‘You don’t know that you were my first concert when the Jonas Brothers were opening for you,’” she said, noting that she should’ve gone the Hannah Montana route of using a disguise.
Listen to Roan’s full interview below.
